Page 81 of The Ashborn

“Let him live. I’ll do your bidding instead.”

Oh, Tislin. Moira started to cry again, chewing on her bottom lip to keep herself silent.

His distance from his brother wasn’t simply a strained relationship. Did he harbor shame in what he did? Did Tristian know? Was that why he pushed his brother harder?

“I have no use for you, child.”

“You’ll have use for me one day.”

“Let’s go, Sunbeam,” Tislin’s voice rang out, and he pulled her away. Her surroundings brightened by the day around her, and Tislin’s face filled her vision.

Moira searched him for any hint of affirmation. She didn’t need it. She saw his shadows differently. It was a valiant curse, but what did that mean for his life? How much time did he have left? He’d been stabbed by a Shade in Alverton. Was that a taste of what was to come?

Tislin lowered his head. “Since her death, Tristian took the weight of the world onto his shoulders. The weight was already there for many other reasons. Even so, he fights alone to keep everyone alive. He’s not alone, of course, but the weight consumes him.”

“And you work in the shadows to keep him alive.” Moira never heard the rest of the deal Tislin had made, but she knew it in her gut. Tislin’s deal—his soul—was traded for Tristian’s. That Shade wanted the High Commander, not Tislin.

“Yes. And Tristian works to keep Kienna and Connak alive.”

Moira tilted her head. What did Kienna and Connak have to do with any of this?

Tislin only dipped his chin further. “We are all tangled in this web. It’s why the distance between him and me is for the best. I wish not to hate him once it’s all over with. He’s a good man. With a heavy prophecy of his own.”

Moira stepped in front of Tislin and forced a smile that was heavy but genuine. Finally, they were moving away from lore. She loved to hear Tislin talk of rich history, but she yearned for more, and when she got it, the connection couldn’t be denied. He trusted her with this, and even if his impending doom was an anchor pulling her into the sea, she couldn’t resist the sun in her heart. She stared into his eyes, their swirling grey and orange adoring her back. No shadows in sight.

“I think I love you.”

Tislin’s hand brushed her chin, and she quivered. “I cannot stop thinking about you, Sunbeam. You have made me come alive, and I do not want to live in a world that does not have you in it.”

“Me either.” Her breath was shaky as she let his other hand go. He cupped her face and kissed her with a gentleness that only made sense for the quiet man of shadows. Moira stepped into him, letting his body encompass her.

Their lips together could have burned a million suns as Moira’s entire body lit up. Everything that was wrong with the world righted itself in his presence. He was darkness against her light that balanced perfectly. When he pulled away, she tried to pull him back. He smiled and caressed her bottom lip, drinking her in.

“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” he said, cupping her face again. “I’d marry you right now, if I could.”

Moira smiled with a depth that rooted her soul. “We could—” She stopped herself, her heart crumbling at the thought, settling in the pit of her stomach with mortar holding her in place. She pulled out of his arms. “But we can’t.”

“It’s okay, Sunbeam.” Tislin attempted to step forward, but Moira held her hands up.

“It will never be okay,” Moira sobbed, panic settling in her bones. “I have not been fair to you, and I could never ask you to do this.”

Tislin shook his head. “I want to.”

“I need to go.”

Moira turned from Tislin before she could see his reaction. She ran back to her apartment, her head spiraling out of control. How could she have done this? How could she betray the man she’d given her heart to over a year ago like that? Coward or not, Rhior still lived in River Storm, and she still carried his baby and wore his ring on her finger. Despite how desperately she wanted Tislin, she was stuck, and for that, her heart shattered.

Chapter 32

—Kienna—

Kienna stumbled upon Elowen’s door. She shouldn’t have been there. The rules Elowen set were clear, and Kienna couldn’t be sure if her husband, Thorn, would be home or not. The woman remained skittish around Kienna and Moira. Still, Kienna knocked.

Elowen opened the door halfway, peering out. She scanned the area past Kienna, and then she opened up to hurry Kienna inside. Rats scurried along the floorboards, nipping at seeds and crumbs Elowen dropped for them. “What’s wrong, child?”

“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t the place to meet, but⁠—”

Elowen pushed her tongue against her teeth and tsked. “Thorn is at the shipyards. We have maybe two hours at most. Take a seat. Would you like some tea?”