Chapter 44
MORRIGAN
Malakai retrieved me from my room the next morning.
Instead of walking to the dining hall together, he took me toward the stairwell that led to the dungeon beneath. “I thought… if this goes horribly wrong and it resulted in your death, well, you might want some closure first.”
I laughed at his brazen comment. “Thanks, Mal. How thoughtful of you.”
He flashed me a cocky grin, but the smile didn’t quite meet his eyes, and he quivered a little as his lips straightened back out. “You’ll be okay, though.” I wasn’t sure if he was convincing me or himself.
I gave him a light pat on the shoulder, hoping to give us both some temporary relief. “I’ll be okay.”
Once we descended the spiral stairs, I could hear the throwing of rocks, one after the other, against a stone wall. Malakai didn’t need to tell me who was here. I could feel him—the bond.
We stopped in front of his cell, and I stepped toward the bars to get a good look at him.
He sat on the same floor where Aamon had sat only days ago.
Malakai left a deep bloodstain there, and I wondered if Cain knew who it came from.
His chains were made of what appeared to be obsidian, and they were wrapped around his wrists and ankles.
He seemed to sense my presence and stilled suddenly before turning toward me. “Morrigan,” Cain said meekly.
Anger boiled in my veins, but I had to stifle it and keep a level head. “A cage is very fitting for you, Cain.”
He dropped his head back against the wall and peered up at the ceiling. “You won’t be getting an apology from me.”
“I wouldn’t dare expect one.” I gave him a good perusal. With the threat gone, he just looked… weak. “I survived you, Cain,” I said to him. “I survived Maeryn, I survived Aamon, and I survived you. That is what I will continue to do. Survive.”
“This isn’t over, princess,” he sighed theatrically, swaying his head to the side to look at me.
“That god out here? You have no idea what is going to happen if he steps foot outside of this world. Death, Morrigan. That is what he will bring. And when you look death in the eyes, you’ll wish you were back in your cage. ”
I shook my head. “No, Cain. The only one who will be greeting death soon, is you. Once we go back, I will figure out a way to break this bond. And when I do, I’m going to kill you.”
I didn’t give him a chance to respond as I turned back to Malakai. “Are you ready?” he asked, offering me his arm.
“As I’ll ever be.” We left the dungeon, and I stopped him once we made it to the hall. “Wait. I need to tell you something.”
“We aren’t doing some kind of goodbye speech are we?” he asked, fidgeting nervously. “Nothing will happen. You’ll be fine. I have full faith that you and Tristan will—”
“I just want to thank you.”
He paused at my words, almost as if taken aback by them. “Thank me for what?”
“Since I left that little house, I’ve been tossed around by every person who wanted to get their hands on me.
I’ve been lied to—used, in every possible capacity—but you…
” I let go of his arm and pulled him in for a hug.
Malakai didn’t know how to respond or what to do with his hands.
“You helped me find myself, Malakai. No conditions, no expectations.”
“I mean,” Malakai drawled, “if the offer is on the table—”
I laughed as I shoved him away, and Malakai’s chest shook as he chuckled. Then, he reached for me, pulling me back in, and wrapped his arms around me. “You didn’t need me to find your fight, spitfire. But I am grateful to have been a part of it.”
Everyone gathered in the throne room as my mother helped me pin up my hair.
“I wish I could take you with us,” I whispered, trying to ignore the tightening in my chest at the thought that she would be leaving soon for good.
“Shhh,” she hushed me, moving to my front and kneeling at my feet. “Flower, I don’t know how, but, somehow, the gods have gifted me this time with you. I have adored every second of seeing you become the woman I knew you were meant to be. But you were right. It’s time for me to go.”
My breath hitched a little as I stared into her eyes. “Mom—”
“No. There will be no tears. No sadness. It’s time, my love. I’ve been tired for a long time… and I would like to rest now.”
I sniffed away the tears she forbade, and nodded.
“The only thing I want is for your eyes to be the last thing I see as I go. I want to hold on to the memory of my daughter’s face until you finally come home… to Eden.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
We both stood and made our way to the bed, where a dress lay on top of the sheets. I reached out to touch it. It almost resembled the dress I wore to the unveiling, but this one… The entire back was cut out. I stilled as I stared at it, and jumped when I felt my mother’s hand on my shoulder.
“It was Tristan’s request.”
Nerves fluttered in my stomach as I lifted the gown, examining it further.
Lace, in the pattern of daisies, adorned the black fabric.
I slid into the gown, feeling completely exposed as the fabric fell just below the small of my back.
Not all of the lords had seen my scars yet. But they would today.
“You look beautiful,” my mother said in awe, her eyes glossing with unshed tears. “They won’t be able to take their eyes off of you.”
As we walked to the throne room together, the nerves built into a rapid storm in my chest. I didn’t tell my mother what could happen today.
I made everyone promise not to. She didn’t need to carry that burden anymore.
Tristan and I would ascend her before the ritual began so that she was safe in Eden.
If, gods forbid, I did die, at least, then, I would be with her again.
When we stopped at the doors, I paused to take in a shaky breath. Malakai stood there, waiting. The moment he saw me, he straightened his back and smiled. It started off innocent enough, but when his lashes lowered, I could see the wicked thoughts forming in his mind.
I rolled my eyes as he approached and then shoved his shoulder. “Stop being inappropriate,” I scolded him.
“I said nothing!”
“You didn’t have to.” I raised an eyebrow at him and returned my long gaze to the doors. My heart pounded loudly in my ears, and so many coils wrapped around my chest. Be strong. You have to be strong. Everything will be fine.
Malakai leaned down, bringing his lips to my ear and whispering just low enough that my mother wouldn’t hear. “You are fire, Morrigan,” he reminded me. “Go show them just how bright you burn.”
With that, he moved to the doors and opened them. Every pair of eyes turned to me as I walked in. Eris and Naaz stood together, with Cass and Dez on the opposite side. Eris’s mouth parted as he saw me, his eyes raking down my body in a way that turned the panic into nervous shivers.
Naaz’s gaze fixated on my dress before his eyes met mine. Something had changed in them. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I hoped that I’d have the chance to find out.
Dez appeared as nervous as I felt, and Cass rested a hand on his shoulder to calm him. As I watched them, I hoped with all of my heart that this was the start of the mending of their friendship. I wanted nothing more than for their bond to be healed.
Closer to the throne, Kaiden stood silently with Azrael beside him.
He didn’t look at me, didn’t even acknowledge my presence, and I had to hide how much it broke my heart.
Did he hate me now? His eyes were trained at the very end of the room where Tristan stood.
He had a table behind him, and as I moved closer, I noticed two chalices, one dagger, rope, and a rigid black shard of obsidian.
“Technically, all that’s required for a soul bond is the blood of a god,” Malakai whispered at my side. “However, Tristan wanted it to be a little more… traditional.”
I stopped beside Tristan, whose eyes had never left me from the second I walked into the room.
He offered me his hand, and I took it with every ounce of enthusiasm.
A soul bond was almost impossible to break.
And for us, breaking it wasn’t even a viable option.
If we severed it, we could both die. Completing the soul bond would tie us together for the rest of our lives.
Something about that thought made my heart flutter in my chest.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly, for my ears alone.
With the last of my courage, I pushed up onto my toes, cradling his face with my hands, and planted a kiss on his lips. “I want this, Tristan.”
I thought I heard Kaiden say something behind me, but I chose to ignore it, even if a part of me—the part that belonged to Kaiden—felt like it was already dying inside.
But the others didn’t seem to put up much of a protest, and Kaiden needed to try to understand.
He had saved me from the pain inflicted by others, but Tristan saved me from myself.
I didn’t want to give either of them up, though, as selfish as it may have sounded.
My mother stood in front of us, smiling at me with a sense of peace in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.
She turned to Tristan first. “It’s time, Tristan.
” He nodded and gave her one of his hands, before grabbing one of mine as well.
“Keep my baby safe, will you? Give her the life that I couldn’t.
Make sure she always knows just how loved and important she is. ”
Facing me, she brought one hand to my cheek and rested her forehead to mine.
“I love you more than I ever had the chance to show you, flower. I pray that I am worthy of your forgiveness.”
Azrael ran up to us, wrapping his arms around my mother’s legs. “I’m going to miss you,” he whispered to her, and my mother returned the embrace.
“Protect our queen, little wolf,” she told him, placing a kiss on his cheek before rising and taking both of our hands. “Okay… I’m ready.”
Her eyes closed, and I felt the pull of Tristan’s power as it called to mine. I let him in, and watched as his shadows slowly wrapped themselves around my mother. Then, strings of fiery light laced through the darkness, also encompassing her.
My mother’s eyes opened just before the shadows reached her face, capturing the moment.
And when they swallowed her, a bright glow began to emanate from within.
It brightened, releasing the strongest sense of peace I had ever felt.
It was as if the light was home, and it called to every single one of us.
I did my best to stop the tear that threatened to fall until the light faded, and the space before us stood empty.
The tear that slid down my cheek wasn’t a sad one.
She had sacrificed her life to protect me. And I hoped that, wherever she was, she would get to live a better one now.
Malakai picked up the rope and drew our attention back to the table. “It’s time.”