Page 174 of Claimed In Darkness

"I gave it my soul, Naira."

My stomach drops.

"I traded it for yours."

And I stop breathing all over again.

He gave up his soul to bring me back.

Not his life. Not his magic. Not his strength.

His soul.

The one thing you can never take back.

The air is colder around him and his presence feels different, sharper, darker.

The way his heart is still beating but something else is missing.

I want to kill him for it.

"You fucking bastard."

His mouth curves slightly.

Not a smirk.

Not satisfaction.

Something closer to defeat.

"You’re welcome."

I shove him away. This is not what I wanted.

This is not what I asked for.

This is not something I can forgive.

He didn’t just save me.

He damned himself to do it.

I was ready to die.

Should I hate him? Love him?

Maybe both.

Maybe always.

For all eternity.

60

ZEPHIRAN

She is holding me together, but I am falling apart.

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