Page 82 of Faeheart
“I don’t want to lose him,” I said softly. “He’s my mate, the person in all this world that was meant just for me. I love him so much I can’t breathe.” I reached out, wrapping my arms around Caden and Atlas, pulling them into a tight hug. “But I don’t want to lose you either. I love you both.” I took a deep breath. “But I can’t stand by and do nothing. It’s better to try and fail than to live with the regret.”
Caden pressed a kiss to the side of my neck, his heart hammering in his chest. “I’ll follow you,” he said softly. “Anywhere you want to go.”
“So will I,” Atlas replied, kissing my cheek. “Let’s save our mate.”
There was another shot of pain through the bond, weaker than all the rest. Wild’s magic was fading, his chaos fading into nothingness.
“We need to move now,” I said, straightening my shoulders. “If we’re going to surrender, let’s make it convincing.”
Atlas nodded, his golden eyes fierce with determination. “I’ll lead. You two follow, hands visible, magic suppressed. Make them believe we’ve given up.”
As we moved through the mansion’s corridors, I reached out through our bond, sending every ounce of love and strength I could muster toward Wild. The connection was growing fainter by the second, which only increased my desperation. ThePurity Front was still suppressing him, not letting my thoughts through.
The mansion seemed to understand our plan, clearing paths that had been twisted into deadly mazes just minutes before. Through the house’s awareness, I could sense the remaining Purity Front members gathered in the foyer, their magical signatures pulsing with anticipation around the obsidian cube.
And Wild, his bright emerald energy was flickering like a candle in a storm.
When we reached the entrance to the grand foyer, I took a deep breath, steadying myself against the wall. Through the doorway, I could see my father standing beside the cube, his hands raised as he chanted ancient words of binding. Lady Briar held Wild against one of the pillars, magical bonds of emerald light wrapped around his limbs. His head hung forward, blood mixing with the copper hair falling across his face, but I could see the rise and fall of his chest. He was still alive. But barely.
“Remember,” Atlas whispered. “No matter what they say or do, stick to the plan. Get as close to the cube as possible.”
I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “Let’s go.”
Atlas stepped into the foyer first, his hands raised in surrender. “Stop!” he called out, his voice echoing through the grand space. “We surrender.”
The chanting ceased abruptly as every head turned toward us. My father’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as Caden and I followed Atlas into the room, our hands similarly raised.
“Well,” my father said, his aristocratic features arranged in a mask of smug satisfaction. “My son returns at last. Did you finally come to your senses?”
“Let Wild go,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “You have us now. All of us. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
Lady Briar laughed, the sound like breaking glass. “How touchingly naïve. Why would we release our leverage?”
Wild stirred at the sound of my voice, raising his head with obvious effort. Through our bond, I felt a surge of alarm as he realized what we were doing.
“No,” he croaked, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. “Elias, don’t?—”
Lady Briar silenced him with a casual flick of her wrist, emerald magic tightening around his throat. I fought to keep my expression neutral as rage boiled beneath my skin.
“We’re here now,” I said, taking another careful step forward. “The tetrad bond you’re so afraid of. Isn’t that what you wanted? To destroy it?”
My father studied me with cold calculation, his eyes so similar to mine yet utterly devoid of warmth. “And you expect me to believe you’ve simply given up? After all the trouble you’ve caused?”
“Look at him,” I gestured toward Wild, letting genuine anguish color my voice. “You’re killing him. What choice do we have?”
Through our bond, I could feel Atlas and Caden moving slowly into position, spreading out just enough to create a triangle around the cube. We needed to be perfectly positioned for the teleportation spell to work.
“A touching sentiment,” my father replied, “but forgive me if I remain skeptical of this sudden surrender.”
“We’ve lost,” Atlas said, his voice carrying a perfect note of defeat. “Your artifact is too powerful. The mansion can’t protect us anymore.”
Lady Briar’s perfect features twisted with triumph as she gazed at her suffering son. “You see, Wilderain? Your little rebellion was always doomed to fail. If you had simply accepted your place, none of this would have been necessary.”
Wild’s eyes found mine across the room, pain and fear giving way to fierce determination as he realized what we wereattempting. Through our weakened bond, I felt him gathering what little magic remained in his broken body.
“Bind them,” my father commanded the remaining Purity Front members. “Start with my son. He will be spared from the ritual.”
“What?!” I cried as two robed figures grabbed my arms and forced them behind my back, binding my hands with magic.
