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He dips down and crushes his lips against mine. I’m stunned for all of a second and then I’m gripping his face just as desperately.
“Eww, Mr. Bartholomew, don’t kiss her in front of me!”
We both snap our attention to the forgotten Moss Sparrow. He’s got his hands covering his eyes and we both laugh.
My heart fills and my blood pulses dreams and memories through me. I’d be lying if I said I’ve never pictured a life here with Wren and little Marley. Like a family. We’d go to the café every week at least three times, and—
A sharpthumprattles the door.
We all jerk our heads to look but no one moves to open it. Wren raises a brow at me. “Expecting company?”
I nod. “Rune!” My chest fills with warmth as I turn the knob but it completely extinguishes when I see Kastian standing there like a stone wall. His piercing blue eyes regard me with anger.
The air around us is instantly thick and Wren picks up on it before I have the chance to start punching and screaming at my dark-winged Eostrix.
“Let’s talk upstairs. Marley, can you stoke the fire?” Wren tousles the Moss Sparrow’s hair and gives him a nudge toward the fireplace.
Kastian looks absolutely perplexed that he’s had to chase me here. His hair is wild and there’s snow covering his wings and horns. We stare at one another for two seconds before Wren shoots us both a look, jerking his head at the stairs.
We reluctantly follow the Cypress. I note that all the books are still lining his stairs and I’m sad about all the stories he’s read without me.
Once we’re in his room, he sits on the bed and crosses his arms at both of us. His room fills me with so many memories, even though it’s just as empty as it was before. Not a single picture up or anything personal to set on his dresser.
“Okay, what’s going on?” he asks as he lights a joint and shoves the pink lighter back in his pocket.
“Well, we were about to complete the deal, butthisone decided to run away.”
Anger flashes through me and I clench my fists tightly at my sides. “Um,excuse me? She was draining you of your blood to feed to that fucked-up skull! I didn’t stay in Nesbrim all this time just to have her torture you!”
Wren coughs and his joint flies across the floor. He whirls his attention back at Kastian. “The fucked-upskull?”
“I’m doing what it takes to freeyou.This is all foryou.” Kastian walks toward me until our chests are touching. I won’t back down. No fucking way. His sage scent consumes me and I can feel his aura brush beneath his skin, reaching for mine.
“I never asked you to!” I throw back at him.
He curls his lip in a snarl until his fangs are showing. “No, I guess you didn’t. But while you’ve been busy collecting your jar of hearts, I’ve been selling my soul to the witch.”
“Jar of hearts?” Wren echoes.
I shove Kastian back. “I’mso sorrythat I was able to find a small bit of happiness while being tortured and ruined foryou.”
He growls and grabs both of my arms as he pins me against the wall roughly. “I would doanythingfor you, Elodie. Give everything I have just so I can have you safe again, so that you can breathe free air again and enjoy the life you deserve.” His eyes are blazing like winter fire but his voice is cracking.
My heart wrenches against my chest so hard I feel like I’m going to collapse. He’s right… We’ve all given more than we should. We’ve all been ruined and changed by this. Not just me.
“I—I’m… I don’t want you to suffer for me, Kastian.” The tears roll down my cheeks as I stare into his eyes. Pain flickers through them and he’s giving me an agonizing frown as he holds back his own tears. “I wanted to… keep you all safe. I—I’m so sorry.”
I let out the cry that’s been building in my throat and press my face into his chest.
Kastian wraps his arms around me and I’m engulfed by his sage scent. It fills me and I feel so vulnerable in his arms. He lowers his nose into my hair and whispers, “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you safe in the first place, Elodie.”
I let out a sigh of relief. We stay locked in our embrace for a long few moments.
Wren stands and moves toward his door. “I’ll give you two a minute. Dinner’s on in thirty.”
Kastian squeezes me tighter before murmuring, “So you decided to finally just leave, huh?” He lets a laugh slip. “You made it look so fucking easy.”
“Yeah… Well, it wasn’t planned. Plus I’m sure Arulius will be coming to get me, but they’ll have to find us first. Rune’s on his way too.” Kastian wraps his arms completely around me and I can’t help but notice how broad his shoulders are. I’m so small in his embrace. He holds me like I’m about to disappear.
