Page 136 of An Empress of Air & Chaos

“Why, Gideon? Why does it matter? My fate lies with the blood that runs through my veins and the position of my birth, not with what is in my heart. It doesn’t matter if I feel anything in my heart for her. The Gods have created a path for me with no choice. So what’s the point? It is an alliance. A duty. Just like Mother and Father.”

“I know you don’t believe that,” Gideon scoffed. “I saw the way you looked at her as she walked through the ballroom. I saw the pulse in your neck quicken for her as another woman tried to cling to your neck, but you still watched Emara.” Gideon’s voice cracked. “I saw the way you stood in front of her like she was your prized possession, threatened that a human would take her from you. Protecting her life with your own. I know you want it to matter, so therefore, it matters. I just need you to admit it.”

“Someone’s been a very observant boy.” Torin titled his head to the side and watched him. His gaze burned right through him. Gideon had always hated how Torin’s stare could make you feel like you were pinned to the very spot. “If you are so sure of your findings, then why do you need to hear me say it?” he said nonchalantly.

“Because you are my brother!” Gideon yelled. “And because I am in love with her.” He shook his head. “Because I need to know that you can lie next to her every single night for the rest of your life and give her your whole heart. Because I can. If you can, brother, I will walk away. But if you can’t promise me to give her everything, then I will fight for her. I will stand up to Father and beg for him to dissolve the alliance between you. We can arrange another one for you—anyone but her.” A flash of thought took over. “I could be the alliance; I could take on the marriage.” Gideon stood, his legs almost failing him to stand. “It could be me instead of you.”

“Gideon.” Torin mirrored him, standing a few inches above him.

He looked him in the eye, unfalteringly. “I am serious, Torin. That is how I feel about her.”

His brother shifted on his feet. “Did you ever stop for one second and think about what she wants? About what Emara wants? Because if I know her like I think I do, she won’t want any of it. She will want choice and freedom. She will want time and space. She won’t want something as substantial as a wedding slapped in her face for the sake of her people— who, by the way, haven’t known her for more than five minutes. She needs time. Especially after what just happened to her.”

“I know exactly what happened to her, I was there!” Gideon slapped his chest in frustration, stifling a growl.

“Then you should know that she is not going to just accept this,” Torin gave a responding growl. “Unless you want to take her up the wedding aisle kicking and screaming as your bride, I would suggest you slow down and give her time to process…all of it.”

“Is that what you need, Torin? Time? To process all of it? To process the fact that your heart feels? Because I don’t need time to work out how I feel.” Gideon looked at Torin. His eyes narrowed in on his face. He clenched his teeth together and then shot him a dangerous look. “I know that already.”

“I am done with this conversation. You know where I stand on this. Don’t push me.” A small growl bubbled in Torin’s throat.

Only inches from each other’s faces, their stares locked—one fire and one ice—both unyielding against the other.

Suddenly, the cottage felt too small for them both.

“Boys, stew is on the table,” their mother’s voice drifted from the kitchen.

A firm hand fell upon Gideon’s shoulder. He had been too busy to notice that Kellen had reappeared from the bathing room, his hair still wet, smelling of clean linen.

“What are you guys waiting for?” Kellen’s upbeat voice was higher than the other Blacksteels’. It pulled Gideon from Torin’s gaze. “If you guys aren’t hungry, I’ll have your share.” He smiled, his youthful features unaware of the tension.

“Oh, I am not so sure, Kellen.” Naya appeared from the threshold of the kitchen door. “I think they both look starving to me.”

Naya paused, looking at them. Her stare was intentional. It—their fight—was done. “Come, boys. It’s time to eat.”

The debate over Emara’s heart would no longer continue tonight. Torin broke away first, followed by Kellen. Gideon took a few moments to himself and pondered several outcomes of how this could have gone, but only the Gods knew what his future held.

All he knew right now was that if he didn’t eat soon, his stomach would soon eat itself. Before heading into the kitchen, he glanced at the door which denied his eyes access of Emara. His heart told him to go in and check on her, just to make sure she was still there.

Safe.

But his head fought back with his feet and he sauntered through to greet his family. As he sat down to warm food, he realised the only thing that was missing at the table was her—Emara Clearwater.

The lost Empress of Air.

Her dark red cloak battered in the wind as she stood on the mountains of the North. At the amethyst palace. As she stood at the highest peak in the kingdom, a drop of crimson blood trickled from her nose.

She was bleeding.

Again.

Just like she had been for two days.

She was undoubtedly weakening. Her body, wilting and willingly giving up, to allow another to take her place.

She refused this fate. A fate that she once knew would come, but not as quickly as it had. This was a fate that she didn’t get to take from the last reigning Supreme.

Why should it be her? She should be granted more time. She needed more time.

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