ete th

s, certain I had

dded

ered something ancient. A normal rejection would have hurt you both, but your

d down

s neck toward his jaw, and every few seconds, his body shud

I said. "Tell

s hes

ly accept him as

nt s

lin

rt nobody seeme

wer, my destiny, and what the kingdom needed

his choice wit

fe depende

s if I refus

owered h

die befor

settled

owly, one hand pressed

look

ed tow

this because you are

I can sa

ar is not the same as love freely given. Your father would never have wanted y

llowe

me to let someone die

ossed h

ted you to understand the

d back

he would pretend not to notice when I stole food from his plate. How he once stood in the rain

belonged to the

an who had humiliated me

were

what made thi

sti

en

ed cl

m h

searche

them make

ost b

as asking me not to sa

willing to decide everything

closed

what the bond

ill it

ked at

ll

expressio

you sho

ll

en shout ended i

tained

bed hi

. You're maki

his fingers

bond, the prophecy

nd

ice dr

ies, my instincts. I will feel yours too. Neither o

row

't sound li

d carries the blood

stepped

waken the power that destroyed the ancient royal family.

d at th

but I could still feel someth

watchful

to me if the p

y ans

ked a

me the

lled with h

n't k

, I beli

y hand awa

d to t

little time,"

g it by telling m

away fr

lowed, but I

ust give m

stop

edge of the courtyard, desperate for somewher

was cold aga

t the stone wall and trie

nted to

was

d an ancient kingdom, a terrifying power, or a prophe

d a qui

ho

ose me even when choo

hoice that threatened to dest

nking about

ned s

e archway, one arm wr

uld be r

hould

m f

sed an

n ancient king, and now you're pretending yo

ing, a small la

came

ally goin

odd

toward th

still lo

hurt more tha

know how

n't what

sed m

es

quiet for

hat. But don't let loving him becom

ked a

him and he break

shouldn't have to surrender your right to choo

ook m

se that's what you choose. Not because anyone t

t her for

hugge

g me to explain the tears

I was not the Moon'

simply

ghtened, hurt, and

the courtyard, Kael

y eyes. I recognized the shame on his face,

ed up as I

se is sp

t besi

grown frigh

an you h

lids fl

en

m h

fingers acr

h before seeming to re

ried to p

afraid of taking

his han

you to

d his ey

. I'm not doing it because Darius says you will die

rs trembl

ove you, and I cannot pretend tha

hered in

what you did to me. It does not mean I forgive you.

dded

derst

can look at you without rememb

the ache i

h. All of it. No more deciding what I can

romi

ething just because y

ze hel

e prove it

red a

he rejection, I saw no Alp

oice and was finally beginning to understand that

ntil my forehead r

e what

ting words in an

rmed agains

tightened

e my chest, followed by a rush

e

gr

o

hem all, a te

dark chamber. His father held a silver blade against a sto

el, older now, kneeli

fat

sion s

gripped Ka

daughter," h

face was stre

swe

ory sha

and pul

ed at me

saw

was

filled wi

r fa

mmered agai

knew

, but Darius pushed

h the bond before the c

ly hea

taring

sked you to

nod

re he

never t

s goi

me? After you let me belie

linc

s afr

wh

person the prop

ing b

cried

spread acros

rstood that I had reached the moment when a

my palm a

t," I tol

d the anc

us, wrapping our joined h

ked into

e you,

ll him that I

his hand and l

n was i

y veins, and carried me into a dark

heard a

o

ci

ump

OOR I

s flew

lit with a

rtyard, every

he black veins van

second, I though

opened h

ger the warm amb

, encircled by a

y like

eneath the earth, somethi