“What did you do?” He reaches for me like he’s afraid I might vanish. “Open it again,” he continues, and then he swallows, and adds, “Please.”
The desperation in his voice breaks something inside me. Because this is stillmyRiven. The man I love with every fiberof my being. The one I returned to in the Cosmic Tides. The one I fought to bring back to me. Whatever changes the soul fusing caused—whatever unhealthy intensity now drives him—he’s still mine. And I’m still his. Nothing will ever change that. I don’twantanything to ever change that.
I didn’t bring him back just to let the consequences of the soul fusion shut me down. I’m better than that. I’mstrongerthan that. This is something we can fix. Something wewillfix. Together.
So, I take a shuddering breath and gather the scattered pieces of my composure. This conversation can wait. It has to wait. Tonight, we’re celebrating our alliance, and in two days, we march to war. I won’t let my fears fracture what we have when we need each other most.
Slowly, carefully, I reopen the bond.
The relief that floods through Riven is so profound it nearly knocks me off the log we’re sitting on.
He exhales heavily, like he’s been underwater for hours and is just now coming up for air. “That’s better.” He pulls me closer, pressing his forehead against mine. “Please don’t ever do that again. Don’t leave me like that.”
“I won’t,” I promise, steadying myself and reaching for his left hand. My fingers trace the scar on his palm that matches mine, carved with the Star Disc and sealed with our blood and magic. It’s a symbol of his devotion—his fierce willingness to give me everything, even his own life.
I’ll help him find himself again when this is all over.
For now, I trace eight letters onto his palm with my fingertip: I LOVE YOU.
He shudders, closing his eyes as understanding passes between us. When he opens them again, there’s something steadier there, more like the Riven I know.
He takes my hand in both of his and traces the same words onto my palm.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “I shouldn’t have?—”
“It’s all right.” He pulls me close, his arms solid and comforting around me. “I just can’t lose you, Sapphire. Not again. Not ever.”
I pull back to meet his eyes, spellbound by the love shining there.
Riven loves deeper than anyone I’ve ever met, and I’m so lucky to have him that it makes my heart feel like it’s bursting out of my chest. And this deep love of his isn’t just there because of the soul fusing. It’salwaysbeen there. It’s a core part of who he is. He showed me that when he told me how much he loved me before he sealed the deal with the dryad. The fusing just… intensified it.
A lot.
“I didn’t dive into your soul and bring you back from death for me to leave you now,” I finally say with a small smile.
“I suppose that leaving would be a bit counterproductive,” he murmurs, his voice lighter now, but still edged with sincerity. “Considering all the trouble you went through to bring me back.”
I laugh softly, leaning into him, savoring the reassuring strength of his arms around me. “A bit?”
His silver eyes sparkle mischievously. “Maybe more than a bit,” he concedes, pulling me even closer. “But luckily for you, I’m exceptionally skilled at rewarding you for your efforts.”
I tilt my head, meeting his gaze. “I suppose you’d better remind me again, just in case I’ve forgotten.”
“Forgotten already?” A slow, wicked smile spreads across his lips, his eyes burning into mine like silver flames. “Clearly, I’ve been neglecting my duties. Allow me to fix that immediately.”
The kiss he presses to my lips is gentle at first, tender and careful, as if he’s afraid I might disappear beneath his touch. Butthe moment I lean in, his fingers trail along my jaw, sliding down my neck, leaving a line of frost that blooms and melts beneath his touch.
My heart quickens, my magic rising to meet his, water and ice spiraling in shimmering patterns around us.
He pulls back just enough to speak. “Are you ready to join the Portal Stream Forest Clearing Club?” he asks with that smirk I love so much, bringing me back to our conversation in Central Park about the Mile High Club.
A laugh bursts from my lips. “I’m starting to think you’re determined to start a club everywhere we go.”
“Absolutely,” he murmurs, his voice low and teasing. “You deserve a membership to every single one of them. And I’m more than happy to provide it.”
“Well, in that case…” I spare a glance at Ghost and Nebula, who are already making their way into the woods to give us privacy. “I think it’s time for you to give me an unforgettable initiation.”
His gaze darkens with desire, and he brushes his thumb across my lower lip. “I guarantee you’ll be begging for a lifetime membership by the time we’re finished.”
