Page 53 of Eternal Mate

Lucia held Mikaiah tightly, her eyes filled with determination. "I promise you both, we will create a world where Mikaiah and all the children of our kingdom can thrive."

I hugged Lucia tightly—something not done, from the scandalized gasps that sounded off around us—feeling a surge of optimism. "We believe in you, Lucia. You’ll be a great Queen."

As I kissed Mikaiah's forehead, my heart swelled. I let out a shuddering breath, just staring down at the baby for a moment, then nodded slowly and turned to head toward the portal, barely able to breathe through what I was feeling.

Bim gestured for us to follow him. While Aria stayed behind to say her prolonged goodbyes to Lucia and Mikaiah, I went ahead first, the encroaching numbness forcing my legs to move so that I could stave it off.

All along the way to the garden containing our portal home, I carried the image of Mikey's familiar face in the crowd with me.

20

THINGS LEFT UNSAID

ARIA

My heart ached as I gave Lucia and Mikaiah a hug, giving them my goodbyes. I squeezed them both tightly, lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

When I released them, however, an urgent need to find Sariel surged through me. I knew deep in my core that he needed me right now, just as much as I would have needed him in the same scenario.

Leaving behind my sister-in-law and niece, I hurried after where he and Bim had disappeared to, my steps quickening as I scanned the halls. How had they been so fast?

These corridors of the castle were empty, the silence amplifying the tumult of emotions raging within me as the celebration grew farther and farther away behind my back. The sun had already set, giving the chandeliers and golden decorations an almost ethereal look.

I already knew that the portal occupied the garden, so I found the nearest exit of the palace and went outside. It shouldn’t be hard to spot a glowing white portal in the night’s darkness.

I peered around trees and bushes until I finally caught a distinct glow glowing through the spaces of a tall, manicured hedge. From my understanding, this was not the massive fountain from our escape last time, but a new, smaller one that required no royal blood.

And then, finally, I spotted him around the corner, standing alone under the moonlit sky.

Tears streamed silently down his face as he stared at the stars above, breathing slowly as he waited for me.

My heart clenched at the sight. I hurried towards him, my steps growing more determined with each passing moment.

"Sariel," I whispered, my voice laced with empathy. "I can't even begin to imagine how hard this is for you—but we will be there for Mikaiah. Hell, we can move here if you want. We'll make sure she knows her father, even if he can't physically be here."

He turned his gaze towards me, his eyes filled with gratitude and sorrow. I could see that my words had disarmed him, striking a chord deep within him.

"Thank you, Aria," he said, his voice stuffed up with tears, "but I don’t want to completely uproot our lives. She’ll have her mom. I’m just… he should be here, you know? Mikey deserved to be here."

A lump formed in my throat as I reached out to touch his arm, offering comfort. "I know. It's not fair, and it breaks my heart too."

But not in the same way, not really.

He stared at me, reaching out to caress my cheek gently as he released a shaky breath. His tears continued to flow, but a flicker of a smile appeared on his face. "You're amazing, Aria. I don't know what I would do without you."

I brushed away a tear from my own cheek, trying to remain strong for both of us. "We're in this together, Sariel."

A beat passed, and then, unexpectedly, he confessed, "I love you, Aria."

My breath caught in my throat, and my mind went blank for a moment.

The full meaning of his words hung in the air.

I quickly realized that this was the moment we’d been dancing around, the unspoken feelings that lingered between us. We were soulmates, yes, but we’d never actually said those magical three words.

Before I could even try to respond, he closed the distance between us and kissed me.

The world around us disappeared as our lips met, the rush of emotions drowning out any doubts or hesitations.

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