39. Bodin
THIRTY-NINE
Bodin
And as the human wars raged on, Ronna slept in the heavens above…
While Theran lurked in the shadows, waiting to return to the light.
Waiting to take back what was stolen from him.
T he first time Bodin visited the Valley of Stars, he’d been a small child. He traveled with his family to drink from the lake, and they visited again when Elias was around the same age. It had been the most incredible sight, with luscious green grass and water sparkling in the sunlight.
Bodin was eighteen when the war broke out. It wasn’t over the valley this time, but that was where it led and stayed. After a year of being kept away for his safety, he had convinced his father that he needed to see the grounds so many had fought and died for, to see what had become of those beautiful lands. Of course, he hadn’t truly understood what to expect. Nothing could have prepared him properly.
He’d thrown up within minutes.
Watching people kill one another like that wasn’t natural. It was disturbing and heart wrenching.
And it never got easier.
Fourteen years had passed, but the sight of so many lost lives still churned his stomach. It was too much. Yet, he needed to return. To fight alongside his soldiers.
The sky had still been dark beyond the tent when he had kissed his wife awake to say goodbye, despite knowing she should rest while she could. For the last hour, they had shown each other their love. Quietly. Slowly. Softly. He’d pressed his lips to every bit of her skin, savoring this time together.
Knowing it could be their last.
Every night could be their last. The Gilarnians had pushed their lines back nearly to the camp at this point. He still hadn’t heard from their leaders, so he had to assume they didn’t want to negotiate—that or the letters hadn’t made it to them. Either way, they were out of time.
“Please,” he said against her mouth after finishing, his hand still tangled in her hair as they sat together—her straddling his lap. Their ragged breath mingled; he remained inside her, feeling her tremors fade out. “You have to go home. If something happens to you?—”
“How do you think I feel?” She cupped his jaw, forcing him to meet her gaze in the faint morning light peeking into the tent.
“Juniper—”
“Together. Remember?” Her lips brushed his again as she raised and lowered her hips. “We’re in this together. No matter what.”
He let out a sigh and nodded. “I love you, Juniper. Your arrival in my life was a blessing from the goddess. You are the best part of my life, and I hope we get more time because I haven’t had enough.” He pushed her hair behind her shoulder. “We could live an eternity, and it still wouldn’t be enough time,” he whispered into her ear.
He felt her body begin to shake, and tears hit his chest, and it nearly gutted him to realize she was sobbing.
“Please don’t cry, Sunshine.” Bodin kissed her forehead and wiped her cheeks with his fingers.
“You have to make it through this,” she said, trembling in his arms. “You have to, Bodin. I can’t…”
Around them, the sounds of people preparing for the day broke the quiet stillness of the morning. He needed to dress and get out there. Wrapping his wife in a tight hug, he shifted to lie down and roll over so that she was on her back. Still half-hard, they stayed joined for a few more minutes, needing that connection for just a bit longer, before he finally slid out.
“I will do everything I can to return to you. I promise, June,” he said with another kiss. “I will fight for a future with you.”
Nodding, she whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Neither said another word as they cleaned up and got dressed. They hesitated before leaving the tent but eventually emerged, hand in hand. With a deep breath, he faced her. He didn’t know how to say goodbye. Today felt different, like things were truly coming to a close. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was it. The end was here. When she stepped closer, he immediately wrapped his arms fully around her, bending to bury his face in her hair.
“Thank you.” She rested her head against his chest. “For my freedom. For showing me love,” she said, as if she also had this foreboding feeling.
Bodin didn’t have the words to explain just how much she’d set him free too. So, instead, he told her, “You never need to thank someone for that. Least of all me.” He closed his eyes briefly. “Promise me you’ll try to stay safe. Go to the healers’ tent and do what you can there. Do not go toward the battlefield under any circumstance, do you hear me?”
He could practically hear her eyes rolling as she said, “Why do you and my brothers keep saying that? What makes you think I want to go anywhere near that?”
“Just promise me,” he said against her hair with a small smile, loving that he got a little of that sass to make a reappearance.
She nodded with a sigh. “Promise.”
“And if it looks like we’re going to be overrun, take a horse and go home.”
“Bo—”
“You are the queen , Juniper. One of us needs to survive.”
She pushed back, and he opened his eyes. “We’re both going to survive. You are the king. If it looks that bad, you have to promise me you’ll turn back too.”
He stared at her, mesmerized by those green irises sparkling in the sunrise. That flame he’d noticed the first night they met was shining bright as she waited for his response. If this was what it took for her to agree, he would tell her what she needed to hear. “I promise.”
“Then, so do I.”
Bodin knew she was lying just as much as he was, but he still leaned down to give her one final kiss. “I’ll see you later.”
“You better.”
With that, she turned and headed toward the growing area of camp occupied by the wounded. He watched her walk away until she disappeared among the tents and soldiers. His chest ached, as if his heart was literally breaking.
Steeling his spine, Bodin turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction. But he wasn’t going straight for the battlefield. No, he needed to make one more stop first.
Thankfully, the youngest Forossan prince could be counted on to be running late. Hugo was sitting outside of his tent, lacing up his boots. When Bodin neared, his steps faltered as another figure emerged.
Hazel eyes met his, followed by a cheeky smirk. Bodin shook his head with a chuckle.
“We might die,” Laurent said, shrugging. “Might as well have a little fun first.”
“But with the moody prince?”
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not right here,” Hugo said.
They both ignored him. Laurent finished buttoning his pants. “He’s not so bad when his mouth is occupied and he can’t talk.”
Hugo pushed to his feet and grabbed his chainmail. “Seriously?”
Bodin smiled in earnest as he watched his best friend snatch away the armor and assist the prince. Bodin didn’t really know Hugo, but from what he’d gathered, the two were nothing alike. Yet, here they were, helping each other prepare for the day like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Then again, he knew better than anyone how well opposites could balance each other out.
“Was it worth being late, at least?” he said, crossing his arms.
Laurent scoffed. “What, like you’re not late for the same reason?”
“Stop.” Hugo drove an elbow back into his stomach, cutting him off. “That’s my sister .”
“ Fuck ,” Laurent hissed and shoved him away. He rubbed at his abdomen; he wasn’t wearing armor yet. “Don’t be an ass. I was just teasing him.”
Hugo shook his head. “Well, teasing or not, I don’t even want to think about Juni doing that. Married or not.” Looking at Bodin, he said, “Sorry. I’m going to get something to eat quickly so I don’t pass out, then I’ll go. Don’t worry, I’ve already been shouted at by both brothers to hurry up. Sorry I’m not in a rush to die.”
“So optimistic,” Laurent muttered, pulling on his own armor.
“I’m not here to yell at you.” Bodin shook his head. The prince was only twenty-four years old, yet he was prepared to fight in a war that wasn’t his. When Hugo and Laurent started bickering again, Bodin stepped between them and made the former focus on him. He was ready to beg if he had to, but he didn’t think it would come to that. He’d seen just how much Hugo cared for his sister, how he’d already done so much for her. “I need you to do me a favor.”
They weren’t going to make it out of this. Bodin knew that within a few hours. Heavy clouds blotted the sky, but through them, the sun peaked out from its place directly above them. Despite the crisp air in this northern region of the kingdom, sweat pooled beneath his armor. His entire body ached with each swing of his sword and burst of magic he used to push back the enemy.
All around him, every way he looked, soldiers fell to the destroyed land. The Forossan army helped, but only enough to keep them going this long. They were outnumbered, tired, and losing ground. Especially when Lumen magic made the opposing side nearly invincible. How could they defeat an army that could heal almost instantly?
Only fatal blows were sufficient here. And with their chainmail and armor, that was nearly impossible on the first attempt.
Parrying a strike, Bodin twisted away from a blade aimed right for him. He used his magic to shove away the Gilarnians, but he was growing too weak to keep doing that for long.
Leaving Juniper that morning had been one of the most difficult moments of his life. Because he knew instinctively that it was very likely their last together.
Which was why he’d then gone to Hugo and made him promise to get her out of here if it looked like their time was coming to an end. To carry her away if needed. Her brother hadn’t wanted to abandon them either, but for her, he agreed. The man who first seemed like an arrogant ass cared more than Bodin ever would have imagined. He was the one who protected her for the past decade, keeping his distance so she would be safe, and then at the first opportunity he saw, he got her out of that tower to freedom. They had been the closest of friends, from what Bodin had heard. He could only imagine how painful the last decade had been for Hugo, knowing he had to hurt her on purpose.
“Bodin!” someone shouted, drawing his attention just in time to duck out of the path of another sword. He twisted to drive his own blade into the soldier’s side through a gap in their armor.
Rafe appeared nearby to help him with what appeared to be a fresh wave of men. “What’s the plan now?”
“I don’t know,” Bodin said with a grunt as he took down soldier after soldier. “What are you doing here? You should be back in the camp where it’s safe!”
“So should you,” Rafe yelled.
Bodin blocked an attack from the prince’s other side with his magic. “You’re the crown prince.”
“And you’re the fucking king!” Rafe struck another Gilarnian down. “Besides, I have four more brothers at home who can take the throne if I don’t make it. You don’t have an heir.”
“We can’t hold on like this forever,” Laurent said as he joined them, coming up behind them.
“I’m—” Bodin used his magic to stop more soldiers from approaching. “Aware.”
He caught another charging from out of the corner of his eye, and he swung an arm to knock aside the sword aimed for him, grateful for his armor. Rafe took over, finishing the soldier. Bodin stretched and shook his arm, sore from the impact.
“Rafe, you should go. We’re not going to win this battle,” he yelled over the shouting and clanking of metal on metal. “Take your brothers and sister and get out of here. This isn’t your fight.”
The prince whipped his sword around to fend off another Gilarnian. “Like hells it’s not!”
“We’re brothers now,” another voice said from his left. Delroy moved with such grace and power. It was easy to see why he was considered the best swordsman in Forosse.
His words struck something deep in Bodin. He’d barely spoken to Delroy, knew almost nothing about the second eldest prince, so to hear him say they were brothers meant more than Bodin could express. It nearly choked him up, and he couldn’t help but think of the brother he lost… which had started this war in the first place.
“I wasn’t there for Juni over the years,” he went on. “I won’t abandon her again. And we all know she’s not leaving here without you.”
“He has a point,” Laurent threw in.
Bodin mustered up more magic to push back the wall of soldiers running at them. He used the shadows to send them to the ground, breaking necks when he could manage.
“We’ve never agreed with our father who thinks love is a weakness,” Rafe shouted. “If we go down, we go down together. As a family.”
Bodin shook his head, at a loss for words. Before he could figure out what to say to these men—his brothers—a familiar shout rang out, and he turned to find Richard falling to his knees.
His heart stopped in his chest. What was the man doing here? He was supposed to be helping the wounded and protecting June. Bodin had counted on him to stay by her side.
Horror crashed through him when Laurent yelled in agony not a minute later. Bodin whirled around, only to find Hugo jumping in front of Laurent’s fallen body. He killed the attacker before kneeling beside Laurent.
Bodin couldn’t breathe. This was actually happening. They were all going to die.
Then, it hit him.
Hugo was on the field. Why in the burning hells was he out here?
“Where’s Juniper?” Bodin asked, but he was too quiet to be heard over the chaos. His stomach sank with dread, and he turned on the spot, looking around as if he might be able to see her from here. Despite only being able to see the edge of the camp, he thought he caught a glimpse of blond hair. He ran in that direction, but a piercing pain in his back made him stumble forward.
Dropping to his knees, he barely managed to block the next strike as he pivoted around. Having followed him, Rafe stepped in to drive his sword through the man’s neck.
“Bodin?” He held out a hand, but the king couldn’t get up. Pain coursed through him.
But that wasn’t the only thing.
The darkness he’d fought for so long had returned in full force. Just like that first time, the Ombrete was pushing to the surface, wanting to save his life and slaughter the enemy. Because if Bodin died, the monster would no longer have a host.
He thought about June’s idea to use it to fight back. As more and more men fell to their deaths, he wondered if perhaps she was right after all.
Not that he had much choice. He tried to feel the portal back home. If he could just feel that door, imagine it closing on the monster, he might be able to ground himself and stay in the present, but there was too much going on. Too much pain and fear. It was overwhelming, and the vulnerability left him susceptible to this creature that was now grasping for control.
It’s time, King, a deep voice said in the back of his mind.
Bodin fought to block it, but he couldn’t focus on keeping it out.
Everyone around him was dying. He didn’t know if Richard or Laurent were still alive. He didn’t know if his wife was safe.
Juniper .
Bodin looked up at Rafe. “Get out of here. Find June and leave. Get as far away as you can as quickly as you can.”
Rafe’s brow furrowed. “What? Why w?—”
“Go through the forest; don’t linger out in the open,” he said, cutting him off. “Tell her that I tried to fight it, but it’s too strong.”
“What is?”
The Ombrete growled in his head, ready to emerge. Bodin clenched his jaw and dropped his sword. “She’ll explain. Just call a retreat. Get our men out of—” One of his legs snapped, reshaping, and he yelled in agony. Through his teeth, he said, “Tell June I love her. Tell her that she made me see the light again when I thought my world would be dark the rest of my days.”
“Bodin.” Rafe put a hand on his shoulder.
Bodin fell forward onto his hands as his spine shifted. “She’ll be… a fantastic ruler of this kingdom. Make sure… she knows that.” Shadows swirled around him, growing and changing. “Get everyone… out… of here! Go!”
His voice came out in a growl. And this time, Rafe’s eyes widened in understanding. He backed away with a nod then turned and shouted at their men. Bodin couldn’t hear what he was telling them and his brothers, but he did see when the princes nodded and Rafe started running toward the camp. Bodin just hoped Juniper was still there for him to find.
The shadows spread out from his transforming body. He glanced at his hands that were now as black as night with claws as long as his human forearm. As the Ombrete continued taking over, he prayed to the goddess to keep his wife and friends safe. He prayed that they made it home and that this monster didn’t follow after them.
His vision blurred. He’d locked away his darkest magic, keeping the monster away for years. But he would have shown it to the whole world if it meant saving Juniper. If it meant saving the woman he loved, he would have done anything.
Now, he had no choice.
He was shifting, and there was no stopping it.
Fangs broke through his gums, and it felt as though his skin were being ripped from his body. Distantly, he was aware of the shouts of fear surrounding him.
Closing his eyes, he thought of June’s radiant smile and the way she liked to lay atop him while sleeping. A single tear rolled down his cheek, and then…
Nothing but darkness.
Nothing but screams of horror as the Ombrete destroyed everything in his path.
And Bodin was finally able to confirm who this monster truly was.
The God of Light.
Hello again, King.