Page 113 of Severed Heir

He didn’t answer. Just a twitch of his hand in mine. The silence said more than he ever had. I looked up at him. “Tell me.”

His jaw tightened. “It’s complicated.”

“Then explain it to me,” I said, stepping closer. “Because I don’t understand what could possibly—”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

The coldness in his voice hit harder than the wind. “Then when will we talk about it?” I asked.

“Drop it,” he said. “It’s done.”

Silence fell between us, thick and uneven. I paced, dragging a hand through my hair.

“Fine,” I muttered. “Then let’s focus on what matters. We need to get out of here. Do you trust me to portal us back to Demetria?”

Archer exhaled. “No. You’re not trained on portals. If the flame collapses, it’ll kill you.”

“Why don’t you trust me?” My voice cracked. “Gods, it’s like you think I’m weak or something.”

“I do trust you,” he said sharply. “But there’s no flame strong enough to channel in Demetria. Your portal won’t hold.”

A slow smile tugged at my lips. “You’re going to be shocked.”

His brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Trust me,” I whispered. I reached out, pinky extended. “Please."

He hesitated. Then, slowly, he hooked his finger around mine. “With my life.”

The flame came fast.

The fire surged around us in a spiral of ash, wrapping our bodies in searing heat. Flame licked down my arms, through my veins like molten gold, devouring every breath and replacing it with smoke. I gritted my teeth, a scream caught behind them, never making it out.

I clung to the memory of Demetria, remembering the lavender sky, the lanterns, the moths with their painted wings. I held that vision like a lifeline as the portal opened, heat roaring like a storm.

And then we vanished—together.

Home.My reign. My heirship.

“Meet us in Demetria,” I told Naraic.

His voice hissed through the bond.“Severyn, I feel your pain. Stop!”

“I’m fine,” I said, one hand gripping Archer’s shoulder, the other cupping his cheek. “I can handle it.”

“You’re burning up,” Archer said, panic sharp in his voice. “Sev, stop the portal—”

“No.” The flames howled around us. “You need to understand that I can handle more than you think.”

We tore through the fire and the ash. Then came the pain. The moment we hit solid ground, my knees buckled. I collapsed onto scorched earth, my palms sinking into the heat-soaked dirt as smoke rose around us in dizzying spirals.

Archer caught me before I could fall further. His arms closed around me, strong and steady, anchoring me while his eyes scanned the land ahead.

The shadows that once lined the borders were gone. In their place, embers glowed. The heat still radiated outward, warm enough that nearby homes had opened their windows to let it in.

“Sev,” Archer said softly. “You never told me you were shielding Demetria. You could’ve surged yourself.”

“Your wards were failing,” I whispered. “I couldn’t let the realm fall or beasts attack it.”

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