Page 31 of A Reign of Malice
“The mate bond,” she says quietly, wetting her lips as if tasting the words. “That has to be why I keep finding you. It’s the only connection strong enough to bypass dark magic like this.” Her expression tightens. “But that’s just thewhy. I don’t knowhowI’m projecting here. All I know is that I took some of Aeson’s blood to open the door we found, but it didn’t work on the runes. Before we could try anything else, I was brought back here.” She grimaces, but there’s a hint of amusement in her eyes. “My advisor’s probably strangling me right now for putting her through this again.”
“Extend my apologies to her,” I mutter, the corner of my mouth lifting despite the topic of the conversation. “But this is bigger than either of us. How did you get Aeson’s blood? Does he know you’re onto him?”
Panic coils tight around my chest. If he suspects her evenslightly, he won’t hesitate to crush her. And I’m chained like awild animal, unable to protect the only person who’s ever made me believe this life is still worth fighting for.
Sloane turns slightly, as if about to step back into the shadows but hesitates. She reaches for the long strands of her hair, her fingers twisting the soft strands in a gesture that seems almost…uncertain.
“You should know something about me,” she says, voice quiet but steady. “I know you’re my mate, but am I certain I can trust you? I’ll be honest, no. I do believe what you’re telling me has truth to it. Though, until I can be sure, I’m doing whatever I can to make sure I don’t find myself falling victim to anyone who might not deserve my trust.”
Her words pierce deeper than any blade ever could, but I nod. “As you should. I don’t fault you for that, Sloane. Not in the slightest.” The words are said in earnest even though they shatter my heart. I hate that she has to wonder if I’m the villain Aeson has painted me to be over the years. Though, that also means she doesn’t believe in my brother, something I have to be grateful for.
“I’m supposed to bond with Aeson this week,” she says abruptly. The words hit like a punch to the gut, but before I can speak, she adds, “He thinks I’m his doting mate. I stole his blood when I kissed him. A little too aggressively.”
The world goes black for a moment as my wolf surges forward, fury eclipsing reason. I yank against the chains with everything I have, the metal biting into my wrists until fresh blood seeps down my forearms. The cave trembles with the force of my roar, echoing back at me like the gods themselves are mocking my impotence.
Not only because he’s had the chance to taste her, but because if they have that ceremony, if heclaims her…
What will that do to our bond? To her? To me?To us?
The thought is unbearable. My wolf howls, fighting thenumbness overtaking him, but the strain sends another bolt of pain through my chest.I can’t lose her. Not like this.
I suck in a ragged breath, forcing myself to calm. She doesn’t need my rage. She needs clarity.Strength.
“I’m sorry,” I rasp, my voice raw with regret. “That wasn’t meant for you. I’m not angry withyou, Sloane. I don’t fault you for doing what you had to. But you can’t bond with him. Not this week. Not ever.”
She watches me closely, like she’s weighing my sincerity, as her arm lifts, almost as if she might try to reach out to me. Her spirit gleams faintly, light flickering like a dying star.
Time’s running out.
“Sloane, please.” I attempt to step closer even though I know it’s not possible. “I’m not asking you to trust me blindly. Hell, I’d question myself too. But if you complete that bond, it’ll tie you to his power. To his darkness. It’ll make it harder for you to fight him or escape him. And if he realizes what you are to me?” I swallow hard. “I can’t let you find out just how vile Aeson can be.”
Her brows draw together but something in her posture softens. Slowly, she steps closer and reaches for me, leaning over the water. There are only inches between her fingertips and my face. Close enough that I swear I can feel the faint warmth of her presence, but if she stretches any further, if she slips…
“Please don’t,” I tell her with regret, moving away from her. “I don’t know if the water can hurt you even in an astral form, and I won’t risk it. I won’t riskyou.”
The light surrounding her flickers again. She’s fading.Damn it.
“Thank you,” she says as she steps back. “If Aeson’s blood won’t work to unlock the runes, do you have any idea who else could’ve helped him?”
I rack my mind, sifting through hazy memories of those final days. Aeson already wore the crown. He had advisors, yes, but none he trusted enough to hold his secrets.
Except one.
“His council,” I say, the realization hitting like a bolt of lightning. “Greggo?—”
The rest of the name dies on my lips as the glow around her dims. “Sloane!” I lurch forward, the chains snapping me back. “Don’t go. Not yet.”
Her lips move, but the sound doesn’t reach me.No, no, no.We’re so damn close.
Desperation claws at my throat. “Don’t bond to him!” I roar, voice cracking from my growing fear. “Promise me, Sloane. Please.”
But she’s gone.
The cave collapses into silence, thicker and colder than ever before. I sag against the wall, breathing hard, heart pounding like a war drum in my ears.
For a moment, all is lost. Despair creeps back, slithering into the cracks she’d managed to fill with her light.
And then, faint as a whisper on the wind, I hear her voice.
