Chapter 25
Aiden’s POV
I couldn’t stop thinking about what Rynlee told me.
That Erebus had threatened her. Choked her.
Gods, the image of his hands anywhere near her made my blood boil, a vicious heat crawling under my skin.
And worse, far worse, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
The way she had felt in my hands. Warm. Trembling.
The hitch in her breath when my thumb brushed her lips. What the fuck was I thinking touching her like that? My fists clenched at my sides as I stalked through the hall. I resented her. I had to. That was the truth I clung to.
This wasn’t desire; it was the bond. Nothing more. A curse the gods thought was funny. That’s when I saw him. Erebus. Standing there, casually speaking with Ivy, acting as though he hadn’t whispered threats in the dark to the girl tied to my soul. Something inside me snapped.
I didn’t think; I moved. In a heartbeat, I had him by the back of the neck and slammed him into the wall. Hard. The stone cracked beneath the impact. My eyes bled fully to onyx as my shadows surged up the walls like living things, hissing with bloodlust.
“You threatened Rynlee?” I demanded, my voice a low snarl. I already knew the answer. I wanted him to say it.
“What the hell, Aiden!” Ivy shouted, rushing forward. My shadows lashed out instantly, pinning her to the opposite wall before she could interfere. I didn’t look at her. My focus never left him. Erebus smiled.
“Are you upset, Aiden?” he asked, tone light. Mocking. I slammed him into the wall again, the vibration traveling straight through my arm.
“Don’t fucking test me,” I growled, tightening my grip around his throat.
“So touchy about your precious little Rynlee…” he mused. “Over a girl you resent for getting more pride from your father instead of you.” The shadows tightened around him, eager. Hungry. This fucking bastard.
“Shut the fuck up,” I snapped, my voice shaking with fury. “I want you to stay away from her. Understand?”
“Sure, Aiden,” Erebus replied lightly. “For now, Rynlee is safe.” For now.
The way he said it sent something cold and murderous straight through me.
My shadows begged for it, hissing, coiling, ready to obey.
For one terrifying second, I wanted to give in.
To end him right there. But I forced myself to stop.
Forced my fingers to unclench. Forced my shadows back. Barely. I stepped back, chest heaving.
“Touch her again,” I said, my voice shaking with lethal certainty.
“Hell, even look in her fucking direction and there will be nothing that can stop me from killing you. I swear it.” I didn’t wait for his response.
I backed away, never breaking eye contact, before turning and walking off, shadows snapping at my heels.
My hands wouldn’t stop clenching as I stalked through the halls, rage still roaring in my veins. I needed space. Darkness. Something, anything to smother the storm ripping my chest apart. That’s when Rynlee rounded the corner.
“Aiden, you okay?” she asked, brows knitting with concern. I stepped back instinctively. I needed distance. Air. anything.
“I’m fine.” I didn’t look at her. She didn’t buy it, not for a godsdamn second.
“You’re lying. I can feel how pissed you are.” Her arms crossed over her chest, her voice firm but not unkind.
“I’m fine, Ruin. Drop it.” I moved past her, or tried to, but her hand wrapped around my forearm.
“No. What is going on?” she pressed. Maybe it was the anger still simmering in my veins.
Maybe it was the lingering echo of Erebus’s taunts.
Maybe it was the bond amplifying everything until it felt as though my skin was splitting.
But before I could stop myself, I turned on her, grabbed her under the arms, and slammed her back against the wall.
Her breath hitched. My vision darkened. My shadows surged forward like they wanted blood.
“Fucking drop it, Ruin,” I growled, except it wasn’t a growl. It was a warning. A threat. A mistake. Then I felt it. Fear. Her fear. It hit me through the bond like a blade to the spine. Her fear of me.
“Put me down, Aiden,” she whispered, small and soft and godsdamn heartbreaking. Gods. I set her down immediately, stepping back as shame crashed into me so hard it winded me. The shadows slipped away like wounded animals.
Fuck.Fuck. I had done exactly what Erebus had done. Exactly what I swore I’d never do. And she experienced fear because of me.
“Ruin… I’m sorry.” My voice came out rough. “I didn’t mean to… fuck, I didn’t—”
“Hey,” she said gently, reaching out and taking my hand softly.
Her warm fingers wrapped around my cold ones.
“It’s okay. Look, I’ll see you tonight, alright?
We still have a lot to discuss.” I couldn’t believe she still reached for me and took my hand.
Even after I scared her, she still trusted me enough to touch me.
I swallowed hard and nodded, running my free hand through my hair as if I could rake out the guilt.
“Yeah,” I murmured. “See you tonight.” And before I could do anything else I’d regret, I slipped into the shadows and disappeared.
“Hey. Ivy told me what you did,” Jasmine commented as she fell into step beside me on the way to the sparring room.
“And what was that?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“That you attacked Erebus, Aiden. Over Yarrows.” The jealousy in her tone is unmistakable.
“So what? He threatened her last night,” I replied, glancing over at her.
“I thought you wanted to teach Yarrows some hard lessons. But lately you’ve been… protecting her.”
“It’s the bond, Jasmine. I can’t help it.”
“Is it only the bond? Because I feel like you’re slipping away, Aiden.” She reached for my hand. I pulled away before she could touch me. Hurt flashed across her face.
“Jas, right now, I can’t. I’ve got a lot on my mind, okay? And this thing between us is…”
“Is what, Aiden? Complicated?” Her voice sharpens. “You told me you loved me, and now I know you’re sneaking out at night. Where are you going? Meeting up with her?” Part of me felt bad. Guilty. The other part finds this exhausting.
“No. Well, not in the sense you probably think,” I reply, my tone coming out harsher than I intend. “Rynlee and I are just working together, trying to figure out what’s happening. And yes, this whole situation is making everything complicated.”
Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, which is it, Aiden? Do you want to be with me or her?”
“I really don’t feel like talking about this, Jas. I have other things to worry about, so let’s drop it for now,” I say, suddenly feeling drained. The truth was, I thought I wanted Jasmine. She was the one I loved. But then the bond happened. And everything became messy.
“Fine… whatever,” she snapped before storming off. Great. Just what I needed. Another woman mad at me.
It was shortly after midnight. Same place, same hour, but everything seemed heavier now.
The water carved its quiet path beside us, thin sheets of ice forming along the banks like fractured glass.
Snow clung to the roots of the old tree nearby, and the sky above looked bruised with clouds.
The moment she stepped closer, I felt it.
The runes. The bond thrumming through my blood.
They pulsed from inside her satchel like a war drum in my veins.
My shadows stirred, restless, writhing around my boots like serpents desperate to answer their call.
I clenched my jaw and held them back, stuffing that primal pull down deep.
I snapped back to business, needing to talk and think about anything else but us.
“Besides the runes… did you find anything else?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, to drown out the constant whispers gnawing at the edges of my thoughts.
Ruin shifted, her weight moving from one foot to the other.
She looked uneasy. Not scared, but definitely shaken.
“Well… no. But the Sun Goddess is worried. Like, really worried.”
My brows pulled together. “What do you mean?” She retrieved a necklace from her leathers, a golden chain glinting in the moonlight. Dangling from it was a yellow orb, warm and soft like a sun frozen in glass. My gaze flicked from the gem to her face.
“She gave me this,” Ruin replied. “Told me to keep it safe. Said she’s afraid… she’s going to die.” My breath caught for half a second.
“Die?” I echoed. “Can gods or goddesses even do that?” She shrugged, but the tension in her shoulders revealed enough.
She was scared. I couldn’t blame her. Hemera was the only divine thing tethered to her, guiding her.
Losing that would be like being thrown into a storm with no stars left to follow.
“Hey,” I said, resting my hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll figure this out. Okay?” Even if I didn’t believe it.
Her eyes searched mine for a second, as if trying to gauge how much of that reassurance was real. Then she stepped back and nodded.
“What about you?” she asked. “Did you find anything about Firebeard or your father?” I ran a hand down my face. The cold bit at my skin, but I welcomed it.
“I haven’t had time to dig into Firebeard, but I did get this.” I handed her the letter I stole from my father’s office. She unfolded it carefully, eyes scanning the words, and just like that, her whole face changed. Horror. Rage. Betrayal.
“Holy shit,” she whispered. “Why would your father keep this from us?”
“I don’t know,” I replied quietly. “But… I’m starting to think the man in my father’s office isn’t my father.”
She looked up sharply. “What are you talking about?”
“I can’t quite place it; it’s only this feeling. When I went to his office and found that letter, everything seemed off, darker. My shadows were restless even just being in there.” My shadows wrapped tighter around my boots, hissing softly.