Page 205 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

He mustered the best smirk he could.

“Don’t worry about me, my darling. I love you more than anything in this world or the next.”

“I will bring you back,” I whispered, my heart heavy in my chest. Tears trickled down my face. “I love you.”

“I know.” He shut his eyes, and his body went limp in my arms.

I laid a kiss on his forehead. My entire body shook with a mixture of anger and grief.

Hadron reached into his chest and plucked a ball of light that was his soul, before placing it in his satchel.

He was gone. The man I loved was gone.

Laying one last kiss on his lips, I set Tharan down and moved to Caiden, where Amolie was doing her best to keep him awake.

“Aelia?” he said. His whole body trembled.

Trinity, what had I done? I swallowed the dread rising in the back of my throat.

“I’m here, Caiden.” I took his hand in mine, remembering all the times he’d been my port in the storm. Now I would be his.

“I’m not ready.” His eyes welled with tears.

Neither was I. Not ready to let him go. Not ready to say goodbye. We’d hurt each other in the past, but none of that mattered now. Caiden loved me even when I didn’t love myself. He’d forgotten and remembered me—found me at the edge of the world, and I would do the same for him.

“I will find you. Just as you found me.” I gripped his hand tighter. “Hadron will take your soul, but I swear on the Trinity, I will find you and bring you back.”

He nodded through his labored breaths.

“Aelia?” His blue eyes flickered with one last ounce of hope.

“Yes?” My chest twisted with an unbearable ache.

“If I don’t make it back. It was a privilege to love you. You’ll always be my princess.”

Hot tears poured down my cheeks. My heart broke all over again.

“You were always too good for me.” I tapped my nose in the signal we’d given each other all those years ago. “I have always loved you. Even when I hated you.”

“Aelia…” Hadron said, with a heavy warning in his voice.

“I’m not ready to let him go,” I said, shakily. “Please don’t take him from me too.”

Hadron did as he had with Tharan and lifted the life from his chest. The light faded from his bright blue eyes.

“Aelia,” Hadron said.

“Yes?” I sniffled.

“I know you won’t listen to me, but do not go after them.”

A fire burned in my veins.

“Trinity has no fury like what I will rain down upon anyone who dares to try and stop me from saving the men I love.”

Rage burned in my chest.

He nodded and disappeared.

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