Page 86 of Soul Forge

“How can you be so sure?” Elda’s voice cracked.

“Because of the things you’ve done for me. Even without your status as a wielder and without the oath you swore, everything about youshines.” He exhaled, almost like the words were hard to get out. “I’ve been considered a threat my entire life. A disaster waiting to happen. Even the people I call friends are afraid of me. But in you, I’ve found someone who doesn’t flinch when I get angry, who sees me as more than a weapon.”

“Seeing the good in someone doesn’t make me right. It makes me naive.”And it doesn’t count if you’re attracted to the person you’re supposed to be afraid of. It makes you insane, she added mentally. If he knew the truth, he’d throw her out.

“It makes youstrong.” She felt his hand touch hers in the dark. “Despite everything you knew, you saw that I needed help, and you gave me it wholeheartedly. Your strength lies in the faith you have in yourself and the faith others have in you. You’re a wielder for a reason, El. Don’t doubt yourself now.” More tears squeezed out from beneath her closed eyelids. “Come here.”

She let herself be drawn into his embrace, settling easily into his side like she was meant to be there. He expected nothing of her. He wanted only to comfort her, and she accepted his comfort with eagerness. Despite the guilt she felt at how she’d reacted to the demon in him, she was secure in his embrace.

The premonition and Lillian’s doubt couldn’t plague her while he kept her safe, and she drifted to sleep where she lay, surrounded by the scent of vetiver and leather.

Elda expected to wake up alone in Sypher’s bed, but he was still beside her when her eyes opened. He was on his back with one arm around her, the other hand tucked behind his head. She was nestled into his side, warm and comfortable save for the headache throbbing behind her eyes. His pulse thudded calmly beneath her ear, still in the relaxed rhythm of sleep.

She took the chance to study his face, admiring how different he looked when he was peaceful and rested. His lips were slightly parted, hair mussed and falling over his forehead in soft white strands. The bite mark on his throat was gone, and there was no sign of the scratches she’d left near his eye the night before. Her heart did a giddy little flip, squeezing in her chest.

Sypher stirred a little, and his eyes opened slowly. Elda braced herself for him to panic and reach for the knife he probably had hidden nearby. Instead, he yawned and looked down at her nestled into the crook of his arm.

“Morning.” His voice was husky with sleep, but he smiled faintly. “How’d you sleep?”

“Deeply,” she admitted. “The premonition didn’t bother me again.”

“That could be because of me.” He didn’t nudge her away from his side, and she didn’t want to move. “The reason I wanted you to stay with me was because I opened the bond up to you last night. I thought it might help you sleep.”

She frowned. “You said it formed over time.”

“It does if I reject it. I can’t stop it, but I can delay it. I don’t have to do that with you.” Another yawn hit him, showing off his elongated incisors. “It’ll still take a while to mature to the point we can communicate, but you’ll start to sense things from me from time to time.”

“But you hate the bond.”

“I promised you I’d put my all into training you. I can’t do that if I’m holding back.” He sighed. “I could do with a few more hours of sleep, but we need to get up. We have things to do.”

“We have to find that mountain,” she agreed.

“We also have to find Arden.” He sat up and removed his arm from around her, the absence of his embrace leaving her strangely sad. “Come on.” He started to get up, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Thank you.” She spoke quietly, bunching the covers in her free hand.

He blinked. “For what?”

Elda forced herself to hold his gaze, fighting the urge to drop her chin. “For having so much faith in me.”

Sypher smiled, his eyes crinkling around the edges. “You had faith in me first. I’m just returning the favour.” He swung his legs out of the bed and stretched, groaning when his spine popped. “Go get dressed. I’ll have breakfast ready when you’re done. We have plenty to talk about today, starting with Arden.”

Elda hurried to her room to get dressed, thankful for the clean, pressed tunics and trousers Gira had so graciously provided. She braided her hair and slipped on her boots, grabbing her vestige and hooking it over her shoulder. She felt Irileth’s presence inside, humming with warmth as though she were giving her a greeting.

It felt like a long time had passed since Irileth apologised for showing Elda her possible future. Her acknowledgement was a small comfort after the horror of the premonition, and the princess patted the grip of the bow in greeting.

“Morning, Irileth,” she murmured, setting off towards the kitchen.

It hadn’t taken long for her to be ready, but Sypher was already waiting with a platter of fruit and pastries he’d gathered. Elda glanced around for a maid or a servant and found none – she wondered why Gira was so different from the shifters she’d met before, but she kept her questions to herself when she spied him sitting at the large marble table. Reiner sat beside him, braids woven into a tight coronet and clad from neck to toe in her silver armour. Her posture was tense, only loosening when the princess met her gaze and smiled.

The other wielders and the vampires were also in the room, seated around the table, waiting for her to arrive.

“Finally,” Lillian muttered, scowling at Elda. Sypher shot the fae a glare before he started talking.

“We have two pressing matters to deal with,” he began. “First, one of the wielders is missing, possibly held captive by theCorrupted.” He turned his attention to Gira and Reiner. “Could King Artan tell you anything about it?”

“Only the same thing the vampires did,” the shifter answered gravely. “He confirmed the truth of the reports. Abraxos and Cynthia were indeed spotted near Bratus shortly before Arden was taken. None of them have been seen since.”

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