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Jude

Six Months Later

A long time ago, I’d dreamed of the sun.

It was this untouchable orb in the sky. A distant thing that would bring light and warmth but not much else. I lived so long in the darkness that the possibility of it meaning anything had been inconceivable.

Then the sun and what it represented changed one fateful day in a town called Cila.

I watched a young woman defend her brother in the square of her village, and a flood of life heated my blood. At that moment, I felt hope. The possibility of a new beginning.

That was what the sun was. What it represented.

It was a gift of a beginning.

My obligations had been filled for the day. I was exhausted, even as an immortal, but I knew I wouldn’t get rest tonight.

My mother was getting married in a small ceremony overlooking the southern marshes.

Apparently, after our near - deaths, she’d finally accepted Finn’s proposal. A proposal delivered five years ago.

Even Arlo had been invited.

The cranky god had become a permanent fixture in my life. During the very early days of my ascension, he’d been at my side, guiding my hand, easing the transformation.

He didn’t offer smiles or kind words, but he’d been there when I needed him, even if he occasionally tested my temper. Arlo was many things, but cordial wasn’t one of them.

The day I invited him to come to my mother’s wedding, Arlo grumbled something about wasting his time with frivolity. Yet the following day, he asked if Emelia preferred white flowers or red.

Of course, she chose red.

Each new dawn I soared across the skies and guided the sun to its proper place in the heavens. And when I was gifted with the wishes of those who prayed, I answered the best way I could. It had taken months to learn how to focus the sun’s energy on the areas requiring the direst of aid, the lands that needed its rays in order to yield food and fill empty bellies.

But the sun heeded my commands eagerly, its life essence connected to mine. All it took was a shared thought, and I was granted its strength.

Sometimes, I’d bring out the sun from behind the clouds on the whim of a child’s wish. Other times, I hovered above the earth, observing the people who now thrived in the daylight, their faces etched in grins, faith restored to their souls.

That was the beautiful thing about light—it awarded people hope.

Nighttime could be stunning in its own right, but the sun? I found by simply basking in its heat, parts of myself I didn’t realize needed mending could heal.

After I dragged the sun down to rest, my heart required a different kind of warmth only she could provide.

Gliding to earth on a cloud of wispy white, I landed on a hillside at Montemore.

The region rested in the marshlands, home to a people in dire need of aid. Once Cirian had been pronounced dead, the realm rose in upheaval, no region knowing how to efficiently govern and some fighting for supremacy.

But that was a problem for another day.

My eyes found her form immediately. Kiara Frey, Leader of the 7th Legion of Asidia—or, as the people named them, the Dawn Chasers—gazed over the cliffs, tendrils of copper hair flying free from her loose braid.

Her scars were proudly displayed, no gloves in sight, and her sword, Echo, was slung across her back, ready to slay any who dared threaten her or those she loved.

And of course, her faithful steed stood watch. Starlight had fought alongside us on that field, and she’d been Kiara’s devoted companion ever since.

I shouldn’t continue to call her Starlight, though, as Thea was her true name, Raina’s legendary steed. When we first spoke the name aloud, the mare kicked her hooves in the air and neighed so loudly, wolves howled in the distance. She looked at us as if to say, Finally.

“Took you long enough, Commander,” Kiara muttered without turning. I smiled. She could always sense me as thoroughly as I could her.

I took my place beside her, reaching for her hand and pressing a kiss on her knuckles. Her scars shimmered a brilliant gold before settling to a luminous silvery-black.

“So impatient.” I tsk ed. My eyes fell to the speckles of blood marking her skin. I froze. “Are you all right?”

She wound her arm around my waist and tugged me close. Resting her head over my chest, she listened to the beating heart caged inside.

“I’m fine,” she admitted on a sigh. “It belongs to an enemy. The lords battling for the throne are sending out more and more soldiers…and they’re ruthless.”

I relaxed, though I felt guilty for feeling joy at the death of another.

“Each day is a battle to be won.” She tilted her chin, a hesitant smile blooming. Instantly my skin warmed and a subtle glow spread across my every inch. Kiara merely shook her head. “I see you’ve missed me. You’re even glowing.”

“Such an ego,” I teased, kissing her brow. She flicked my nose.

“As if you don’t have one also, almighty god ,” she returned, raising a brow. “I saw how brightly you burned today, like the show-off you’ve become.”

“I was trying to impress you.” I shrugged. “Seems it worked.”

Silence fell, blissful quiet. I held her and she held me. Nights were ours, the darkness ours. We’d claimed it for ourselves long ago.

As much as I yearned to have Kiara at my side, always, I understood her well enough to realize she’d never be happy if kept away from the kingdom she wanted to protect. To the people, she was already a living legend, and to most, a symbol of rebirth.

I didn’t mind sharing her in that respect, but once the moon rose, she was mine.

Except for tonight. I bit down my groan. I’d become greedy, and when nine struck, we were all to be gathered to witness my mother marry Finn. That time was swiftly approaching but we had a few more minutes to spare. I planned on taking advantage.

“Any news on the vessel?” I asked, running my fingers down the side of her arm. Goose bumps pebbled in my wake.

“Yes, actually,” she said, sitting up straighter. I groaned when she pulled away, but my protests died upon seeing shimmering excitement grace her eyes. “There’s a girl a few villages from here that Arlo believes has promise. We should find her soon. Liam has been utilizing his connections and mapping out a course.”

Liam had eagerly taken to being Kiara’s advisor.

While he didn’t engage in battles, his place beside his sister was equally as vital, and he’d discovered he had a knack for diplomacy, an area in which Kiara sometimes could be found wanting. Jake, unsurprisingly, preferred the blade to Liam’s pen.

“What is it?” Kiara asked when I remained silent, content to lose myself in her.

“I’m just thinking about how absolutely stunning you look tonight.” I pressed a kiss to her full lips, nipping at the bottom one. Not a second went by when I wasn’t grateful to be hers. Her choice.

Choice. So many had been stolen from me, but now, so many lay at my feet.

Our feet.

Kiara cupped the sides of my face and held me in place, her lips working a quick trail up my jaw, my cheeks, my nose. She leaned her brow against mine.

“When I first met you, I never would’ve believed you might be a romantic at heart,” she murmured, her warm breath tickling my already heated skin. It flashed brighter, my reaction to her something I couldn’t hide. Not that I wished to.

“I kept telling you that you’ve thoroughly ruined me. I meant it.”

Kiara grinned widely, an impish smirk tilting her lips. “Well , Jude Maddox, be prepared to be ruined every night for the rest of our immortal lives.”

My insides boiled and the scar on my chest twinged. It still retained her mark, her hauntingly beautiful vines, and whenever I missed her, all I had to do was look at it. Some bonds even magic couldn’t wipe away.

Kiara’s lips were once more on mine, and the cliffs became illuminated by my unearthly glow. By my pure joy .

In my life, I’d worn many faces, but none had been as true as the one I wore for her—a woman whose inner radiance was a wavering flame in a sea of night. And I believed the darkness itself couldn’t help but fall in love with the way her brilliance made its shadows dance.

We fell to the cool grass, a tangle of hands and limbs and lips.

Our time together was a gift, and I’d spend every night selfishly kissing the woman who shattered the skies and brought light back to a realm that was only now relearning the magic of hope.

…

R ed flowers surrounded the mouth of a cave decorated with lush green vines. Arlo had outdone himself, the ill-tempered god smugly sitting in the corner. He didn’t make an effort to speak to anyone besides Harlow.

The older knight returned for us after the battle , and he hadn’t left us since. He claimed Kiara needed guidance…especially seeing as she’d suspected him of all people to be an enemy.

Now, he was a part of her legion, a few other warriors joining the ranks in the months following Isiah’s downfall. Jake acted as her second, much to Harlow’s dismay. The pair argued constantly.

Currently, the former lieutenant mirrored Arlo’s pose, the two of them leaning against nearby trees, whispering among themselves. Probably complaining.

“Ki!” Jake tossed an arm over her shoulder. He tugged her into an exuberant hug, his face aglow from the effects of the wine being served. Liam appeared on his heels, shaking his head at his boyfriend. Apparently opposites did attract.

Before Jake could ruffle Kiara’s hair as he was often prone to do, she returned to my side and gripped the fine red jacket I’d chosen for tonight, the style reminding me of Dimitri’s old coat.

Kiara had to be forced out of her armor by none other than the bride herself. The Fox shocked us all by dictating the details of the celebration as if she commanded an army. Who would’ve thought she possessed a romantic side? Albeit a violent one.

Behind Jake, Kiara’s parents glided into view. Her father stole her from my hold, pressing her against his brawny chest and wrapping his arms around her as if she’d float away. Tears slipped down his cheek, his pride evident. When he finally released her, her mother inched forward, her long brown hair billowing in the subtle breeze. She gripped both of Kiara’s shoulders and looked her daughter over, her dark eyes glittering. They’d been reunited after we escaped, and while they had a lot of tense history to work through, I knew they were making an effort.

As her parents took their seats across the aisle, I turned to Kiara. My fingers grazed her hip, my hold firm and possessive. After I’d thoroughly ruined her up on the cliffs mere minutes before our arrival, she’d slipped into a gold dress that fell to her feet. Intricate ropes crisscrossed below her breasts, working their way up to her neck, where they were tied into a knot. Simple, yet something Emelia couldn’t yell at her for.

On cue, a harp played, and I forced Kiara to follow me to our seats at the front of the aisle.

Jake and Liam sat beside us, the pair’s hands intertwined. Liam had lost the top half of his finger after escaping the temple, but Jake assured him that it only made him look devastatingly roguish. Liam dropped his head on Jake’s shoulder, prompting Jake to brush his fingers gently through his curls.

Jake had been wrong after all about not wishing to settle down. I wondered if Kiara and I were as nauseatingly affectionate. I suspected we were somehow worse.

I smiled at that.

“What is it?” Kiara asked, leaning over to whisper in my ear.

“I’m…happy,” I said. It was such a silly thing to utter, but to say it and mean it? I never realized how rare that was.

The music swelled, joined by a lute, and I knew my mother would walk down the aisle any moment now. Finn slid into place with the aid of a finely carved crutch. Emelia had commissioned the piece herself, even adding the depictions of foxes along its length.

Finn yanked out a bright orange handkerchief, already dabbing below his eyes. The color was the same shade as Dimitri’s coat, and I knew that Dimitri was smiling upon his old friend from the afterlife.

Kiara boldly tilted my head her way, our lips an inch apart.

“This is just the start,” she said, and my stomach tied into knots. Her nearness often ruined me in all the best ways. Yet she was right; this was the beginning, for all of us.

I closed the distance and kissed her lips, savoring her for only a second before Jake got the chance to elbow me.

Not the time or place , I had to remind myself. Later.

Drawing away, I returned to the aisle, just in time for Emelia to emerge. She’d chosen to have her ceremony at night so I could attend, and she locked eyes with me immediately, a relieved look gracing her severe features.

Kiara’s shadows swelled up, curling down the aisle to dance at the thief’s feet, the shimmering wisps caressing the hem of her midnight blue dress. She rolled her eyes at Kiara but grinned, nonetheless. Her power highlighted Emelia’s joy, which shone on her face in a way I’d not seen.

I beheld a now openly crying Finn, though he wasn’t the only one with tears shining in his eyes. Liam, Jake, and even Arlo and the stoic lieutenant were fighting their emotions. Behind us were the newest soldiers Kiara had recruited, and in them, I saw determination to mend our broken world.

Tomorrow was a new day. A new battle. A new obstacle—

But I found that surrounded by all those I loved, holding Kiara’s hand—bolstered by her obstinate faith—I could do anything. We could do anything.

And together we could accomplish the impossible. Like set fire to the night.