Page 52 of A Broken Ember

“Your father always refused any talk of peace…” She shook her head. I gaped at my grandmother. When had she spoken to Odon? “What shall you do, De Vita?” Thana asked plainly as if we were discussing the weather and not hinting at a history between the two I had no knowledge of.

Anastasius shifted in his chair before giving a stout nod. “I am De Vita. With Claeg at my side, I believe it is possible.”

Clotho’s face twisted in rage, her limbs shaking in hardly contained anger. I could see the words she wanted to shout, but a raised hand from Thana stowed her.

My grandmother nodded. She looked at Anastasius and me, her eyes filled with an emotion like pride. “I have long believed it would be in both of our best interests to strengthen ourselves by uniting the clans.”

My eyes widened in surprise. Now, Clotho was quivering with unrestrained rage. She unsheathed her dagger and slammed it into the wooden table.

“Grandmother, you cannot do this!” Clotho shrieked.

At first, the Janardan didn’t react, a cool calmness radiating from her. When she did speak, it instilled fear into me, drenching the room with her power. The light even seemed to go dull. “That is enough, Clotho. You are dismissed. Do not make me have Sivert drag you from this room.” She spoke plainly, no growl or snarl. There was no need. Clotho straightened, her jaw dropping. Anastasius and I watched her as she bared her teeth. She fisted her hands, her knuckles straining with whiteness. My eyebrows raised. Was the heir actually considering disobeying? To do so would be the act of a traitor. It would earn her a broken Circle.

“Sivert . . ." our grandmother called, and moments later the open door revealed the man who was once my lover. “This is your final warning,” Thana warned Clotho, and I stiffened, half expecting my sister to snap. But she didn’t, instead whipping around and striding out of the room with a huff. Sivert went to follow her, but my grandmother signaled for him to stay. He hesitated, too, glancing back at my sister’s retreating form. Almost reluctantly, he remained. Interesting.

The Janardan faced us again. She gave a smile so sweet to Anastasius. “Apologies, De Vita. My heir does not see things the same as I do in this matter.” I gawked at her, desperately wanting to ask why she was pursuing peace, but I held my tongue. It would do me no good to question my Janardan's generosity. “Do you accept my proposal?” The prince looked between Thana and me, gnawing on his lip. He swallowed and turned toward me, a question in his eyes: what do you want?

“The final trial . . . I cannot do it. I will not Save another draconis. I cannot take their strength. If a Circulus must be Saved, let it be me.” I bowed my head in submission, to let him know that if that was the cost—I would pay it. To unite our clans, to Entwine our Circles, I would pay whatever he demanded.

“Oh, Eleos, don’t you see? None of that matters anymore. Odon is dead. I am the leader of De Vita now. If I say you are my Chosen then it is so.” He cupped my chin, gently guiding it up so that our eyes met. “Even if Odon were alive, nobody could keep me from claiming you. You have always been my Chosen. I see now that the trials wouldn’t have changed that.” He bent to one knee, lowering himself before me as he took my hands in his. “Come back with me. Be my Chosen. Entwine yourself with me. I want all of you. Together, we will unite the clans.” A tear fell from his eyes. The Ruptor cried for me to wipe it away, but Eleos kept my hand at my side. I let my tears join his.

“It would be my honor,” I whispered before bringing my lips to his. I kissed him softly, our bodies exploring each other. He tasted like spiced citrus. I threaded my fingers through his hair, letting their soft silk filter through my grasp. I savored the feeling of his scars, the marks of his strength.

When I pulled away for air, I remembered my grandmother’s presence and mumbled an apology. She dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “We shall perform your Entwining ceremony before you leave.” Anastasius nodded, a hint of a smile forming.

“And the completion of the Choosing bond. If you are willing, I wish to do that here, too,” Anastasius requested. Thana smiled, nodding. I pulled Anastasius out of the room and back toward our bed where I could give him the pleasure he had awarded me. We were only halfway down the hall when a hand stopped me. I inhaled sharply. Anastasius studied me, sensing that something was wrong.

It was time to face my past.

Chapter 56: Anastasius

The man had dark eyes, pale skin, and a sneer spread across his face. Sivert. The way he looked at Claeg made me wonder about their history—clearly, it was personal. The look of betrayal was too acute. Claeg’s hand tensed in mine, and I gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Your Circles are still broken, Ruptor. Watch yourself,” he said, his eyes glaring at my Chosen harshly. Claeg stiffened, every muscle going taut, but he didn’t rise to the bait. My lip lifted, baring my teeth. The action drew his eyes to me, and his eyes darkened. “You and your De Vita whore,” he spat.

The moment the words left his lips, Claeg snapped. He ripped himself from my grip and launched himself at Sivert. He was on him before I could even voice the lie that it was fine. It wasn’t. If there was to be peace, we needed to be respectful. Fists flew in the narrow hallway of the Circulus. Claeg’s pale skin flushed as he attacked the man.

The two men fought brilliantly, like they had a million times before. Perhaps they had. It wasn’t long before the sounds of the tussle drew a crowd. The onlookers kept their distance, giving the men room, although not much. The area was already suffocating with its walls closed in. Snarls flew through the air along with whispers from the onlookers, but blood did not despite the series of punches thrown both ways.

In the end, it was a short fight, Claeg getting the upper hand when Sivert went for his dagger. Too slow. Claeg grabbed his wrist and thrust it back above his head, slamming it into the wall hard enough to shatter bone, yet it didn’t. Sivert released the hilt, and Claeg caught it in the air by the blade. It didn’t even slice his skin. My Chosen brought the weapon to the man’s pulse point at his neck and bared his teeth. Their chests were so close they touched, the position intimate.

“Insult what is mine again and I will complete your Circle. Your life blood will decorate my skin with its final story before you can beg for mercy,” Claeg growled, applying pressure to the dagger. Sivert’s eyes flashed, and when he swallowed, the edge scraped along his skin. Sivert glowered at Claeg but hissed with a sharp nod. The weapon clattered to the floor, and Sivert’s head smacked into the wall after Claeg gave him a final shove.

“Ercan,” he grunted. My friend materialized as if he had been waiting for the order. He looked well, and I breathed a little easier upon seeing Rohit with him. He was dressed in the simple robes of the Circulus. Both of them looked a little on edge—Rohit palming his side for a weapon that wasn’t there and Ercan with a strained smile. “Prepare Anastasius for our Entwining tomorrow. The rest of you,” he all but growled to the onlooking Circulus, “find a task worthy of your Circles.” Immediately, the crowd scattered at his tone, which sent a thrill down my spine. Here, Claeg was different. Different but the same. He didn’t restrain his strength or dominating presence. My blood pumped boundlessly with desire. When Claeg turned towards me, my heart rate skyrocketed. “You will be safe here. Even a thought to harm you will be met with a Circle completed,” he vowed. It should have scared me, but it didn’t. His eyes fell upon Ercan and then Rohit, to whom he nodded. Within moments, he was out of sight and I was left surrounded by Circulus.

“Come, my Prince De Vita.” Ercan gestured for me to follow him. My heart leapt into my throat at the way he addressed me. It wasn’t unusual for him, but the fact that he did it here, in front of his former clan . . . that unnerved me. Not out of fear for myself but for him. What if we ran into another draconis that disapproved like Sivert obviously did? It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Claeg’s words to protect me, but even he wasn’t a mind reader. And yet, his Ruptor could sense things. Could he read intent as well as weakness? He had never mentioned that ability, but there were a lot of things I didn’t know about my Chosen. I knew his favorite food was burnt bacon, that nightmares kept him from sleep more often than not, the color red incensed him, that the sky was his refuge, and that he liked to be in control but secretly craved being dominated in the bedroom.

He brought me to a small room with no hearth, just an open window and a small bed in the corner. “It is tradition to spend the night before the Entwining apart from your mate,” Ercan explained. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

“But one of us will always be by your side,” Rohit jumped in. He opened and closed his fists restlessly.

“Are you going to tell me what it means to be Entwined?” I asked, plopping down on the bed. The blankets weren’t soft like they were in the De Vita, but they were thick and would keep me warm in the cooler air.

He shrugged. “It is not unlike the Choosing. Vows are shared. Oaths proclaimed.” His eyes sparkled. “It is beautiful, De Vita. You will not be disappointed.”

I scoffed. As if being joined to Claeg could ever be disappointing.

“I will see you in the morning, Anastasius,” Ercan murmured, nodding to Rohit before slipping out of the room like a shadow.

Then I was alone with Rohit. His watchful gaze scrutinized my back as I looked out the window. The view was so utterly different from De Vita’s endless sand dunes and sparse vegetation around the oasis. Here, the trees were lush, a dark green bursting with leaves and flowers. The air was thick with humidity and the scent of salt, woods, and citrus—everything that was Claeg. Waves crashed upon a small shore far below the jagged cliffs. A deep blue ocean rolled endlessly, the falling sun reflecting an array of purples and pinks into the sky. Artists in the De Vita had tried to capture such beautiful colors and scenes, but in comparison they were underwhelming. Nothing could compare to the beauty of the Circulus.

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