Page 155 of What Blooms from Death

“A gift for a successful performance,” he said.

I took the flower, smiling slightly as he pressed a lingering kiss to my cheek.

For the second time that night, I found myself slipping back into a memory of our past—into the garden at Rose Point, this time. I could still clearly picture the way his magic had brought a flower to life then, too.

I’d seen the possibility of a future with him that night…and then it had all imploded in a rush of bloodied blades and breaking earth.

Would this time be any different?

I’d gone silent without really meaning to. My smile had slipped away, and by the time I realized it, Aleks was already tilting his head in concern.

“Are you alright?”

“Just tired,” I lied, forcing the smile back on. “We should get back to the palace.”

His concerned expression remained, but he nodded, wrapping an arm around me and steering me back toward the main road. I huddled closer to him as we passed through the sleepy city, trying to focus only on the solid feel of his body against mine.

Nothing was breaking in this moment.

But as the city grew quieter, my thoughts grew louder, and one question rose above all others—

How do I choose between him and this world I want to save?

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Nova

It wasafter midnight before we finally returned to the palace. We moved like we’d spent the night at the tavern; stumbling about, our voices low and filled with laughter. Aleksander’s arm was hooked loosely around my waist, helping me balance on increasingly tired legs. Or maybe I was helpinghimbalance; it was hard to say.

I was thinking only of how I didn’t want the night to end when Aleksander’s arm suddenly tightened protectively and drew me to a stop.

The happiness I’d been trying to cling to burst the instant I saw them—three men standing by a window at the end of the hall. Two, I didn’t recognize, but the third…

“Kaelen?”

He turned at the sound of my voice, giving a slight bow as our eyes met.

I fought the urge to reach for my shoulder, even though the wound I’d sustained in his city had been healed for weeks now.

Cautiously, I approached and allowed him to introduce me to his two companions, Jorath and Marek—also keepers ofsanctuary cities like Erebos, though their own cities were much smaller, if I recalled the lessons Thalia had given me correctly.

“We were just talking about you and your impressive magic,” Kaelen said.

I nodded slowly, as graciously as I could. There was a reason my brother had invited him here, despite the messiness of my last encounter with him; he was powerful, and a potentially invaluable ally—even if he’d made questionable choices.

Mostof the people around me had made questionable choices, my brother included. I hadn’t forgiven them. But I could understand them. I’d only been in this world a short time, and already, I could feel the desperation permeating my soul, threatening to skew my own judgment.

Meanwhile, they had been watching the decay of this world for decades. Their entire lives must have felt like being trapped on the edge of a cliff, feeling the ground trembling beneath them as they waited for the inevitable fall—and they were simply grabbing on to whatever they could.

Kaelen’s gaze traveled over Aleksander. “And I see you’re still keeping close to her as well.”

“Yes,” Aleks replied, coolly. “It seems escaping your attempts to murder us really brought the two of us closer together. I suppose I should thank you for that.”

A muscle twitched in Kaelen’s jaw. “You twist the truth, Lightwielder.”

I put a hand on Aleksander’s chest, angling myself between him and Kaelen before either could speak another word. “It’s late,” I said, pointedly, “andalltruths are in danger of being twisted at this hour, I’d say. Let’s leave our conversation for our more official, planned meeting, shall we?”

The Noctarisan leaders didn’t argue. All three offered polite bows before we turned and walked away.

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