Page 45 of Gua rdian of Blood and Shadow

She laughed, the sound dark. “What does it matter now? The Shadow King is already breaking down the door.” Her expression turned deadly serious. “I can get you through the portal to the Sun Keep, but you must not bring your consorts, or Veris will use them against you. You must go alone, offer a trade—the curse for your consort—fulfill the trade, and return. I’ll join you, of course. You’ll need a Star consort to work the ritual in tandem, appealing to both Selene and Eos.”

“I have to get the queens too,” I said in a rush, glancing over my shoulder at the door. Javier was almost here, Bastian close behind him. “Gavin will never leave without them.”

Ren waved a hand dismissively. “He has no need for them once the curse is broken. Meet me tonight. The graveyard. Midnight.”

“They’re here,” I breathed.

And Ren shocked me by standing on her knees, grasping my face in her hands, and pressing her lips against mine just as the door swung open.

The kiss landed like a shooting star—brilliant and unexpected. Her lips were cool against mine, tasting of floral herbs and something both ancient and new. Not demanding like my consorts’ kisses, but exploratory. A question. An answer.

I heard the sharp intake of breath from the doorway, sensing the immediate tension radiating from my consorts through our bonds. But I couldn’t break away, caught in this unforeseen moment of connection.

When Ren finally pulled back, her dark eyes glittered with secrets like distant galaxies. The corner of her mouth lifted in subtle satisfaction as she cast a deliberate glance toward the doorway where Javier and Bastian stood frozen.

Neither of my consorts spoke, but the silent storm brewing in Javier’s eyes and the golden gleam surfacing in Bastian’s said everything. Centuries of possessive instinct warred with their respect for my autonomy.

“Midnight,” Ren mouthed. She rose gracefully to her feet, smoothing her clothing with unhurried precision. The confidence in her posture as she walked toward my consorts was a masterclass in calculated nonchalance.

Javier didn’t move away from the doorway, forcing her to pause before him. The silent standoff lasted only seconds, but felt infinite—Prime Consort and Star heir, ancient powers sizing each other up. Finally, he shifted just enough to let her pass, his jaw clenched tight enough that I could see the muscle twitching from across the room.

I touched my fingertips to my lips, still feeling the lingering tingle of her kiss. Heat crept into my cheeks as I met Bastian’s stare.

The weight of tonight’s task settled in my chest like a stone. What was I willing to risk? What might I have to sacrifice? For Gavin. For all of us.

The door clicked shut behind Ren, leaving me alone with my consorts and the dangerous hope burning in my chest.

26

Thewaterhadbeenscalding, but even as steam filled the bathroom, the heat couldn’t wash away the chill settling in my bones. I stood under the spray, letting droplets trace paths down my skin, each one counting down to midnight when everything would change.

My mother’s ring rested heavy on my finger, a constant reminder of my duty to our people.

I dried quickly and wrapped myself in a silk robe, catching my reflection in the fogged mirror. My features were sharper, my eyes brighter, as though channeling Selene’s divine power was changing me, much like unleashing Bastian’s inner beast changed him.

Before I even opened the bathroom door, I knew my consorts would be waiting for me in the bedroom, drawn by the storm of emotions I couldn’t hide, even if Ren’s temporary spell had concealed the source. My bonds with each of my immortals thrummed with tension—save for Gavin, which ached like a festering phantom limb.

Blowing out my breath, I pulled open the door.

My immortals stood like sentinels in my bedroom. Moonlight filtered through the arched windows, casting their faces in silver and shadow.

“What’s wrong?” Javier said, his voice carrying that perfect balance of command and devotion. He approached me, his movements deliberate, controlled.

“What aren’t you telling us, Soph?” Bastian moved closer, the gold in his tattoos rising to the surface, mingling with the black ink. Anxiety blazed through our connection. He ran a hand through his dark curls, amber eyes flickering with gold. “Is it Ren? The kiss…?”

I shook my head, smiling sadly.

The air in the corner rippled with silvery energy—Wes trying to manifest. He’d been flickering in and out of view for days, ever since I’d reinforced the wards. He could hold his form better outside the house, farther from the Selenarium, long enough to let me know he was fine and that the wards were the issue. Now, his ghostly form appeared in the corner of the room just long enough for me to catch his expression of concern before he dissolved again.

I couldn’t do anything for him right now. So I focused instead on the four immortals whose blood and devotion had reshaped my very being. My consorts. My protectors. Each bond between us pulsed with a different signature, but all carried the same desperate need to keep me safe.

A need that would drive them to try to stop me if they knew what I planned to do.

“What are you hiding?” Javier asked, his voice low, intimate. His hands settled at my waist, the touch both possessive and steadying.

I couldn’t meet his eyes, not with guilt burning through my veins. He knew me too well. Of course he would recognize the signs of me preparing to do something reckless.

Ren’s words about Veris echoed in my mind—about using his obsession with breaking the curse as leverage, about offering myself as bait. About going alone because bringing my consorts would only give Veris more hostages to use against me.

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