Page 88 of Shadows Rising

"Hewhat?" Torric surges to his feet, flames literally licking around his shoulders. "That piece of shit cornered you while you were—"

"Where the fuck was his patrol supposed to be?" Aspen's voice has gone deadly quiet, which is somehow worse than Torric's shouting. Ice spreads from his feet in sharp, angry patterns.

"Guys—"

“I’m going to rip his fucking throat out,” Torric snarls, already halfway to standing before Malrik’s shadows whip forward like a leash.

"Get in line," Malrik says, his shadows writhing around him like living weapons.

Even Finn looks murderous, his usual humor nowhere to be found. "What exactly did that bastard say to you?"

I hold up my hands, trying to calm them down before they march off to commit actual murder. "He said Darian was my final bond. That the choice was never mine. That it was decided before I was born."

The words hit like a bomb going off. Aspen stiffens, ice condensing around his hands. Torric's cursing becomes more creative and violent. Malrik watches me carefully, letting the others react first.

But it's Finn who leans forward, his voice unexpectedly gentle despite the fury still burning in his eyes: "That's bullshit, Kaia. Bonds respond toyou. Not the other way around."

"But what if—"

"No." Malrik's voice cuts through my spiral. "Your magic didn't settle until you made the choice to bond with me. With us. That wasn't fate, that was you."

“Was it?” I say, bitter. “Or was I always going to end up here, no matter what I wanted?”

"Does it matter?" Torric demands, his golden eyes blazing. "You chose. That's what counts."

I want to believe them. Want to trust that the warmth in my chest when I look at each of them is real, not some cosmic manipulation I'm too blind to see.

"I don't want to be told what I'm meant for," I say, the words scraping my throat raw. "I want to choose it. I want to chooseyou."

The words hang in the air like a promise and a threat. Malrik's hand finds mine, steady and warm. Aspen's expression softens. Torric nods once, fierce and certain.

And Finn... Finn looks away.

After the others scatter to prepare for the afternoon's ride, Finn lingers. He sits beside me quietly, pulling at the hem of his shirt like he's trying to find words that won't explode in his face.

"So... uh. You and Malrik," he says finally.

"Yeah." I wait for the rest, for whatever's churning behind his green eyes.

“Right. You and Malrik. Makes sense. I mean, if you’re gonna go for emotionally devastating, might as well go all in.”

I snort despite myself, the tension breaking just enough for me to breathe. He grins—then sobers, the humor draining from his face like water through a cracked cup.

"I keep trying to figure out when I stopped showing up for you," he says, his voice softer than I'm used to hearing. "You're not hard to love, Kaia. Just easy to lose if you're stupid enough to blink."

My heart does something complicated. He's close to something real, something that matters, and I lean forward despite myself. "Finn—"

But he's already pulling back, slipping into humor before things get too honest. "Anyway. Gotta go make sure Bob hasn't unionized your shadow army again. Carry on with your royal water sex or whatever."

He leaves with a crooked smile, but his bond hums low and wounded in my chest. I watch him walk away, noting the careful distance he maintains, the way he always flinches away from the truth.

He's trying. I know he's trying. But it's not enough.

I stare out over the tree line as the sun begins its descent toward the mountains, painting the sky in shades of gold and crimson. My shadows drift around my feet, restless and pissed off, mirroring the mess in my head.

I thought bonding with Malrik would fix this clusterfuck in my brain. That choosing one of them—choosing any of them—would prove that my heart was mine to give.

But nothing's simple anymore. Not love. Not magic. Not fate.

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