Page 2 of Celestial Shadows

“Go on.”

“I didn’t treat Eilish with respect. I fucked her under the guise of promises I was unsure I could honor. The blood of her mother and sister are onmyhands. I don’t know how she ever forgave me.”

Theren sucks in a mouthful of air as his injuries knits themselves back together. He sighs in exhaustion and collapses against the cot. “You tried to protect them, Cambion. You went back to the Glade to defend it. It’s not your fault you were too late.”

“True, but it is my fault that I took her memories.”

Theren shakes his head. “Eilish knows you took her memory to spare her the pain of such a great loss. Your plan was misguided, but your intentions were pure.”

“Partly. I also took her memories so she wouldn’t realize I was the reason… why she lost her family.” I sigh deeply. “I can only hope to make amends with her and the others, but also you,” I reply honestly. “There are many things in our pasts I can’t make right, but I hope to one day earn your forgiveness.”

Theren lays flat on the cot, staring up into the rafters. “You will always have my forgiveness, Cambion. The road ahead will be difficult for us to navigate for obvious reasons.” He grows quiet for a few seconds. “Elioth carefully bred two sons to ascend the thrones of the fae courts so he would never be without power. Turning against him twice may require everything within me.”

“What happened that day?” I ask, because it was never clear to me what had taken place.

“I am… too weak to delve into it now,” he says. I understand.

“Dragan and Baron seem keen on protecting Eilish as fiercely as I would,” he says suddenly, changing the subject. “I admit it’s… surprising.”

“Why?”

“I’ve loved Eilish for a long time and I never imagined others would live up to my standards of care.”

“We... all love her… though I’m not sure each of us has admitted it,” I say. “For myself, the timing just never seems right.”

“So, youdolove her?”

I stand and walk over to the window that overlooks the courtyard. “Yes.”

“I know it isn’t quite in your nature to love. Aima was an exception and you didn’t love again after her… until Eilish.”

“I feel... that you and Silvanus have a claim on Eilish because you were the first to love her. But I fear if you were to ask me to honor that claim and shun my feelings for her, I wouldn’t be able to.” I turn to look at him then. “Our bond as brothers means the world to me, Theren, but there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for her.”

Theren sits up and props his back against the wall as he smiles. A tendril of hair falls over his brow. For a moment, I see no pain in his eyes, only childlike humor and I’m thrilled for him. Theren deserves whatever happiness he can find within this darkness. He shakes his head and shrugs as he says, “Such selfish love she inspires.”

“I believe we’ve earned a bit of selfishness, don’t you?”

“Whether we’ve earned it or not, I intend to bask in hedonistic debauchery.”

***

BARON

Mortal Ruins

The dagger slips between my fingers before I can catch myself. The blade goes right for Variant’s head, but Pyre’s magic stops it midair. I turn to the necromancer with disappointment in my gaze. Whether the others are beginning to accept Variant for killing Morrigan has nothing to do with me.

I want him dead.

I want him on the floor writhing in pain until every fiber of his being screams for it all to end in a bloody surge of violence to rival the wrath of the gods.

But it’s the anger in Eilish’s gaze that clears the red haze in my vision.

“Enough,” she hisses, glaring at me until I return to my seat.

Silvanus stands before us with a surprising amount of composure.

Fuck him.

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