Page 13 of An Empress of Earth & Darkness

“I would protect your life with my own and you know it. Why do you think I want you out of here?” he snarled, feeling that horrible monster that swam around in the pools of his broken heart speak.

She bit her lip before something darker than frustration curled her lip back. “If you cut me off one more time, Torin Blacksteel, I will suck the air from your throat and make you choke on your interruption.”

Artem blew out a whistle and Emara cut him to death with her stare too. Gideon, his hands behind his back, was pale, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but fucking here.

“I am here,” she said, bringing his gaze back to her face, “because there has been a prime meeting called for three days’ time and I need you there.”

The words hit home.

She needed him.

“I am looking to bargain with the prime to make a few changes to my court, and as my lead guard, I need you present for it to work. I need you to support my choices.”

He had no idea what changes meant; he hadn’t been around enough to know. The less detail he knew, the easier it was to get over her. He looked at Stryker, but he offered him nothing.

She walked towards him again, her face a little softer than before. “I know you can’t stand to be around me.” The words killed him like a stab to the heart. “But I need you to suck it up until the prime meeting is concluded. I need you to remember your oath, even if it is just for a few days. I need you to remember your promises to me even if they weren’t real.”

He wanted to grab her, smack his lips to hers and show her that everything was real. It was so fucking real it hurt. He wanted to show her what oath he wished to instil in their lives, an oath that meant forever.

Instead, he looked over at Gideon, who had gone rigid, and said, “Take her home. That is an order. I still rank above you and you must do as I say.”

Gideon drew his eyes off Torin before turning to guide Emara from the room, but she shrugged him off, trying to catch Torin’s gaze. He could tell she wanted to catch a weakness, a sign that told her this was all an act. But he was great in this field. He had to pretend to protect her. He hadn’t become one of the best hunters in the kingdom without knowing how to disconnect from his feelings. He could do it with ease. So, he put the final nail in his coffin when he roared, “Get her out of here! Now!”

She gasped a little, her eyes opening wide in shock. That made it all the more difficult not to sink to his knees before her and beg her to forgive him for everything.

He looked over to his longest friend and snarled, “You too. I mean it. I am the top guard in this rank. Go, and don’t come back here. Don’t bring her back. Ever. Or I will slit your throat myself.”

Artem shot him a pitiful look, knowing how much he was going to regret this after they left. He knew him inside and out, and that was a weakness within itself.

“Now!” he roared again, almost bursting a few blood vessels in his eyes.

“Are you really that far gone?” she asked in a whisper, still too stunned to move.

Torin swallowed and gave one nod. “Give up on me. I am not worth your time.”

Tears built in Emara’s eyes before she shot out a blast of darkness, followed by a scream. He dodged the blast, his hair blowing into his eyes as he moved away from it. The chair that sat behind him wasn’t as lucky as the gust slammed it against the wall. The wood splintered, and the broken pieces fell to the ground. She hovered for a second more and then gave him one last look. Everything that he hated was packed into her eyes; hurt, devastation, frustration, guilt, love, and weakness.

As Artem ushered Emara out of the tunnel, Gideon lingered by the door.

“If you have something to say, brother, say it and be done with it,” Torin snapped.

“I thought you loved her.” His eyes narrowed and his frown turned into a scowl. “I stood back and watched you take her heart into your hands. I watched her walls dissolve around you, I watched her trust you. I knew you would do this…ruin the goodness in her heart.”

Torin wanted to scream and tell the whole fucking underground that he wanted what he couldn’t have. That it was her and only her. That he had never felt that way about anyone or anything before. That all he wanted was her happiness, and he believed he was doing the right thing by stepping out of her life to let her move on. But instead of voicing all of that, instead of facing the crushing reality of his life, he let the ice of his fractured heart crystallise over the cracks until he couldn’t breathe. Until his heart felt like it couldn’t even beat. “Are you done now?” he growled.

“She won’t marry me, Torin.” Gideon shook his head, his emerald eyes not leaving his face. “And that puts her at serious risk. She is holding out hope that you will somehow manage to save her, that you will show up and turn shit around, make everything all right. Like always. She has every hope that, deep down, somewhere in that stubborn heart of yours, there is goodness. Light.” He took a breath, and Torin watched as his eyes lost a little light when he said, “She loves you, and it’s clear to anyone that takes a glance at her; but it is times like this when I question why. You can be a horrible, selfish bastard.”

Torin couldn’t pull his eyes from his brother’s face until he noticed little drops of blood falling from Gideon’s cut hands as he fisted them in anger.

His brother spoke again. “However, like me, she knows that deep down, that there is goodness. Light. Hope. And you shouldn’t be stepping away from her because of me. Her heart has chosen, regardless of what fate says. And I have a feeling that fate will not get in the Empress of Air’s path should she decide differently. And I used to have a brother who was exactly like that too.”

Gideon didn’t move his gaze from Torin’s.

“Father threatened to reveal her blood, who her father is, if she doesn’t sign the treaty to marry me.”

Torin’s heart almost stopped. His throat closed.

Gideon must have noted the shock in his eyes because he said, “Yeah, that’s right. She’s not even safe from your commander. But you knew that. And you would rather sit down here and get punched numb than deal with the conflict in your heart.” His brother shifted. “If you are going to do anything for her, turn up to that fucking meeting and show your support for her decisions. Father will either kill her or reveal who she really is if she rejects the clan, and you know it. Do you really want the blood of the empress on your hands? Because I don’t think you could live with that kind of guilt. Your heart isn’t as dark as you want us all to think.” Gideon moved back slowly before stopping at the threshold of the door. “Show the fuck up, Torin, or you are going to lose her in more ways than one. And that will be the one thing I will never forgive you for.”

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