Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
His eyes are two skies full of starlight, and when he reaches his climax, they all fall. I make a wish on every single one.
With my fingers buried in his golden hair, I too find my release, and we slide back into the water, sharing those last few moments together.
I’m afraid.
So very afraid.
But that is not what he needs to hear, so I summon all my strength and whisper, “Be safe.”
Sylvan holds me tight, running his fingers over my nape in a calming manner. I wish he could stay here and pet me like this until I lose my mind, but that wouldn’t be safe for him.
“You have my heart, Hawk,” he says when he untangles his limbs from mine.
“And you have mine,” I tell him, sinking into the water, all the way to my jaw. “I will turn. But this is how I want you to see me when you leave.”
“Magnificent?” he asks with a sigh and gives me a kiss before rising to his feet.
My heart feels as if it’s falling apart, and while I’ve been through so much shit, no pain ever felt this intense. But I don’t let any of that show, because he needs to focus on getting to safety, not comforting a man who’ll inevitably lose himself.
“That too,” I say, snorting. “Handsome, and tall.”
The smile falls from Sylvan’s lips as he dresses in the damp black clothes that no longer look very refined. “Hawk… please stay in that pool once I leave. Turn the water on, so you have a steady cooling stream.”
I nod and rest my chin on the tip of his boot, clinging to the chance to touch him once more. “You know what’s best.”
But when he lets out a sob and turns to hide his face, I have to get out. The need to comfort him is stronger than my sense of self-preservation.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he whimpers when I pull him into my arms.
“You must,” I insist, burying my face in his damp hair. Nothing was ever as hard as letting him go, but there is no other way. I pick up his backpack and lead him toward the heavy door, because this will be easier for him once he can no longer see me.
His heavy inhales weigh on my heart. When I usher him to the other side of the vault door, it feels like leaving a kitten out in the rain.
“This can’t be happening. Not right after I found you,” Sylvan utters, grabbing my hand, but he must know what is about to happen, because he doesn’t try to come back in.
Overcome by a wave of grief, I give his hand a quick kiss, and then shove the door back in place before either of us can change his mind. It’s only then that my tears fall, but I wait, holding the door until the lock finally clangs.
And still, he speaks, his voice like an echo through the thick metal.
“Hawk? What if we—”
“No, Sylvan. You need to promise me you will leave.”
Silence.
“You need to promise!”
An eternity later, he says, “I promise.”
My legs give up, and I curl into a ball on the cold, dusty floor, trying to contain the anguish tearing me up on the inside. But I got what I wanted.
Now, I can waste away in peace.
Chapter 36
Sylvan
So I fucking lied. I only made the promise to Hawk so he stays put. And I would lie a hundred times more if it meant saving Hawk’s life. I would lie, beg, steal, and kill if need be. Maybe it means I’m no good, but I’ve not been brought up to be good. I’ll leave that to the heroes.
The promise I made at our wedding was way more important, and I intend to keep it. I understand full well that he wanted me to leave for my safety, that he cares for my life as much as I do for his. That’s why he put on that damn mask in the first place. I would honor his sacrifice if there was no other way, but I am not giving up on him when there might still be something I can do.
Our bond tells me he’s still alive, and I will fight for him for as long as I can sense his heartbeat, no matter how faint.
It might be a shot in the dark, but there are artifacts capable of containing the power of Sunlight. Were he a shadow-wielding elf, he would stand a chance against the force radiating inside him, but because he is not, he needs something to do that for him.
There are collars that suppress shadowcraft, like the one I wore during my time in the human realm, but the treasure vault of the Nocturne Court contains one capable of blocking Sunlight. A long time ago, a grimsmith fashioned it for his daughter out of a rare metal mined on the Darkmoon. He embedded it with sunset gems, and it was used a few times to aid royal children born with the power to wield both shadow and Sunlight, until they learned to cope with the two forces tearing them up from the inside.