I studied the wretched pain etched on Eve's face, full of regret and guilt. "You could not have known, Eve."
She glanced over at me and then back to the silvery path we walked upon. "Some of it I did. I knew Deirdre would someday harm her…but to what extent I did not know. I should have never allowed her to stay there. I should have forced her to break her oath and brought her home. It was within my power to do so but I thought, in my arrogance, I still had time to guide Remnant away from Deirdre's manipulative clutches. Except it only served to push her further away from me. Newly out of her centum, Remnant was so eager to prove herself and to help her court. Deirdre was also eager but not for the right reasons. She wanted power and my daughter was that power.”
“Until Deirdre realized that she would never be able to truly control Remnant, not in the way she really wanted to and decided to destroy it instead." I snarled into the night and watched a lone ice phoenix blazing across the sky, releasing fiery snow that fell down in front of us.
“Yes.” Eve said simply, watching the ice phoenix snow as well.
"She is not meant to be controlled," I added, reaching out to the icy flakes and closing a tight fist around it with a snarl, feeling it burn my hand with its fierce cold. When I opened it, the ice remained, but my flesh had been burned. Blowing softly on my palm, the phoenix snowflake drifted back out to the white sands of Sheol. "She is meant to be unleashed."
Eve studied the snow for a moment before she whispered softly, "You will not make it to The Well Emon…and without you, Remnant will not either."
My lips thinned and I raked my hand through my hair, "I sense an unless…"
She sighed, weaving shadows around the chilling fire and cradling it in her hand softly so it would not burn her, she stared down at it thoughtfully.
As if the past slapped me in the face, I was suddenly struck with the image of my own mother holding a wisp all those years ago as she confessed her worries of the future. My brows furrowed, Eve and her were not that much different. Both of them mothersin a dangerous world, searching for ways to protect the ones they loved.
"I should clarify. Your body will not make it…you will succumb to a soulless sleep no matter what path you take. But there is a way for your soul to stay tethered to my daughter instead of going straight to The Well, and in this future the odds are more in your favor."
I shook my head, growling, "I will not forfeit my soul to the death god, your daughter would never forgive me for that."
Eve nodded, releasing the shadows to allow the blue phoenix fire to fall and sizzle onto the silver path. "What I speak of is not the gift of the last breath. It is a binding oath of the shadow fae." She arc'd her hand over her head at the stars, the shadows forming a sign of infinity. "Darkness has no beginning or end, it is infinitely connected and each shadow fae binds themselves to a part of this darkness, in your case you would bind your soul to my daughter’s. Your soulmate bond can be destroyed but darkness cannot, through it your soul can continue on at my daughter’s side until your body finally leaves these lands."
I stopped her from walking forward, my voice cracking with emotion, "You're asking me to take the eternal oath to the shadow fae court? And by doing this, I will ensure my soulmate succeeds?"
Shaking her head, she pursed her lips. "I have never had a clearer vision than that of the consequences of the choices you make tonight, but that does not mean my visions are foolproof." She looked up and studied me through worried eyes, "Daemon, you must know what it will mean if you do this—"
I cut her off, my hand slicing downwards with finality. "I accept."
She pursed her lips again and again the reflection of her daughter was far too akin for my own comfort. "King Daemon, I feel that I must speak plainly about what it is you will be giving up, what you might become—"
I growled low. "I am well aware of what I will give up to make this oath. I still accept." Then I tilted my head, "But I will ask for one favor."
Eve nodded. "I think I know what this request is but whatever it is you ask of me, I will try to grant it."
"I need paper and ink." Sighing deeply, I shook my head, running my hand through my hair again with a growl. "A lot of paper and ink."
Her sapphire eyes ringed with green sparkled and I swore I could see the future unfolding within them. "This will not be an easy path for either of you to take, but I can see now that the fates have chosen well."
"No," I turned and looked upwards at the swirling black tower of glass where my soulmate slept, making out the outline of the balcony extending into the stars, and spotting the chickadee perched upon its railing, "your daughter chose well, the fates had nothing to fucking do with it."
Chapter 14
Myeyescrackedopenfrom my slumber at the sound of deep laughter and innocent giggles. Staring at the steam hovering above a warm beverage lovingly placed on the bedside table, I listened to the continued giggling of my daughter, allowing it to pull me back to the waking world.
My sleep had been deep and I felt groggy as my bare feet dropped to the cool glass floor. The feel of it was soothing and I took a few moments to relish in the sensation, allowing the lingering sleep to dissipate and my senses to awaken. Drawn by the delicious aroma of hot liquid steaming at my bedside, I blinked through the slightly brighter twilight of Sheol’s morning and picked up the cup to gaze across the room. Smiling, over the rim of the glass, I basked in the vision my soulmate and daughter made as they conversed in the kitchen across the wide open room.
If only every morning could be exactly like this one.
Absentmindedly, I sipped at my drink, before my brows rose with shock as decadent chocolate liquid hit my tastebuds. A symphony of subtle hints of cinnamon and chili lingered with the rich bitter sweetness of cocoa, and I savored the taste long after I had swallowed. Smiling into my cup, I took a deeper and more appreciative drink this time, not caring if the liquid burned my mouth.
It reminded me of Emon—everything that was good and sinful about my mate all in one cup of warming liquid that heated me thoroughly on the inside just like he did.
I hummed my pleasure.
"Oh to be that hot chocolate right now, little umbra," Emon's voice whispered in my mind.
My heart skipped at his growling sultry tones and I looked up to see his golden eyes cutting across the room, watching me intensely. Unaware, our daughter chatted away, her legs swinging on the countertop from which she sat upon.
