CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE #2
“Listen carefully, cub.” His voice slid through the bond before his body even moved.
Aether began padding toward me, silent and deliberate, his massive obsidian form reflected in the mirror behind me.
The quiet power in that single movement made my throat tighten until it ached. I turned fully toward him and sank down onto my knees on the cold tile.
He stopped right in front of me.
For a moment, we simply looked at each other. Gold into gold. Ancient power into broken spirit.
“I chose you,” he said at last, his voice a low vibration in my skull. “Do you think I chose poorly?”
My mind couldn’t process the question. I couldn’t form an answer through the fog of my own self-loathing. But he already knew that.
“When I first came to you,” he continued, his voice softening, “you were sixteen. Frightened. You went into a flare almost immediately.”
The memory hit me like a physical blow.
The day the gods were supposed to have gifted me my boundling—a day that should have been a triumph.
Instead, my body had betrayed me in front of everyone.
“I remember thinking,” Aether went on dryly, “gods… what have I done?”
My chest tightened painfully, a sob catching in my throat.
“But then,” he said, stepping closer until his heat radiated against my knees, “I watched you force yourself through that pain. Pain I could feel through you. For me.”
Tears blurred my vision again. His presence filled the bond now—warm, steady, and relentless.
“From that moment, I watched you endure flare after flare. I watched you battle your own body just to stand beside the people you love. I watched you refuse to let your suffering define you… even when you could barely breathe through it.”
My hands were shaking. My heart felt too large for my ribs.
“Ava,” he said, and the way he spoke my name nearly broke what was left of me, “for that alone… you are the strongest fae I know.”
The words didn’t just land; they poured into me. They seeped through the bond, through bone and blood and soul, filling the hollow spaces Asher had left behind.
I started sobbing, ugly and helpless and real. All I could manage was a nod.
I threw my arms around his massive neck, and he immediately lowered himself, his body curling into mine.
He nuzzled into the crook of my neck like he had done a hundred times before, his scent and warmth grounding me.
“I am really lucky to have you,” I whispered into his fur.
Aether huffed softly, a vibration that rumbled through my chest.
“I have been telling you that for years,” he said dryly.
Despite the exhaustion, despite the void in my bond, I smiled.
A sharp knock sounded at the bathroom door.
“Butterscotch latte awaits Your Majesty,” Ezra’s voice called through the heavy wood of the door.
I pulled away from Aether slowly and gave him a final, grateful nod.
I wiped the last of the tears from my cheeks, smoothing out the damp fabric of my robe before pushing myself to my feet.
My limbs still felt like they were weighted with lead, but the clawing pain had receded into the background enough for me to move.
I opened the door.
There he stood, latte in one hand, a basket overflowing with snacks in the other, wearing a grin so wide it looked like he could swallow the sun. For once, he looked less like a lethal Umbra warrior and more like... a friend.
And gods help me… I smiled back even wider.
Movement behind him caught my attention.
I turned to see Ember standing proudly in the middle of my room beside what could only be described as architectural chaos.
A fort.
Sheets, blankets, pillows, and cushions—even one of my high-backed chairs had been sacrificed to the construction.
It rose in crooked, glorious layers, looking like a defensive structure built specifically to withstand an emotional collapse.
I laughed. A real, honest laugh that felt like it cleared some of the ash from my lungs.
“Your fortress, princess,” Ember announced, sweeping her arm toward the masterpiece like she expected a standing ovation.
Gods. I loved these idiots.
I took the latte from Ezra, the warmth of the cup sinking straight into my palms and chasing away the last of the flare’s chill.
“Thank you,” I said softly. Then, before I could let my brain talk me out of it, I stepped forward and hugged him.
Ezra froze. Completely.
For one very long, awkward second, he went as rigid as a stone statue.
Then, slowly, his arms came around me, returning the hug with surprising gentleness.
I pulled back, meeting his sunset-orange eyes. “Really,” I said, my voice steady.
“Thank you. For today… and for that day on the field. I appreciate the friendship, Ezra. I’m really grateful to have you.”
Surprise flickered across his face, a rare break in his cocky armor.
“Of course, Hotshot,” he murmured, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
“He’s alright for a guy with too many freckles,” Ember said, appearing beside us with a knowing, mischievous grin.
Ezra snorted immediately, his usual ego snapping back into place. “Please,” he scoffed, tossing his head back.
“What would you two even do without me? You'd be bored to death in twenty minutes.”
He reached over and grabbed Ember’s face, pressing a quick, loud kiss to the top of her head.
She shoved him away with a look of exaggerated disgust, but she was smiling so hard it had to hurt.
I leaned over the snack basket and fished out a chocolate-speckled egg. “Come on,” I said, gesturing toward the pillow fortress.
“Let’s sit.” I glanced back at them, my expression turning serious. “And I’ll tell you what’s actually going on.”
We climbed into the fort like children hiding from the world. Blankets swallowed the morning light, and pillows pressed close around us, creating a cocoon around us.
Ember sprawled comfortably on her side while Ezra dropped beside her, his head immediately finding her lap as if it were a permanent fixture.
I curled up opposite them, my latte balanced between my hands and the snack basket wedged between my knees.
For a moment, none of us spoke. Then, I started talking.
And I didn’t stop.
I told them everything. About the flares.
About the pain that felt like my own magic was trying to tear its way out of my skin. About the healers whispering in worried tones when I was little.
About how no one truly understood what it was.
“So… yeah,” I finished eventually, popping another chocolate egg into my mouth.
“I was born with it. The healers don't have a name for it. They just say my core and my powers are… unstable.
When I’m highly stressed or panicking, it flares. It tries to burn me from the inside out.” I finished and popped an egg into my mouth.
“And me?” Aether muttered from the corner of the fort, his golden eyes judgmental.
I rolled my eyes and tossed him a speckled egg.
He caught it neatly between waiting teeth, the crunch echoing in the small space. Gods, he was a dramatic creature.
“Gods, Ava…” Ezra murmured finally. The cockiness was gone, replaced by a grim shadow. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that.” He was still lying in Ember’s lap, and I watched her absentmindedly twirl his dark, auburn hair between her fingers.
“It’s okay,” I said with a small shrug, though we all knew it wasn't. “You get used to it. Unfortunately.”
His jaw clenched hard enough that I actually heard his teeth grind. “Who knows?” he asked.
“Well… the castle, obviously,” I said, counting them off on my fingers. “Ember. Maddy. Ryven. Now you.” I hesitated, the void in my chest pulsing. “Not even Asher knows.”
The words tasted bitter. Ezra just nodded slowly, his eyes dark with a million thoughts he wasn't sharing.
“But it’s passed now,” I added quickly, forcing a note of brightness into my voice. “Thank the gods.”
Ezra reached into the basket and stole an egg. “Why does hot water help?” he asked, genuinely curious.
I huffed a laugh. “I genuinely don’t know. You'd think I'd understand it because my power is fire, but using my magic actually makes the flare worse. It’s like my body goes into full rebellion mode. But hot water…”
I shrugged.
“It just soothes the nerves. It keeps the fire from reaching the surface.”
He nodded like he was filing the information away for future battle plans. Which honestly felt very on-brand for a Valeor.
“Well,” I announced suddenly, clapping my hands once to break the heavy mood. “I appreciate the pity party. Truly. Very healing. Ten out of ten, would recommend.”
Ember snorted, poking Ezra in the cheek.
“But it’s Saturday,” I continued, a spark of real excitement finally catching. “So what are we doing to get my mind off things… especially a certain absent Umbra male?”
Ember’s green eyes lit up instantly.
“WAIT,” she gasped, sitting bolt upright and nearly dumping Ezra off her lap.
“There’s a day party happening in Ventus! The Spring Festival!” She practically vibrated with excitement.
“Oh gods, yes,” I said, grinning despite myself. “There are games, food stalls, and everything.”
Ezra pushed himself up onto his elbows, mischief immediately lighting his face.
“Well then,” he said, his orange eyes glinting.
“Let’s fucking go."