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Daimon

The moment Daimon landed from his patrol and saw the rest of his fleet’s wyverns, he searched the camp for Evelina. He’d almost lost her. He didn’t know what he would say when he found her, but he just needed to see her. To convince himself that she was still alive—still breathing.

He knocked on the door to her cabin, shifting from one foot to another. Gloriana yawned as she opened the door. She blinked, her eyes still bleary with sleep.

“I’m sorry to wake you,” he said quickly, “but I need to speak with Evelina.”

The corner of Gloriana’s mouth twitched up and she pointed over his shoulder. “She went to clear her head. Last I saw, she was walking in that direction.”

“Thank you.” He followed her direction, walking along the outer edge of camp. There were light footprints along a small stream. He followed them until he heard the rushing of a waterfall and was reminded of the last time he was here. It was the night Nyx last visited him, when Evelina had just arrived at camp and they had still hardly said a word to each other.

He found her silhouetted by the moonlight. She stood with her back to him on the muddy shore. Rocks were formed high around the pond behind her, encircling the area like a cave with no roof. A waterfall poured across from where he stood, flowing over the boulders and into the pond below.

It was private and secluded. The waterfall masked his steps as he approached.

He stumbled when he realized she was removing her gown. Underneath, she wore only a thin cotton gown that reached midthigh. She pulled the hem up, and his eyes stuck as it raised higher and higher. It wasn’t until it reached the curve of her hip that he forced himself to speak.

“Eve,” he choked out.

She whirled around, dropping the hem as she faced him. Her hand flew to her chest.

“Daimon,” she said, like a breath she didn’t mean to let escape.

He swallowed, nerves fluttering in his stomach. “I thought I lost you,” he whispered.

He walked closer until he was standing with her on the bank, his boots sinking into the mud where the water pooled nearby. Her eyes bounced between his. She took a small step toward him so they stood within arm’s length of each other.

A look of understanding washed over her face.

“There was a moment I thought no one was going to find me,” she said softly.

“Had you not been found, I would’ve never stopped looking.”

Goosebumps pebbled her exposed skin. The night air was brisk and she was far less clothed than a princess ought to be in the presence of a male—or, even worse, of the man tasked with keeping her safe in the days to come.

“I’m safe now,” she whispered, her cheeks flushing.

His eyebrows pulled together and pain flashed through his eyes. He took a deep breath and held her gaze.

“And I’m sorry for how our last conversation went before we went to the palace,” he admitted. “And…at the palace. ”

Her gaze fell, a sadness overwhelming her. “I don’t want your apologies anymore, Daimon. I need more than that.”

“I’m sorry, I just—” He winced, hearing his own words. He seemed to be doing everything wrong. She wanted answers that he wasn’t prepared to give. Even when she called him out at the palace for avoiding her and keeping something from her, he still held firm to his secret.

To keep her safe. Always. Above all else.

“Nothing has changed, has it?” Her eyes shifted with anger and she took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself. “You still can’t be honest with me.” Hurt swirled beneath the anger in her gaze. “Why can’t you just tell me the truth? Why did you promise you would return, only to stay away for decades?”

“Evelina, I—” His voice broke. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

The way her mouth tilted into a frown made him want to wipe it away. If only he could reach out and trace a finger over the curve of her lips until they turned back up.

“But I did get hurt.” Tears gathered in her eyes. It was like he was being slowly tortured to death with each tear that fell. “It took me months—maybe even years—to move on. Even now, the wound still feels as fresh as the day you left it on my heart. What could possibly hurt me more than that?”

The mask he wore cracked and pain flashed across his features. For a moment, he just stared at her, blinking.

Then he looked away.

“Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out,” she pleaded.

“There are things that are better left unsaid,” he whispered, his jaw clenched.

“You decided for me.” Her voice rose and echoed off the rocks around them. “You can’t do that, Daimon. You left me. Cut yourself off from me and never returned.”

He stepped forward, needing to be closer. But she receded a step, refusing to relent. Twenty years of frustration and anger came bubbling to the surface .

“You’re hiding something, Daimon,” she continued, holding his gaze. “After the Baile attack, I spoke with Maliena.” Her eyes were wide. Determined. “She told me about your mother, about how she was an outcast like your father. And I realized even if you never knew your father, he might have found you—and he might have made you feel like an outcast yourself.”

He swallowed and his head began to pound. She was so close to the truth, so much closer than she realized. Pressure was mounting against his chest, against his entire body, like a dam about to break.

“Just be honest with me,” she pleaded, sensing she was close. “Why shut yourself off from me—from the world—and not come back home? If it’s something with your father, we can figure it out. Even if he worships the dark gods?—”

“My father doesn’t worship the dark gods,” he burst out. “He is a dark god.”

Evelina’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her eyes widening.

“My father is Nyx,” he said firmly, feeling instant relief, like the weight of the Zenovia Mountains had just been taken off his shoulders.

He had finally said it. And there was no going back.