The god gives me a dismissive glance. “Trust me—the feeling is mutual.”
Sapphire steps closer to me, although she remains focused on Eros.
“Despite the unfortunate way we came to be here, we appreciate what you’ve done to help us,” she says, as calm and diplomatic as royalty.
Now that the war is over and we’ll have a chance to spend time in our kingdoms, she’s going to be an incredible princess. The citizens will love her, just like I do.
Well,almostas much as I do. Anything else is an impossible bar to meet.
Eros arches an eyebrow. “Don’t make a habit of destroying divine weapons to get what you want,” he warns us. “Not all gods are as accommodating as I am.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” I say dryly, taking Sapphire’s hand. It feels different now—a choice rather than a necessity, but just as grounding.
“Go.” Eros waves her gratitude away and turns his attention to the bow, running his fingers over its smooth, repaired surface. “And if you decide to shatter anything else divine, pick on another god. Might I suggest Apollo’s lyre? He’s annoyingly cheerful and deserves it.”
“Noted.” I smirk. “Apollo’s lyre, Poseidon’s trident, Hermes’s winged sandals… should we make a prioritized list, or go alphabetically?”
“Don’t make me like you, Winter Prince.” Eros scowls and makes a shooing motion with his hand.“Go.”
Not wanting to push my luck, I pull on Sapphire’s hand, and we walk away from Eros without a second glance.
The garden path seems different now. The statues of ruined lovers no longer feel like prophecies of a doomed future. Instead, they’re just sad reminders of what could have been if we didn’t fix what was broken.
Ghost and Nebula wait where we left them, standing sentinel at the garden’s entrance, and they pad forward to greet us. Ghost butts his head against my chest, a low rumble of satisfaction vibrating through him.
“They approve.” Sapphire smiles, running her fingers through Nebula’s spotted fur.
“Of course they do,” I reply, scratching behind Ghost’s ears. “They’ve likely known for weeks that something was wrong.”
Ghost nuzzles me, as if confirming I’m right, and I hop onto his back. Sapphire does the same with Nebula, all perfect fae beauty and grace. I love her so much, but now, that love doesn’t hurt or feel like it might disappear if I let her out of my sight.
Now, it feels stable and grounded. It’s no longer the storm, but the calm in the center of it.
Together, we cross through the archway and enter the jungle beyond. The moment we’re clear of the garden’s boundaries, theair feels fresher. Lighter. Or maybe that’s just me, freed from the weight of a bond that was consuming my soul.
I pull Ghost to a halt, turning to face Sapphire. “Wait.”
She stops Nebula, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “What is it?”
I dismount in one fluid motion, crossing the space between us in three quick strides. Her eyes widen as I reach for her, helping her down from Nebula’s back, and I can tell by the way she tenses that she’s bracing herself for anything.
I take her face in my hands, her skin warm against my perpetually cool fingers, her water responding to my ice with the dance of elements that’s existed between us since the first time I touched her at that stream.
“I need to know that we’re still us,” I say, and she smiles—a real smile, not the careful one she’s been giving me since our victory at the Night Court, when I admitted I was losing myself to the bond.
“There’s only one way to find out,” she replies, her voice soft and inviting as she rises on her toes to close the gap between us.
Our lips meet, and it’s nothing like the desperate, consuming kisses of recent weeks. This is something purer and truer. It’s slow, deep, and perfect—a kiss filled with a lifetime’s worth of promises. I still feel the passion, the desire, and the bone-deep connection that’s been forged through frost, heartbreak, and darkness, but now there’s also the steadfast clarity of two souls choosing each other freely.
I pull her closer, one hand tangling in her hair as the other wraps around her waist, her body fitting against mine as if created for that purpose alone. Through our newly balanced bond, I feel her joy, her relief, and her love. They’re distinct from my own emotions, but they harmonize perfectly. My heart pounds harder, longing tightening in my chest as I deepen thekiss, pouring every ounce of devotion I have into the steady connection we now share.
When we break apart, I rest my forehead against hers, tracing the lines of her face with my thumb, never wanting to forget this moment.
“I love you,” she whispers, her eyes shining with tears. “Even when things were darkest, I loved you. But right now, it feels like I’m seeing you in the sunlight for the first time. And I’ll keep loving every new version of you, every change, and every step forward, because every single one of them will still beyou.”
My heart swells with her confession, and I somehow feel even fuller than before.
“And I love you, Sapphire Hayes Fairmont Solandriel Draevor.” I savor each word of her name—especially that last one. “Not because fate demands it, and not because magic compels it, but because I choose you freely and completely, every day for the rest of our lives.”
