Ronen
Chapter
Thirty-Six
Night’s darkness clung to the lancet windows circling the empty sandpit. Its shadows slipped beneath the lit torches and crept along the stone framing the windows.
Rune and I waited for the pet near the arena doors, hoping he received my note. We had about an hour before the night patrols returned and switched with the morning.
Just enough time.
Our little dates in the Eternal Forest had proven too dangerous to continue there. Why they wanted the pet dead, I still didn’t know. Maybe to somehow get to Lucille. Or it could be that they thought he knew something that could threaten their infection.
Unfortunately, he didn’t. I had asked.
The pet entered the tepid arena, clothed in his uniform. Every step he took appeared measured and controlled. Certainty opened his chest and reflected in his direct gaze.
The pet had found his fuel.
I had a hunch after the hellion admitted her feelings for me in front of him, and he still held onto his strength.
He’d found his fuel faster than I had. It was possible the skeletal beast prowling at his side had helped him.
The sight of Hadrian caused Rune to growl.
Except her eagerness and unwavering focus contradicted the sound.
See something you like? I taunted Rune.
Immediate denial lit up our connection.
Right, so when I tell you to keep Hadrian occupied while I test the pet’s mettle, you won’t be thrilled at all?
She huffed in agreement.
I wasn’t sure why. She knew I could feel the truth.
I unsheathed my Soul Swords, throwing one down at the pet’s feet.
Distract the Soulhound, Rune.
She lowered her head, a growl rumbling in her throat as she happily stepped into Hadrian’s path.
Don’t enjoy yourself too much.
She snarled as they circled each other, and I held back a snort.
“Pick it up,” I ordered, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
A small but evident smirk twitched his lips as he reached for my sword, his attention never once straying from mine.
“Find your fuel, and you turn into a cocky bastard?” I mocked, driving my sword toward his exposed back.
He dropped to the sand and rolled out of the way with my other sword in hand.
I charged him, refusing to give him time to settle his stance, and struck again.
Our swords clashed.
“Forget about all the females you killed?” I spat.
His smirk flattened, nostrils flaring and chest stuttering as if taking in a painful breath.
An odd feeling stirred in me at the sight.
“Strike a nerve?”
He advanced with fervor.
“Are you sure you found the strength you needed? Or are you lying to yourself?” I said between blocks.
He focused on his strikes. His footwork.
My breathing became labored with every twist and turn. The taunting words died on my tongue as I poured my energy into defense.
He was good. Really fucking good.
Parry.
Block.
Deflect.
That was all I could do against him. The only way I could go on the offense was if I used my shadows, but for once, I didn’t want to.
I hadn’t been pushed this hard since Gabriel.
Alexei may be good, but he wasn’t at my skill level.
Sand plumed around us in our lethal dance. It clung to my forehead, chafed my neck, and irritated my nose. Dirty sweat droplets fell into my eyes, burning and blurring my vision. I blinked them away, not daring to take the time to wipe them.
My heart pounded with adrenaline. This fight felt like when I tucked in my wings to free-fall. Enlightening. Exhilarating. Only so much more so.
Because I couldn’t predict the outcome.
But I wasn’t here to spar.
“Late at night,” I rasped around my heavy breathing, “when the memories threaten to overtake you…”
Our swords screeched as they ground against each other.
“Do you tell yourself how worthless you are? How it makes so much sense that Lucille chose me over her abuser?”
He stumbled back, regret dulling his eyes.
I didn’t even have enough breath to chuckle.
Hadrian’s displeasure ripped through the arena.
I shot a glance toward him.
He had Rune pinned and wiggling beneath him as his flaming orbs fixated on me.
Guess I pissed him off—
Metal glinted.
I whipped up my sword. The edge clashed against his, vibrating up my arm with the force of his blow. We pushed against each other, struggling to gain an advantage while he leveled me with the same certainty I’d witnessed when he entered.
Had he just weaponized his pain?
A slow, impressed grin crept across my face.
Then one grew on his.
We both froze, lungs working, staring at each other like we were reevaluating how we perceived one another. There was a word running through my head. One I’d never say aloud. But the truth of it sang in our fight. In our eyes.
A silent understanding eased our muscles, and we lowered our blades.
Aspen flipped the sword around and offered it back to me.
“I will always regret what I did to Lucille and every death I had a hand in. I will make it my life’s mission to right those wrongs. But your words are nothing against my promise.”
The promise he had made to Lucille?
“The promise I made to my mother.”
He’d seen the question on my face.
“She’s your fuel,” I breathed.
He nodded.
“She knew my fate, and yet she still begged me not to give up, even when it felt impossible. I had forgotten her words. I had forgotten that I had a purpose beyond myself.”
My swords slid back into their sheaths with a shing.
“What purpose?”
He looked out of one of the floor-length gothic windows.
“She will free you, as you will free us. Remember that in your grief. Protect her until the end,” he murmured, turning back to me. “Those were the last words she said before she died.”
“I’m assuming the her to protect is Lucille, but who is the us?”
Aspen sighed. “I have ideas, but nothing solid to go off.”
I nodded, and we both just stood there.
We weren’t challenging each other, fighting, cursing, or insulting one another.
Unlike Rune, who continued to growl and pounce on Hadrian.
We just… were.
I found it unnerving.
The patrols entered through the double doors at that moment, breaking our awkward tension.
“I think our little rendezvous has come to an end.”
Aspen wasn’t completely healed by any means. The memories of his actions would continue to haunt him. But he at least had the strength to keep going when they did.
He pursed his lips.
“Yes?”
He blew out a heavy sigh. “Lucille wants to take her squad out to hunt for demons.”
“No.”
We had enough patrols. I refused to risk my cordistella ending up as a pile of flesh and liquefied organs. It was out of the question.
“She’s expecting that answer. So she said she’d deal with you.”
I chuckled. “Is that so?”
Was that why the hellion’s emotions currently wavered between fear and determination? Was she preparing herself to deal with me?
“Where is she?” I ground out.
The fact that I couldn’t sense her location while he could grated on my nerves. Of course, my shadows could always hunt her down; we’ve tasted her blood enough times. But just to instantly know any time I needed would give me peace of mind. Maybe that’d come after we officially bonded.
“She’s headed to the library.”
I brushed past him.
“Ronen.”
I paused.
“Let her do it.”
“Excuse me?” I whirled to face him. “Did you forget what happened when we faced Ridigar?”
“If I go with her, I can protect her from Ridigar.”
“No. If you go with her, you’ll be a liability. He wanted you dead.”
“I just put you out of breath, Ronen, and I didn’t even attempt to touch my flames or lusceler. I can protect her. This is her home. She wants to help and show her squad she’s capable of doing that.”
Every second he spoke, he lost the little respect he had gained. I stepped toward him, tempted to wrap my shadows around his throat and strangle the absurd words from him.
“You want to talk about home? If anything happens to me, Hell will be the destination for my soul. I will never be redeemed. I will never end up in any other dimension but this one. So if it’s destroyed, I’ll be destroyed with it.”
“You have an Obscurus Rune.” Aspen’s eyes widened in realization. “Does she know?”
I clenched my teeth and turned away. “No. It was a price for hiding from Etan. I want to go out there as badly as Lucille, but Hell needs a damned leader.”
“Trust me when I tell you, if you tell her she can’t do this, she’ll find a way. Only it won’t be on your terms, and it’ll be a lot more dangerous.”
“This isn’t the same as Elora. One drop of their blood or a bite and she dies.”
“You think I want her out there?” He stepped closer, his shoulders pulling back and steel hardening his expression.
“You’re right, I love her. But she doesn’t love me.
I’ve made peace with that. Still, I’d rather she stay cooped up in your room if it’d keep her safe from all this shit.
But I had to learn the hard way that if she’s set on something, one way or another, she’ll do it, despite the fact that she’s only lived twenty years and just started training. ”
Something about his words slithered beneath my skin and needled at my thoughts. Something that didn’t sit right with me.
“Then help me keep the stubborn hellion from leaving the damned castle.”
Aspen shook his head, testing my last nerve.
“The answer is no. Neither of you are permitted to leave.”
“Ridigar was one of your elite Dreads, and he betrayed you right under your nose.”
My shadows jerked beneath my skin.
Maybe I’d kill him after all.
I opened my mouth.
The outside doors opened and slammed shut.
“General!” Xavier rushed over, his face drawn with dread.
“Tell me.”
“We couldn’t find any sign of their location in the Eternal Forest, but there are more lightless trees.”
For some reason, I had expected something worse. Not that the infection eating the Eternal Forest wasn’t horrifying, but we already had that intel.
“How many more?”
“Maybe thirty.”
“Okay.”
Could be a lot worse.
Xavier continued standing there, his breathing uneven.
“Say it,” I ordered.
“We’ve lost some of our military.”
“You were attacked?”
The squadrons looked a little thin behind him, but I assumed they were still filtering back.