Page 83 of Ties of Starlight

Something flared in the bond, and then Nyrunn was pulling her up so she sat across from him. His hands wrapped around her wrists as he held her there. “There has to be a way to make this life your last. I’ve read every journal. Every horrific detail. I can’t stomach what’s already been done to you. How can you be so calm about going through all of this agony again and again?”

“I… It’s all I have.”

“What?”

Idonea took a deep breath. “I mean, you said it yourself. You’ve read every journal. Even before that, you knew how my story has ended the last six times. Painfully. I’ve never lived to see fifty. Every time I think I’m getting close—that this time will be the last time and I’ll finally get to live a whole life and not a half. It’s not like I want to be brutally murdered.”

“What do you want, love?”

Idonea squeezed her eyes shut as the tears welled up in them. “I want—I want to live long enough to get wrinkles. I want to grow old with my husband. I want children whoare so loved no one can use the human blood they get from me against them. I want to sing lullabies to my baby that my mother sang to me, but that was over a thousand years ago and those songs are alldead. It’s… Everything dies, even me. But I have to keep coming back to live with it all over again.”

Idonea furiously tried to wipe away her tears, dislodging Nyrunn’s hands. “I never wanted this. I never wanted seven lives. I don’t want eight. I’ve only ever wanted one. Just one good life. Where I’m loved. But the longer I live, the farther away it seems. I don’t—I can give you my journals, but I can never make you understand what it’s like. Coming back again and again. Everyone I have ever cared about, I have lost. Including in this life, my own soulmate, the one person I am forever bound to. You were right. I should never have lived this long.”

She opened her mouth, ready to confide in him her fears about the possibility she might hurt him, but her voice died as her hands were pulled away from her face. His palms replaced them, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to look at him as he wiped away the tears with his thumb. Her breath caught in her throat. “I would never wish for you to have endured everything you’ve been through, but I cannot pretend I am not immensely grateful for the fact that long, terrible road was what brought you to me.”

Idonea couldn’t hold back her sobs anymore. They came crashing out of her lips, and Nyrunn wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to him. He whispered in her ear as he stroked her hair, “I promise you, you’re going to have everything you want. You will.”

Idonea only cried harder because when she did, it wouldn’t be perfect because he wouldn’t be in her life anymore.

Chapter 29

Nyrunn knew the answer to breaking Idonea’s curse had to be in her memories, but he’d read over every inch of every journal she had and still had yet to come across enough of her first life to be able to figure it out.

What was he missing?

They only had a few days left before they would reach the Constellation Pool. Nyrunn was cautious. It was possible he was reading into it, but he had hope. He couldn’t help it.

Idonea was different, so different from how she’d been at the start. Detached and passive, like she was just waiting for it all to be over, uninterested in the world around her. Now she was vibrant and so alive. Like she was living for the first time.

Like she was falling in love for the first time.

She was falling in love with him.

At least, that was his dearest hope.

So, when Frode pulled him aside that night, one of the elves Nyrunn had assigned to tracking Olaug downhovering at the edge of the camp, his heart jumped in his chest. He pushed down the emotion and quickly looked over his shoulder to see Idonea hadn’t noticed through their bond and was talking with Lady Asa by the fire. Nyrunn pulled Frode and the messenger until they were out of Idonea’s line of sight and hissed, “What news?”

The scout said, “We found him, Your Majesty.”

Nyrunn almost didn’t believe his ears. He’d started to suspect they never would. Or maybe hoped because as much as Nyrunn wanted to hold him accountable for his actions, if Idonea wasn’t thinking about him anymore, the last thing he wanted was to reintroduce him to their lives even for a second.

Nyrunn took a deep breath. “Where is he?”

“He’s in a village less than a day northeast from here. Do you want him brought in?”

“No!”

Frode’s eyebrows shot up.

Nyrunn cleared his throat. “No, that won’t be necessary. I will have him dealt with after we reach the Constellation Pool. Just keep an eye on him and stay on top of his location so he doesn’t slip away.”

“As you command, Your Majesty. However, if we don’t take him in now, he could realize he’s being followed and bolt. If he goes over the border, do you want me to pursue?”

“I understand, and no. But, don’t let him get over the border.”

The messenger nodded, mounted, and spurred his horse back northeast, and Nyrunn breathed easier the farther away he got.

“Far be it from me to criticize, Your Majesty, but are you sure that was the right thing to do?”

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