Page 68 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood
“Allis a dangerous thing to vow.” Thalen held up his hands as a flash of alarm passed through his amber eyes.
I already had my hand over my heart, my fingers digging into my surcoat. “I, Vad, son of Merrick of the Shadows, vow upon my life and breath to do all that is within my power to ensure Briar is happy and safe.”
“No.” Bryn’s jaw and fist clenched, and he closed the distance between us. His liquid gold eyes gleamed with something almost manic, as if he were trying to compel me with his mere presence. “No, you do not vow that. You vow to get herhome,to Earth.”His voice tightened with emotion, shaking at the wordhome. “She was torn from everything, and if she remains here, she will face far greater dangers. You cannot even begin to imagine the horrors.”
Anger boiled in my veins. “I will protect her witheverythingI have.” My wings flexed, and the shadows rippled behind me as I stepped up to him.
Though I towered over him by a good eight inches, he didn’t even blink. “And it won’t be enough. All you had wasn’t enough to keep her from being taken and brutalized. You were powerless to protect her during the trials as well. And the people who want her dead take her existence personally. Briar must disappear. You may have your bargains and deals with any number of individuals, but there are far more than you think involved in this. If she remains in this realm, she will die because they will not stop trying. And while you are getting weaker, they are getting stronger. Eventually, they will succeed in killing her. And there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it unless we get her out of this place entirely. If you care about her even a little, you will let her go.”
I parted my lips to protest as my shadows rose darker along the walls. “No. There must be some other way.”
“Wait.” Thalen chopped his hand in the space between us. “I understand that you want to protect someone innocent taken from Earth. But how you’re going about it sounds fecking personal.”
“Itispersonal.” Bryn straightened his shoulders. “Setting up an innocent contender is an abomination to Fate. They are perverting Fate's decisions and not respecting her power. They’re toying with magic that is not their own and using someone not of this realm to do it.”
I’d been focused on Briar, mainly because of my feelings for her, but he was right. Whoever was doing this wasn’t justmessing with Briar; they were messing with all of us and Fate’s path.
“Maybe.” Thalen pursed his lips, probably trying to aggravate Bryn more.
Bryn rolled his eyes and focused on me. “You cannot even begin to know what she will suffer if she remains. More than that, she doesn’t belong here. She has a home and family on Earth. A sister and a brother-in-law. Apack. In time, she will have nieces and nephews. Can you give her all that? I think not.”
The idea of losing Briar had my heart wanting to be ripped out. I tensed, and a growl rose in my chest. “I can give hereverythingshe will ever want or need, and I will see to it that she can visit her sister.Iwill be her family.” The words slipped out. It was as if he had known my feelings for Briar all along, and that troubled me. Worse than that, even I could hear that desperate note that tinged my words, and I knew he could use them against me.
But it was his words that disturbed me most as they settled into my mind. Could I truly ever give Briar all that she deserved?
His brow softened, and he spoke more calmly. “If you love her, then you must let her go. It isn’t safe for her anywhere in Nytheria. She was dragged here against her will to a realm she knows nothing of and into a role she neither wanted nor prepared for.” His fingers brushed the medallion, and he glanced down at it. His brow tightened. “She has endured more than enough, and she is not your future queen. She cannot be. Not unless you want her to die because of it. I will not help you if you are not willing to make this vow, and her death will be on your head.”
Panic and desperation clawed at my insides and my throat. “What gives you the right to say that? She has performed admirably and under great duress. She has inspired great loyalty.” And Ilovedher. She was my heart, my beloved. Icouldn’t imagine a life without her, and I had given her a choice…
Thalen paced back to my side and cast a challenging look at Bryn. “Shouldn’t you all ‘let Fate decide?’ You know…not interfere, and let things be what they are. This feels an awful lot like not allowing Fate to do what Fate wills.”
“Fate has decided. It is our duty to go along with it, but there are some who are rebelling and trying to prevent it from happening.” He clenched his jaw, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Thalen’s brow quirked. “If you can defy Fate, is it really Fate?”
I wasn’t interested in a philosophical debate, and every fiber in me knew that Briar was meant to be here and at my side. “I will give Briareverything.If she wants to be with me, I will never deny her that. I can protect her. I will give her a family. We’ll bring her back and crown her queen. That will solve everything.”
Bryn’s gaze snapped back to me. “Except it won’t. You’ll give her everything youcan. It isn’t the same, and it won’t keep her safe from harm. It doesn’t take into consideration what is needed.”
She needed to be withme.
The hollow sensation in my chest expanded with every breath. Was it accurate to say Briar needed me, or…was it I who needed her?
What life could there possibly be for me without her?
Perhaps I should not be thinking of my own life. To be near her and with her was a physical need, but there was nothing to say that it was the same for her. What didBriarneed? My throat tightened again. I’d tried to give her a choice back in the observatory, but what if that hadn't been enough? What if she’d felt that she had to accept me, regardless?
He stepped closer, his demeanor almost gentle despite the hardness in his eyes. “I know you love her. Even if you denied it, I wouldn’t believe you. You might as well pretend you can keep the moon from rising with just your words. As you love her, you must do what is best for her. I can make sure that she is brought back, given what she needs, and ultimately taken to safety all before the night is out and fulfilling what Fate demands.” His jaw tightened for a breath. “I have already vowed that I will protect her and help you. If you love her, how can you possibly reject my help? All I ask is that you make your own vow.”
My lungs stopped working. The thought of her not being here made life feel empty. But if he could free her… at least she’d live. “What is this plan? Tell me first.”
He glanced toward the door. Then he canted his head. “No. You see…my vow’s fulfillment is in some respects contingent upon your agreement. If you do not make the vow, I cannot guarantee that I will succeed. But I will give it all my efforts. If you want me bound, then you must vow as well. Can you live with the risk of her remaining there? Do you not love her enough to do anything for her?”
Those final questions pierced my soul. My head spun, and pure agony devoured me. Loving Briar meant doing what was best forher. She deserved a rich, beautiful life. Was there not some way that we could share that life? Blood thundered in my ears.
“With all due respect, sir, you’re full of it.” Thalen glared at Bryn and glanced at me. His wings twitched and tightened as he flexed them. “If Prince Vad?—"
“Three hours.” Bryn held up three wrinkled fingers, the thick rings catching the light. “Three hours with a plan to get her back to her home before midnight, safe with her sister and her pack. Precisely where she wanted to be from the beginning. If you truly love her, this isn’t even a choice. How long will it take you to gether back and ensure that this place is safe for her until all of this can be resolved?”
