26. Arenwen
26
ARENWEN
K ai's gone silent, and I take that as my chance. I hate that he overheard this, that he thinks the worst of me. And more than anything, I want to take that away.
I lean closer toward Kai, my heart thundering against my ribs. The air crackles with his magic, violet sparks dancing around his tall frame like deadly fireflies. His eyes glow with that same dangerous light, fixed on me with predatory intensity.
"Please," I whisper. "I chose you. I chose to stay." My voice breaks but I force the words out. "Gabriel doesn't understand - he thinks he's saving me, but I don't need saving. Not from you."
Another step closer. There's too much space between us with me being held at his arm's length, and I don't want it. The magic intensifies, raising goosebumps along my skin.
Kai remains motionless, his jaw clenched, wings half-spread in a display that would terrify anyone else. But I've learned to read the subtle signs - the slight tremor in those powerful wings, the way his fingers curl against my skin.
"I won't leave." I move a little closer, never dropping his gaze. "I won't run." The magic burns now, like standing too close to an open flame, but I refuse to back down.
I lift my hand, giving him time to pull away. When he doesn't move, I press my palm against his chest. His heart pounds beneath my touch, matching my own frantic rhythm. The leather of his armor is cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the heat of his magic.
"I swear it." I look up into those violet eyes, refusing to flinch from their intensity. "I'm not going anywhere. This is where I belong now."
His magic swirls around us both, no longer burning but enveloping like a cocoon. Still, he remains silent, watching me with that unblinking stare that makes me feel stripped bare, exposed down to my very soul.
"You're mine," I dare to echo his frequent claim, pressing my hand more firmly against his chest. "And I'm yours."
His magic continues to surge, the violent energy making the air thick and heavy. I slide my hand from his chest to his face, cupping his sharp jaw. The touch forces his glowing eyes to meet mine.
"Look at me." My fingers trace the edge of his cheekbone. "Your darkness calls to me. Your fire burns in my blood now." My voice drops to barely a whisper. "I want it. I want you - everything you are."
His wings shift, the ash-gray feathers rustling with suppressed tension. Behind me, Gabriel's presence weighs heavy, but I keep my focus on Kai. On the way his magic pulses with each breath, on how his skin feels like heated steel beneath my palm.
"Nothing will keep me from you." I press closer, my body flush against the cold leather of his armor. "Not the past, not duty, not fear." My other hand finds his face, holding him steady. "But please - please don't hurt Gabriel. He's acting out of brotherly love, misguided as it is."
Kai's jaw flexes under my touch. The violet light in his eyes flares brighter, turning them into burning amethysts. His wings snap fully open, and I know that will be the greatest problem for us. He wants to protect me, for no one else to have me, and I have to see that he already has that.
"He's my family," I whisper, letting my thumbs brush over his cheekbones. "The only family I have left. Your darkness is what I choose, what I need. But don't make me watch you destroy him. Please."
The magic swirling around us intensifies, but I refuse to back down. I hold his gaze, silently willing him to understand. To see that my choice is made - I've given myself to his fire, his possession. But mercy isn't weakness, even for a warrior of New Solas.
"He broke into my home." Kai's voice rumbles like distant thunder, his magic crackling around us. "Tried to take what's mine."
My hands tremble against his face, but I don't let go. "Gabriel's leaving New Solas. We won't see him again." The words taste like ash on my tongue. My oldest friend, my protector - soon he'll vanish from my life forever. But the alternative... I've seen what Kai does to those who challenge him.
Kai's wings curve forward, the scarred edges brushing my arms. His violet eyes bore into mine, searching for any hint of deception. The leather of his armor creaks as his muscles tense beneath my touch.
"Please," I whisper. "Let him go. He won't return." My heart aches at the finality of it, but I push the pain aside. Gabriel kept me safe through years of orc raids, taught me to defend myself, held me when nightmares of the invasion plagued my sleep. But that chapter of my life is closed now.
Kai's gaze finally shifts from me to Gabriel. His magic surges, violet sparks dancing along his wings. "Get out." The words drip with lethal promise. "If I ever see you again, human, I'll tear you apart."
The threat isn't empty - I feel it in the way his power pulses against my skin, see it in the predatory gleam of his eyes. This is the warrior who earned his reputation breaking spirits, who commands respect through fear. My gentle prayers may soothe his darkness, but they haven't tamed it.
My fingers press harder against his jaw, grounding myself in his solid presence. This is my choice, my path. The flames of his possession burn through my veins, marking me as surely as any brand. I'll miss Gabriel, miss his steadfast friendship and unwavering faith. But I belong to Kai's fire now, to the darkness that calls to my soul.
Gabriel's footsteps fade into silence. My heart pounds as I sink to my knees before Kai, trying to help him see that nothing has changed. His magic still crackles through the air, raising the fine hairs on my arms.
"Kai," I whisper, his name a plea falling from my lips. "I am yours. In every way you want."
Strong hands grip my shoulders, yanking me upright. I gasp as Kai pulls me against his chest, one hand tangling in my dark waves while the other spans my lower back.
"No more kneeling," he growls, his violet eyes burning into mine. "Not now." His wings curl around us, creating a private sanctuary of ash-gray feathers.
"But I want to show you-"
His fingers tighten in my hair, tilting my head back. "You already have." The usual cruel edge in his voice softens to something that makes my breath catch. "Choosing me over him. Staying when you could run."
His magic shifts, no longer violent but intimate - wrapping around me like a lover's caress. I shiver as it seeps into my skin, marking me from the inside out.
"My little flame," he murmurs, thumb brushing my cheek. The gesture holds none of his usual possessive demand. Instead, there's something almost reverent in his touch. "So willing to burn in my darkness."
I lean into his hand, watching wonder replace the predatory gleam in his eyes. This powerful warrior who breaks spirits for sport, who commands fear with a look - he's touching me like I'm something precious.
"Your darkness calls to me," I whisper, reaching up to trace the sharp line of his jaw. "It always has."
His wings tighten around us as he dips his head, pressing his forehead to mine. The gesture is startlingly intimate, more so than any of his previous possessive displays. This isn't about ownership or control - it's raw vulnerability from a man who's never shown weakness.