Page 86 of Blood of Two Crowns

Ice crunched beneath my boots, and the sound of a beastly huff echoed in the dark recesses before me. I treaded deeper into the cave,willinga fire to illuminate my path. My heart stuttered as my eyes reached the furthest corner of the cave, where two glowing turquoise and golden orbs glimmered, each one nearly as large as my head.

A sob of relief strangled me as Ifoldedto the space in front of him and threw myself at him. The frozen cave trembled as a wail of unmistakable lament rumbled through him, and a foreleg curled around me, pulling me into the warm space beneath his neck.

Part of how my father’s after realm cleansed and repaid karmic debt was by causing the soul to experience all that they had inflicted upon others—whether it be joy and love, or pain and suffering. It could sometimes take hundreds of years before a soul recovered from the atrocities they had inflicted in the living realms. And Malekai, while his intentions weren’t always malevolent… He had wrought death and destruction to countless lives.

Right beside me.

My time for penance would one day come, and I couldn’t help but feel this was part of it.

Chapter

Fifty-Two

MAREINA

Time passed at an indiscernible pace, and I only vaguely noticed that it went by quicker than my mind could follow as darkness gave way to light and light to darkness. I never wanted to leave Malekai’s side again. It was only a matter of time before my worry for Ataraxus, still in need of my blood, and Nakoa reached a tipping point. My soul felt torn in three, being separated from them.

Coupled with the fact that my body had demands I could only deny for so long. I came and went, folding between Malekai’s cave and my father’s house only to use the toilet and shower when I began to grow weary of my own stench and to the bed chamber where Ataraxusrestedso I could give him my blood and reassure myself he was still alive. Nakoa, to my dismay, remained elusive.

Until one day, I returned to Malekai’s cave to discover he was gone. Panic struck me like a bolt of electricity as my magic scoured my realm to find his drakonati curled away in another cave in a distant forest I hadn’t yet visited, but somehow knew because my soul was tied to this place as much as it was to the broken male in front of me. Malekai’s beast groaned at the sightof me, nudging me back towards the entrance of the cave. My eyes squeezed shut against the pain. He wanted me to let him go.

I had responsibilities to attend to. Twosoulboundthat needed me. People, a kingdom, and a realm to care for. All of which were in the throes of turmoil after being breached by the malevolent beings formerly trapped in Vassileo. And I had selfishly remained here, desperately shoving away the constant nagging at the back of my mind. Yet here I was, clutching onto my beloved drakonati, who was trying to shove me out of his lair. My heart was shattering all over again.

“I told you. I can’t do this without you,”I whimpered as he gently tried to usher me to the cave’s mouth.“Please, give me Malekai. Change back. I need him.”

His drakonati replied with a great huff that blew my hair back. With another nudge, I stumbled back, feeling like a shunned canine.

Tears tracked my face as he held my gaze. I couldfeelhis words.

Live your life, Mareina.

A shuddering breath left me.“I can’t.”

A huff that may have sounded like,You can,followed by another gentle nudge sent me another step away.

“Please, don’t make me.”

Malekai’s drakonati gave a pained groan, tossing its massive head.

The gentle winds outside the cavern whirled around me as if trying to coax me out of the cave itself. Somehow, that breeze drew my gaze. The light of day shone bright, another glaring reminder that the world went on. Birdsong filtered in from a distance accompanying the sound of leaves whispering against one another on the breeze as the murmur of life beyond beckoned me.

Akash, when was the last time I’d felt the sun on my face.

A stone-hard snout nuzzled against me as a rough tongue the length of my arm licked me from head to toe. The scent of his saliva, so very near to Malekai’s sea salt and embers scent, filled me with a sense of peace.

I curved my body over Malekai’s drakonati’s snout as my resolution to ignore my duties,my life,waned. I pressed my lips to his silken scales before whispering our favorite words against him.

Words I wished I had declared every day of the last 100 years and shown him just how true they were.

“I love you in this life and every life to come. Katadamna kaza.”

Chapter

Fifty-Three

NAKOA

For the last two weeks, I had taken residence in Mareina’s father’s house. Only surfacing to Atratus to spend my days beside my army, myolana kah’hei,and Rumielfighting tirelessly to exterminate our newfound plague of demons. The moment night fell, I would return to Ataraxus’ side to offer him droplets of my blood and pray that he would wake.

---