Ichor. The blood of the gods.
Uncertainty knots in my stomach, but Sapphire squeezes my hand, grounding me. Her touch is a lifeline, her warmth seeping into my skin, anchoring me to a reality I never want to leave.
“Go on,” she murmurs, her eyes steady and strong. “I’m here.”
“Just don’t go anywhere after this is over.” My heart beats faster, and as I gaze down into those beautiful blue eyes, I’m suddenly more scared than ever that making any changes to the bond will strip away the few parts of me that still exist.
After all, any changes I’ve made to the core of who I am haven’t gone very well these past few months. I can still hear myself after the deal with the dryad—the way I spoke toSapphire, my words tearing through her soul—and I can’t bear the thought of doing something like that to her again. It wouldn’t just destroy her—it would destroy me, too.
If I’m destroyed, well… I got a pretty good idea of what that would look like when I almost lost myself to my magic in the Night Court’s tower.
“Riven.” She squeezes my hand again, and from the worry etched across her face, I know she can feel my fear. “You worded the deal perfectly. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to bemorethan okay, because when this is over, we’re going to be better than ever.”
“Better than ever,” I repeat, as if saying it can make it true. And then, since it might be the last time I’ll say it to her while feeling it with every piece of my soul, I add, “I love you.”
Her eyes shine with unshed tears, determination and devotion blazing in their depths. “I love you more than anyone else in the world,” she replies. “And that’s never, ever going to change. I swear it.”
I swallow, my chest aching, every nerve in my body alive with longing, fear, and hope. But before I can respond, she turns my hand over and traces those eight letters that mean everything onto my palm.
I LOVE YOU
Each stroke comforts me, every touch of her fingertips anchoring me to her, calming my heartbeat until it matches hers.
Finally, when my hands are steady enough to trace the words on her palm in return, I do it slowly, savoring it, each letter filled with every ounce of the devotion I feel for her. I pour all my hopes, fears, and love into those eight letters, silently promising that nothing will stand between us again.
After another kiss that she ends far too soon, I turn to Eros, forcing myself to take the final step that will either save us or ruin us.
The god examines his wrist, golden ichor dripping from the wound, shimmering as it trails down his skin. “Three swallows will suffice,” he says, extending his arm to me.
I nod and take his wrist in my hand. The ichor smells like lightning and honey, of power more ancient than even the oldest fae can comprehend.
Knowing I might break again if I hesitate, I bring his wrist to my lips and drink.
The first swallow burns my throat and spreads like wildfire through my chest, frost and flame warring within me. The second is worse. My vision whites out, and I nearly lose my footing as divine power surges through my body. It’s agony and euphoria intertwined, tearing me apart and stitching me back together at the same time.
The third, on the other hand, brings clarity.
Something shifts deep inside me, a realignment that makes me shudder from head to toe. The hunger that’s been clawing at me through the bond transforms into a powerful, resonant warmth. The ragged edges smooth, and the frantic urgency calms, leaving behind a bond so deep, pure, and powerful that my entire body feels alight from it.
The bond is still there, but now, it feels right. Balanced. Perfect. The way it was always meant to be.
Finally, when the magic of Eros’s blood locks into place, I look at Sapphire.
What I find there is hope, joy, and a warmth so pure it leaves me breathless. Because I still feel that surge of love, that bone-deep recognition. But it’s no longer theonlything I feel. Instead, it’s everything beautiful, strong, and unbreakable that’s ever existed between us.
“Did it work?” Her voice is cautious yet hopeful, her eyes wide with the kind of vulnerability that makes me want to pull her into my arms and never let go.
“Yes,” I breathe, astonished by how clearly I feel myself again, free from the shackles that darkened everything I cared about other than her. “It worked.”
Her eyes glisten with relieved tears, and she nods, smiling softly. “I told you it would.”
She looks the same—beautiful and fierce, with water swirling beneath her skin—but I can see her now. Trulyseeher, without the filter of obsession and devotion obscuring my vision.
And somehow, impossibly, I love her more for it. Because now, I love herfreely.
Eros steps back, flexing his fingers as the wound finishes healing. “Our deal is fulfilled,” he says, firm but weary. “It’s time for the two of you to leave my garden before you break anything else.”
“Gladly,” I reply. “But let’s not do this again anytime soon.”
