When she kissed me, it wasn’t that calculated bullshit from before. This was real. Raw. Hungry. And for one perfect moment, as her lips moved against mine, nothing else fucking mattered. Not the voices in her head, not the prophecies, not the Fates. Just us, finding our way back to each other in the dark.
The kiss deepened, her fingers sliding into my hair as she pressed closer. My hands roamed down her sides, desperate to touch every inch of her. When she pulled away, her shirt slipped off her shoulder and something caught my eye, a mark I hadn’t seen before. While her Remnants swirled and moved across her skin like living shadows, this one remained still. A pattern that triggered something in my ancient memories, making my blood run cold.
I shifted back, brushing my fingers over the Treeis mark, tracing the burning knot as I asked, “When did you get this?”
She glanced down, confusion crossing her features. “What are you talking about?”
“This mark. It wasn’t here before.” I would have noticed. I’d memorized every fucking inch of her skin that night she’d danced for me on the bar.
Her brow furrowed as she tried to see it. “I’ve never… I don’t remember getting this.”
It must have been new. Something since she broke the veil. Everything suddenly clicked into place, Archer’s impossible strength when he’d fought me, the way he’d known Quill was in danger before it happened, how he seemed drawn to protect Paesha beyond all logical reason. That clever bastard of a brother had played us all.
“It’s the mark from a Treeis bond,” I said. “A magical binding between souls. It’s rare. Ancient. And fucking dangerous. Archer’s your Guardian. Has to be, based on how protective he is. But that would mean…” I trailed off, the implications hitting me like a punch to the gut.
“Mean what?”
“Only an Unmade can be a Treeis Guardian. Which means either you or Archer is bound to Ezra.” The words tasted like ash. Another piece of my brother’s endless schemes falling into place. “And if it were you, Alastor wouldn’t have been able to put those bindings on your wrists and ankles.”
“No.” Paesha’s voice broke, her hand flying to her mouth as she shoved away from the bed. “He can’t be. Archer wouldn’t?—”
“He might not even know. The binding could have happened without his knowledge. Ezra’s capable of that level of manipulation.”
“But if this is true, then he’smyguardian?”
“It’s strange. Something’s off.” I scratched the back of my head. “Ezra has an Unmade Guardian army. They pride themselves on being radical warriors for his cause. A handful of times across history, one of them has bonded with another, aside from Ezra. But I always thought the third had to accept the bond through power.”
“I sure as hell accepted no such thing. I don’t think Archer would have either.” She shook her head. “What will happen to him?”
“Archer’s strong. Whatever hold Ezra has on him, he’ll fight it. That stubborn bastard doesn’t know how to do anything else.” The words felt hollow, knowing I wouldn’t be there to help either of them, but I couldn’t promise more than that. Something was going to happen to keep me here. Her betrayal had already been seen. And maybe I was a fool for not protecting myself from it, but if I did, I’d be putting space between us I didn’t want. Even in these final moments together.
A sound cut through the darkness, a melody so pure and haunting it made my skin crawl. I knew that voice, that damn song. I would know it anywhere. “Irri,” I whispered.
The song drifted through the forgotten city, beautiful and terrible all at once. Each note pulled at something deep within me, luring me forward into the dark. But whether it promised salvation or damnation, I couldn’t tell.
Paesha’s head jerked to the side as she raised her marked shoulder, trying to cover her ear. As if that would save her from the voices in her mind. And then she pulled away. “We need to go.” I watched her flawlessly bury the hurt of Archer’s bond, lock it away behind those walls she’d built so carefully. Always so fucking strong, even when she was breaking.
But something dark and possessive twisted in my gut. Soon I’d have to send her back through that door alone. Back to a man who, knowingly or not, was bound to my brother. Back to whatever fate Ezra had planned for her. If she died by a god’s hands, she would not come back and the thought of that made me want to burn this whole fucking realm to the ground.
35
Paesha
The mark on my shoulder meant nothing. Like everything else in my life, it was just another chain wrapped in pretty magic. I couldn’t let myself think about Archer, my friend, the man who’d helped me save Quill, who’d stood beside me against an evil prince and all the gods alike. I couldn’t bear to wonder if every protective instinct, every moment of loyalty had been nothing but Ezra’s manipulation. The pain of that possibility was too sharp, too raw. So I locked it away with all my other broken pieces and focused on the haunting melody drawing us deeper into the forgotten city.
The song pulled us through empty streets like a hook beneath our ribs, each note both beautiful and wrong. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, but the voices wouldn’t be silenced so easily tonight.
We are your only truth, they whispered in unison.Your strength. Your salvation.
The mortals will betray you, Winter crooned.The gods will destroy you. But we? We are you. We are all you have ever truly had.
Mother is right there, Sylvie purred.She will help you destroy a god. When he tears a door into this realm, simply break it. Like the veil. Like our hearts. Like your past.
Their words slithered through my mind like poison, tempting and terrible. I shoved them away, though it took more effort than I cared to admit. I couldn’t afford their seductive promises, not when I needed my wits about me.
Thorne walked beside me, close enough that his arm occasionally brushed mine. Each touch sent sparks through my skin that I refused to acknowledge. The memory of his kiss still burned on my lips, making everything more complicated than it needed to be. I couldn’t afford to think about the way he’d looked at me like I was the answer to every question he’d ever asked. Like I was worth burning realms for.
The melody grew stronger, filling the air with promises I couldn’t quite understand. My feet moved of their own accord, following the sound deeper into the twisted city.
