52. Chapter Fifty-Two
~Leo~
I had absolutely no idea what Kalo said to Visenya while I negotiated the terms of our agreement with Death, but whatever they’d discussed, I noticed the difference in her immediately.
Death's attention returned fully to the reaper, his expression still warm and inviting. “Visenya, claim the prince.”
But Visenya, her posture more rigid than still, slowly shook her head.
“No.”
The single word echoed through the chamber, and around us, the dragons murmured amongst themselves.
I had a sudden, ridiculous thought that perhaps after witnessing this whole interaction, they would consider the entertainment to be sufficient payment for the heart, and forget all about collecting Kalo's promised memories.
It didn’t hurt to hope.
Death blinked in surprise, clearly not used to being disobeyed. “This is your job,” he reminded her softly in his beautiful voice.
Visenya glanced to her left, towards Kalo, and to the right, at Darius, who gave her an encouraging nod. Inhaling a bracing breath, she once again shook her head. “Not anymore.”
Confusion slowly turned to suspicion as Death examined the trio in front of him. “You are bound to me, Visenya.”
“I was, because I chose to be. But I’m choosing something different now.”
Kalo’s gaze dropped to a place between the two, his lips parting as he watched something that only he could see. Whatever it was, it seemed to please him.
It didn’t please Death nearly as much. His breathtakingly handsome face began to turn stony. “I have guided you for centuries. We’ve shared a great deal together.”
“We have,” Visenya murmured in agreement.
"And now you wish to abandon me?"
Even knowing what Kalo had sensed beneath that beautiful exterior, I felt the pull as Death took a step towards her. Warmth washed over me, accompanied by an almost overwhelming desire to agree with whatever he said. I could only imagine it felt even stronger for her.
"We have always understood one another," Death continued. "You love me."
For a brief, tense moment, I thought that might be enough to persuade her. The glow in her eyes brightened until I had to squint to look at her.
But a moment later, I realized one very important thing: he said that she loved him. He didn’t say he loved her.
And Visenya seemed to hear it too, based on her response.
“You haven’t prioritized me for a long time. I haven’t seen you for years. Once, you were all I wanted, yes, but now, there might be another life for me.”
As if those words summoned him, Darius moved closer to her, reaching for her hand, and Death narrowed his eyes on him.
“She’s never wanted to leave before. You have encouraged this.”
Darius didn’t back down from the challenge. “I’d like her to be happy, if that’s what you mean.”
“You presume to know what would make her happy?”
Darius’ nostrils flared. “I know she deserves better than you. You’ve had centuries with her, and all you’ve done is use her.”
The dragons began whispering again, and I reached for our mind-link.
Maybe don’t insult Death right to his face?
His reply was surprisingly calm in its firmness. I’m not insulting him. I’m telling the truth.
"You sent her away for years at a time," he continued aloud. "You never asked what she wanted. You just expected her to keep giving."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Death’s warmth shrivelled up. “You know nothing about me, mortal, and nothing about her either.”
Kalo stepped in before Darius could argue. “Her bond to you is broken. Surely you can feel that? So why not let her go? You can always make another reaper. You don’t need her. To you, she’s one of many, but to him…”
He gestured to Darius, who still held tight to Visenya’s hand.
“She’s everything.”
Visenya turned towards Darius, and as she did, the strange glow that had shrouded her eyes since the day we met her began to recede, revealing silver irises beneath.
For the first time, she looked less like a force of nature and more like a woman, and Darius stared at her in awe, even more captivated than he had before.
Kalo smiled at them before his eyes found mine across the room. “I know what it feels like to be the centre of someone’s world, and I think Visenya deserves the chance to know it too.”
He’s incredible, Silo beamed inside my head, and I could only agree. Against all odds, he seemed to actually be convincing Death to let Visenya go.
Death looked from Kalo to me, and back to Darius and Visenya, not with anger or even frustration, but perhaps with something closer to resignation. “So be it.”
Everyone in the cavern released a collective breath, and Darius almost smiled before holding himself back. “You’re releasing her?” he asked, to double-check.
“I am.”
Visenya exhaled shakily, and Darius' hand tightened around hers. The dragons erupted into excited murmurs, but Death hadn’t finished yet.
“We will all meet again soon anyway.”
“Is that a threat?”
The question came from Vaughan, who had been standing back and observing, letting those who needed to take the lead do their part, but at Death’s slightly ominous sounding statement, his protective instincts must have kicked in.
Death glanced towards our Alpha. “The dead are restless. Something is coming, and when it does, I believe I shall become well acquainted with your pack.”
A chill ran down my spine as Death turned his back on all of us, focusing his attention on the metal box containing Tarron’s heart.
Kalo winced as Death’s hand rested upon the lid.
White light began leaking through the metal, and Kalo’s hands went to his ears, obviously struggling against the beating noise only he could hear.
Just as suddenly, though, everything stopped. The light vanished, and Death disappeared, leaving a cold, empty silence behind him.
Evalina was the first to move, running towards the box with Felix at her side. With a touch of her magic, the metal softened and unfolded, until it sprang open. Picking it up, she turned to show it to us all.
Inside lay Tarron’s heart, or what little remained of it. The once-powerful beating organ had shriveled in upon itself, blackened and brittle.
Tarron was finally dead, and my mate and I were still alive.
We’d faced Death and walked away, but in the wake of Death’s final warning and Kalo’s bargain with the dragons that still needed to be fulfilled, no one seemed ready to celebrate just yet.