“I’m not going anywhere, Blue,” I said beneath my breath.
I cast an illusion at my back, painting out a thousand memories of us together, the reflection of our love rippling through the air. Our first kiss beneath the Acrux pool, the night she’d come to me with blue hair, the day the FIB had taken me away, the good, the bad and everything in between, right up to our mating, when we’d claimed each other under the watchful eyes of the stars. I bled for her here and now, offering every piece of beauty between us and every painful moment that was stitched into the fabric of my heart. We were made of these memories. It was our story, our beginning, but this was not our end.
I shifted the illusion, showing her a life not yet lived. The hopes I had for us, the things I had fought this battle for. She was the dream I had never seen coming, the purpose I’d been searching for. I didn’t want the dreams of the boy I’d lost the day Lionel had bonded me to Darius anymore, I wanted these new dreams that were born from her. I had been dipped in darkness, painted in sin and hardened into something cold and unlovable. And yet she had found some way to love me and I was liberated because of it, rising from that inky blackness I had known for so long, and laid in the sun. But now she, my light, was draped in darkness and I would not abandon her for anything in this world.
So I showed her the life I wanted for us, I showed her the children I prayed we’d have and the laughs and smiles I swore I’d offer her. I showed her peace and love and countless days where no suffering lived and all that existed was joy. And I pledged that future to her this very moment. My life was an offering she could eradicate tonight, or else she could find a way back to me, and accept all I had to give while I still had breath in my lungs and beats left in my heart.
“I am yours. And this life can be ours,” I called out to her. “You are mine and Lavinia will not take you from me!”
Darcy slowed before me, her eyes falling on those memories behind me as I stood in front of her with no shield, nothing but my hands raised before me in a gesture of surrender.
“Please see me,” I rasped, terror lacing the words as she stalked toward me, wet with blood and towering above me so I was cast in her shadow.
I knew I would die here if she was lost. Because there was no place for me in this world without her.
“Blue, come back to me,” I begged.
She lowered her face to mine and I was sure I was dead as I gazed up at her, my magic nearly entirely tapped out. And I would not wield my blade against her.
She shifted so fast, I inhaled sharply, finding her standing before me in the snow, naked and shivering, her hair no longer blue but deepest black, moving about her shoulders in the way Lavinia’s moved. She was bloody and bruised, her legs and arms covered in deep wounds, and my chest ached at seeing her like that.
She raised her hands to inspect them, turning them over as if she didn’t know herself and the fear I felt over that nearly destroyed me. But when she looked up, my girl was there.
“Lance?” she breathed, her hands beginning to tremble and I rushed forward in relief, crushing her against me and offering her the last of my magic to heal her, the well of power in my chest hollowing out.
She shoved me away suddenly, shaking her head and running a hand over her face as she looked back at the battle. “What have I done? Oh my god, Geraldine…”
“It wasn’t you,” I swore, stepping toward her once more, needing to make sure she was alright.
“It was,” she said in horror, tears spilling out of her eyes.
I stepped closer to see the silver rings in them, and watched as they flickered, there one moment and gone the next. They blinked out like dying stars and my heart forgot to beat.
Fear pressed down on me, but I wouldn’t break. I would be here for her through anything. Rings or no rings, it didn’t matter to me. She was my mate regardless.
She gasped as though she felt it, her hand going to her chest. “I’m mortal,” she croaked.
“No,” I refused, capturing her hand and pulling her close as terror wound its way around my throat like a noose. “Look at me,” I begged, but she wouldn’t, her eyes on the blood staining her trembling fingers until I gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at me. “I’ll fix this,” I promised with all the grit I could muster.
“It’s too late,” she said in fear then pushed me again to get some space between us. “You have to get away. I can feel it coming back.”
“I’m not leaving you,” I snarled. “This curse doesn’t get to break us.”