Page 65 of Fated In Forever
Home.Her home, not mine.
No, my home was here, now. These shadows, this black sand was part of me. Leaving here would be tantamount tosuicide, this I knew, as clearly as I knew Evangeline would die if she stayed here with me.
“But you said the portal was dark.Closed. There is no way a couple of old relics from our realm would even work here.”
“Esme never discovered where this came from.” When she zipped up her jacket, I handed her The Book. “Who’s to say this relic is even from our realm? It could have come from anywhere.”
Her bottom lip jutted out, defiance in her eyes. “Before I agree to anything, how do you intend to use this to open the portal?”
I couldn’t tell her that The Book’s gift came with restrictions. One wish per person. That once granted, the wish became unchangeable, and couldn’t be taken back. And, of course, there would be a price exacted, because magic always demanded its pound of flesh.
No, I couldn’t tell her any of that, but I could tell her the rest.
“There is magic imbued within this relic that will grant me a wish. Anything I want. My hope is…” I swallowed hard. “I can wish you back to your world, Evie. Send you back to safety.”
“As simple as that?”
“As simple as that.”
Evangeline's hand found my arm, “And what is the price of this wish?” Her grip tightened. “Because I know there is one. If you think, for one minute, that I’ll allow you to pay some hideous cost to keep me safe, you are mistaken, Malachi Draven.”
“I am not sure I can ever leave this place now. I mean,” I stepped back, spread my arms. “Look at me. Do you really want me back in your world? How would I fit? Any futurewe might have had…” I looked away, trying to force the next words up my dry throat. “Any chance at a normal life I might have had is gone. My future is the same, here or on earth. Hiding away in my castle. Cut off from the rest of the world. Because I’ve lived long enough to know one thing.”
I slid my finger beneath her chin and tipped her tear-filled eyes up to mine. “No matter where I go, I’ll always be a monster, and the world is not kind to monsters. Sooner or later, I would be hunted, or killed, if that was even possible. And that is no future for you, my love.”
Hope gleamed in her eyes, hands gripping my arms with desperate force. “That isnota solution. We’ll find a way, we could…”
“That is not the futureIwant for you, Evangeline. I love you too much, you see. I love you more than my next heartbeat, my next breath. And I refuse to watch you fade away because I am unable to let you go. So…this is me, letting you go. Go be a queen. A sister. An aunt.”
I swallowed as I watched my future slip between my fingers. “Go be a mother. Live, Evangeline. Live boldly and loudly and bravely and don’t for one moment entertain the thought I regret my choice, because I never will.”
I belonged to this realm now, had been remade by its power, shaped by its dark purpose. My essence was tied to the Underworld in ways that went deeper than mere presence. I was becoming something that could bridge the gap between life and death, though I still didn’t understand how.
“This is my home,” I whispered, her cheeks wet with tears. “And besides, this place seems to need...” I struggled to find the right word, “A guardian. Someone to guide all these souls…somewhere. Fuck knows they’ve been waiting long enough.”
“You're talking about sacrificing yourself to send me back.” She whispered, her voice sharp with anger, the darkness in her eyes flashing brighter. “I won't let you do that.”
“And I won't let you become what this place wants to make you.” I turned to face her fully, taking her hands in mine. “Look at yourself, Evie. Really look. You're changing, becoming something that’s more shadow than light. If you stay here much longer, there won't be enough of you left to save.”
She started to protest, but I pressed on, desperate to make her understand.
“Your world needs you. Blake and Riordan need you. You have a sister who depends on you, more now than ever. You have a life to live, a life that is only beginning. Go back, Evie, go back and live. Staying here…you aren’t meant for the darkness.”
“And what about you?” she demanded, her grip on my hands tightening. “Are you meant for the darkness, or are you still convinced you’re a monster, just like you always have?”
She tapped her finger on my chest. “That’s your playbook, Malachi. Playing the villain, because it’s easier to be the bad guy than the good guy.”
“Well, this time the bad guy got the most beautiful girl.” The words hung in the air between us, and then I shook my head. “I'll always be the bad guy,” I said softly. “No matter how hard I try to do the right thing, can’t you see I was made for this place? Look at me and tell me I’m not.”
She shook her head violently, dark-streaked hair whipping around her shoulders. “No. There has to be another way. Use the Wishrender to wish us both back, and we’llmakepeople accept you, we’ll make them see…”
“Evie.” I cupped her face in my hands, my talons restinggently against her increasingly pale skin. “You know how people are. They’ll never see. I will end up trapped in my castle, you’ll remain at Crimson House, and the guilt and resentment will grow. Let me go. Let me go now, and move on with your life.”
Tears ran down her cheeks—tears that caught the strange light of this realm and gleamed like liquid silver. “I can't do this. Not now. Not when I've finally...” She trailed off, but I could see the words in her eyes.
“I know,” I whispered, brushing away her tears with my thumbs. “I feel it too. But sometimes, love means letting go. It means choosing what's right over what's easy.”
The constant cloud of souls above us sensed our torment, whirling faster, like fireflies in the throes of a mating dance.
