Page 104 of Beneath the Flames
His small frame was trembling.“The day I helped Maren get the ash…On the way back, I left her and went to the border of Aeros.”
“Youwhat?”Why would he put himself in danger like that?He could have been killed.
“I was trying to help.When Maren said she wouldn’t give up her desire to go home for a chance of being with you, something in me cracked.I wanted to find a way to save us.You.”
Maren had said that?My heart squeezed in my chest, sucking the air from my lungs.I couldn’t really blame her after everything she’d told me about her father.
But it still hurt.
“What request?”I asked, pain shooting up my jaw from how hard it was clenched.
Nico sighed.“I asked her to reconsider the curse.”
“You what?”
Nico shrank back a little more at my fury, and it forced me to take another calming breath.I would not be a monster.I would not take my wrath toward the queens out on him.He was only trying to help.
He sniffled a couple times before answering.“When Marensaid that, I panicked.I thought if I went to the queen and begged her to free us from the curse, she might reconsider.I even offered a trade.She told me she would think about it.”
I rubbed a hand over my face.Of course she had.She dangled hope like a carrot in front of him, only to crush him in the end.That was the plan all along.
I already despised the queens before, but now all I wanted was for them to pay for the false hope they’d given Nico.
“But why did you go toher?”
I didn’t understand why he’d go to the Queen of Aeros.At least Queen Valianna was the smallest bit nicer.But Elonara never would have agreed to his request.He should have known that.
“Elonara would be the harder of the two to convince, so I figured I would start with her, and maybe buy us some time.”
A frustrated breath escaped my lips, catching when I realized the last thing Nico had said.
“Nico…you offered a trade?”
The young Fae was not stupid by any means, and yet that was possibly the stupidest thing he could have done.
“What did you offer?”
Now he really did shrink back, making himself as small as possible.
“My life for yours,” he whispered.
The tiny embers of my magic instantly exploded, fueled by rage, and I turned toward the fireplace just in time for it to release, sending a roaring fire up through the chimney.I hated that I couldn’t control my magic anymore, hated that I had almost just hurt the one person I would never want to hurt.
I took several deep breaths, trying to calm the embers still burning away in my veins before I went to Nico, kneeling down before him.
“Nico…why?Why would you do that?”
“You don’t deserve to die.”
“I deserve a lot of things, Nico, death being one of them.You know who—”
“You’re not who you used to be, Rhydian.”His voice rose, tears welling in those crystal blue eyes.“If anyone has redeemed themselves, it’s you.You don’t deserve for the curse to take your life, your kingdom.I tried to tell the queen that.Begged her to release you from the curse.If she wouldn’t, then she could take me instead, as long as it meant you’d live.”He was panting for breath around the tears streaming down his face.
“I want you to live.”It was a whimper of a plea.
My stone heart cracked wide open.
I pulled him into my arms, his body shaking with sobs as he cried against my chest.When his cries finally quieted, I leaned back to look him in the eye.
