Page 92 of A Clash of Embers

I felt his concern. I felt his sadness for me.

“I think I’m not going to make it out of this alive.”

He stopped his horse but I continued on ahead of him. He didn’t need to say any words for me to know he was angry with me and my thought process. I just couldn’t see a way that I could survive. Maybe that was how this was supposed to be. I was never meant to be here in the first place.

When we stopped for the evening, the ice was falling quickly, collecting on the ground in mounds of white mountains that made it difficult to walk through. We set up the tents and the fires as best as we could. I saw Lettie enter her tent alone, Eros tried to talk to her earlier but she didn’t want to. Something had happened to her, but I didn’t know what it was.

Leo stood by the fire, with a sad expression, but he was no longer hurting like he was before when Athiana was around. He was calmer.

“What ya thinking about?” I asked Leo.

“Nothing,” he replied, crossing his arms across his body.

I gave him the ‘I don’t believe you’ expression and that helped him crack a smile.

“Athiana. She crept into my mind. She knows that my magic is barred from my mother and Queen Anne. There was a way for me to get my powers here, in Darthium, but she placed a mark on me, one that won’t let me get the magic I have out.”

I sighed, “Maybe I could help?”

He chucked, “Eh. You’ve done enough, Clara. Also, I’m apitifulprince. Why would you even want to help me?”

I sighed as I watched the flames dancing, “Because I loved you once. I guess part of me will always love you. I want you to be happy and notfakehappy. The true happiness. I want to be able to break that barrier away, I just don’t know how.”

He swallowed nervously, “I think I might know how.”

I tilted my head with curiosity, “Really? What do we need to do?”

His entire body turned to face me as his eyes lit up with an amber glow. “You can break it. Somehow. You and Eros can break it. His blood and your power sealed together over me.”

I was utterly confused. He was talking like I should know how to perform this, but I had no clue.

“It’s... a blood tie. To break mine.”

My eyes widened as I realized what he was saying. I would need to tie my blood to his. Just as I did with Eros in marriage, but how would that work with us?

I felt his presence before I heard him, “There’s no way in the abyss that I will let you blood tie yourself to my mate. You can fucking forget it. I don’t care if you’re my brother or not. You’ve already had your fun with her.”

Damn.

Leo laughed, “That’s hilarious. You’ve lived your entire life with the powers that you were supposed to have. Lucky you. You get the girl I’ve loved for years, and now when I have an opportunity to be free from this bondage, you won’t let me? What a selfish prick.”

Ev stepped forward, pressing his chest into Leo’s as he whispered through clenched teeth, “My life is tied to her. If I die, she dies. If she dies, I die. Do you understand that? If you blood tie yourself to her, we both will die if something ever happens to you. There has to be another way.”

I quietly spoke up behind them, “There might be. But we need to get to the portcullis to know for sure.”

Leo scoffed, “Yeah. Of course, all great and powerful, Clara. Whatever you say.”

He walked past Eros, shoulder-checking him on the way to his tent. He was frustrated and I knew why. I could understand it. His entire life had been kept from him. All he wanted was an opportunity to be happy and I would give that to him. I’d give him the happiness he deserved.

Chapter 45

Ifollowed behind Eros as he stormed to the tent we would be sharing tonight. “Eros. Ev! Wait.” I ran after him when his pace picked up. He wanted to get away from me because I was defending his brother.

When I caught up to him, I said, “Ev, are you seriously mad at me for wanting to help your brother?”

He stopped his movement, placing his hands on his hips, and staring up at the star-filled sky. I watched his shoulders move up and down slowly as he calmed his breathing. His head dropped down as he ran his fingers through his hair. He was anxious. Worried. I could sense it, taste it… the sourness. It was overwhelming.

“Get out of my head, Clara.”

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