Chapter 10 #2
I glanced at Aiden. He looked like he was deciding whether to punch a wall or rip the ceiling down.
Possibly both. “You are vulnerable apart,” the commander stated, “but stronger together. That’s why starting next week, every morning before sparring, you’ll report to the Trifecta grounds.
Professor Firebeard will oversee your training. ”
My mouth went dry. “Wait. If I get hurt, he experiences it,” I said slowly. “So, if…if Aiden dies… do I die, too?” There was a brief pause.
“Yes,” the commander replied evenly.
“So don’t go off and die, Ruin,” Aiden growled, stepping closer to the cot. “Or I’ll find you in the afterlife and kill you again.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Not if I kill you first.” Commander Dagon cleared his throat loudly.
“Right. Clearly, the two of you have… work to do. Next week. Trifecta grounds. Don’t be late.” With one last look between us, he turned and strode out. The silence he left behind felt too tight.
“Don’t fuck this up, Ruin,” Aiden said. I snapped my head toward him, anger flaring hot.
“If I remember correctly, you’re the reckless one. Maybe you don’t fuck this up.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Pain flared through my thigh, but I ignored it. Memories crashed into me, Sofia. Clive. The girl from Ares. The boy from Hera. Their screams. The blood on my hands.
“I’m the reckless one?” Aiden said, closing the distance between us in two long strides.
He grabbed my upper arms and hauled me to my feet, leaning in so close I could feel the heat of his breath against my skin.
“You’re the one who almost died hours ago.
So, if anyone’s going to screw this up for us, it’s you.
” The intensity in his tone sent a spark of anger straight through me.
I wrenched my arms free, shoving him hard enough that he staggered back a step.
Before he could recover, my hand connected with his face.
The sound cracked through the room. Pain bloomed across my palm.
“Stop telling me I’m weak,” I snapped, my voice shaking with fury, “when I keep proving you wrong.” Aiden turned on me instantly, eyes dark and lethal. He grabbed my arm and yanked me closer again until our chests nearly touched. His jaw flexed hard.
“Let me make something clear,” he said, tone low and vicious.
“I don’t give a fuck that we’re bonded. You mean nothing to me.
The only reason I’ll keep you alive is because it benefits me.
” His grip tightened. “So don’t think for one second this changes anything between us.
” The words cut deep, but I refused to let him see it. I opened my mouth to fire back—
“Ryn!” Gia burst into the infirmary. Aiden released me instantly and stormed out without another word.
Gia rushed to my side, relief flooding her face.
She looked untouched, no cuts, no bruises, and my chest nearly collapsed in on itself with gratitude.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I clung to her, burying my face into her shoulder as a shaky breath finally broke free.
“I thought…gods,” she whispered, holding me tighter. “I thought maybe you didn’t make it.”
“I’m okay,” I breathed. For now. I hugged her slightly harder, forcing Aiden’s words out of my head. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” I hadn’t realized how badly I needed to see her until she was standing here, alive.
“Me, too,” Gia said softly. She pulled away just enough to look at me, relief lighting up her face. Her gaze snagged on my hair. “Wait… you’ve got a strip of red.”
I sighed. “Yeah. I think it’s… a thing from the Sun Goddess.”
Her eyes widened. “Holy shit. You’re serious?” I nodded. “That’s…Ryn, that’s insane.” She shook her head. “Okay, what does that even mean?”
I glanced around, then gently tugged her to the side. “I can heal. I have fire. Can conjure shields and project them outward. And when I’m strong enough…” My voice dropped. “I might be able to resurrect.”
Her mouth fell open. “That’s not a power. That’s a whole divine portfolio.”
“I know.” I swallowed. “And there’s more.” I lowered my voice further. “Aiden and I… we’re bonded. Unfortunately.” Her brown eyes practically bugged out. “Wait! what!”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my chest absently. “Turns out the Sun Goddess and the Moon God were in love. So, when their powers choose mortal vessels, they bind them together. If he gets hurt, I experience it. And vice versa.”
Gia stared at me like I’d grown a second head. “Okay. I did not see that coming. That’s… wild.”
“Yeah,” I commented flatly. “Just my luck to be tied to the one man I can’t stand. The one man who actually hates me.”
“Ryn,” she said gently, “Aiden doesn’t hate you.” I gave her a look. “…Okay,” she amended. “He’s got a very aggressive way of showing concern.”
I snorted. “No. He hates me. And I hate him, too. So, I honestly have no idea how this is supposed to work.” I exhaled heavily.
Her expression softened. “I’m sorry. I did hear about Clive and Sofia.” Her voice dipped. “But Luna told me what you did for her. That was brave.”
“Didn’t feel like it,” I muttered. “Everything has been… a lot.”
“Yeah,” Gia said, looping her arm through mine. “But you’re not alone. You’ve got me.” She hesitated, then added with a teasing lift of her brow, “And apparently a very grumpy Moon-God problem.”
I laughed despite myself. “Gods, there is nothing great about that.” I shook my head. “Now I’ve got morning training with Aiden and Firebeard. My life just became a lot more complicated. And not in a good way.”
The next morning, every muscle in my body ached, but beneath the pain there was something else, something new. A warmth pulsed low in my chest, spreading outward until it touched every inch of me. My skin felt alive, flushed with heat, as if it were sunlight beneath the surface.
For the first time in what seemed like forever, I wasn’t exhausted.
I was… rested. Whole. With Gia’s help, I pulled on my leathers and braided my hair, wincing as my shoulder twinged, then followed her toward the feeding hall.
Turns out Gia got fire as her gift. She showed me last night before bed. It was quite impressive.
The courtyard was quiet, mist curling low over the dew-damp grass.
My steps slowed when I spotted Brandon standing near the stone plaque, his posture rigid and unmoving, like if he shifted even an inch something inside him would splinter.
The wind brushed his red curls across his brow, the same shade Clive used to constantly shove out of his own eyes.
Brandon didn’t move to fix it. His gaze was locked on the memorial, motionless, unblinking.
I knew exactly which name he was staring at. Clive.
The memory of him dying slammed into my chest so hard it stole my breath. “Gia, give me a minute,” I murmured. She squeezed my arm once before slipping ahead, giving me space. I crossed the courtyard carefully, as though any sudden sound might shatter him completely. “Hey,” I said softly.
Brandon glanced over at me. His face was drawn tight, and his chestnut-brown eyes, so painfully similar to Clive’s, were red-rimmed and hollow. The resemblance made my throat tighten. “Hey, Rynlee.” His tone cracked on my name.
I swallowed, grasping for words that didn’t feel useless.
“I… I wanted to say I’m sorry.” I hesitated before forcing myself to keep going.
“I was there. When Clive—” My voice wavered.
“When he fell.” Brandon’s jaw tightened, his gaze flicking back to the stone.
He nodded once, sharp and restrained. “He didn’t die afraid,” I added quickly.
“I swear. He fought. He was brave right until the end.”
Something in Brandon’s expression splintered.
He dragged in a breath that shook. “Thanks,” he rasped.
“I know he’s… in a better place. I just—” His voice broke, and he looked away.
“I should’ve protected him.” The guilt in his words mirrored my own, sharp and familiar.
I stepped closer and reached for his hand, squeezing it gently.
“You did,” I murmured quietly. “Every day you were his shield. And now…he gets to be yours.” I paused, then added, softer, “He loved you, Brandon. That much was clear.”
His lips pressed together, fighting the tears he refused to let fall.
“Y-yeah,” he managed, clearing his throat roughly.
“He did.” A beat passed. Then, like he needed something solid to hold on to, he gestured toward me.
“Well… congratulations. On the Sun Goddess.” He huffed a weak breath. “That’s… huge.”
“Yeah,” I said. My smile was faint, but real.
“Thanks, I’ll see you inside,” I added. He nodded once more before turning his attention to the plaque, shoulders trembling beneath the weight of his grief.
I lingered only a second longer before letting my hand fall back to my side and rejoining Gia, the image of Clive’s name seared into my chest. The warmth in my core still burned, but now it mixed with something heavier.
Grief. Because even if the gods had chosen me… this place would never stop taking.
Later that day, between lunch and a lesser magical class, I managed to slip away. I needed air, and I knew exactly where to get it. I headed down the quiet hallway outside the feeding hall, stopping in front of a massive gold-woven tapestry depicting the gods locked in battle.
I pushed the fabric aside, revealing an old wooden door hidden behind it.
I smiled. Just how I remembered it. Slipping inside, I shut the door gently and made my way down the narrow tunnel.
The scent of damp earth and rain lingered in the air, earthy and familiar.
I’d found this passage when I was ten, sneaking off while my father sat in endless war meetings.
Back then, this place felt like my own secret world.