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“One of us took the Sun from the Moon. We took the queen of darkness’s hope, her one redeeming quality—the guiding remembrance that she is not all shadow.” He placed the coin carefully in the centre of the table. “Elara’s light is gone. She has nothing to save her. Nothing to hold her back. It is not him we should fear. It is her.”
Elara’s eyes were hollow as she looked at them both and replied. “Half of my soul is gone. There is no rest for me.”
“You are half of my soul. Do you think I can’t feel when you’re lying to me?”
You knew I was possessive when you met me. Don’t try to deny how I feel now.”
The Stars had ripped her dreams from her, forced her to live in a nightmare. And so, a nightmare she became.
“Good girl.” He smirked. He heard her gulp and grinned. He had won this round.
His eyes searched hers, and a passing thought murmured to him that this might not be such a bad way to die, with Elara in his arms. That if her eyes were the last thing he saw, it would be a better death than most.
“I think I left my balls back there,” he panted. He heard her laugh. “You’re fucking crazy, you know that?”
That for the first time in twenty-six years he felt like he belonged, and that he was exactly where he should be, soaring through the air on the back of a dragun, his hands around a shadow princess’s waist.
‘She is who you’ve been looking for,’ it said. It was only a sentence. Seven words. And it was enough to scare him shitless.
This feeling, as though I’ve been searching for something through lifetimes and found it right here. Like we’ve met before. Like you have consumed my every moment, both waking and asleep, and I barely even know you, but it feels like I do. I’m afraid of what it means, that someone who I’ve been taught is the enemy my whole life is good and kind and makes me laugh against my will. That I think I’m falling in l—
“We thought he might be kidnapping you,” Isra said. “Well, you’re both excellent bodyguards then,” Elara said sardonically.
He rolled a cigarette as he wondered if she or Enzo would ever remember their lives before—would remember him.
“Enzo, if her light can’t shine with the shadows, and her shadows will get her killed…” “No,” he whispered. “Then,” the shadow finished, “you’re going to have to kill me.”
Fuck off. This book is gonna be the death of me, I just know it.
“You did it,” Isra sobbed. “I can’t believe you did it.” She pressed kisses all over Elara’s face ‘Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for bringing my brother back.”
“Bringhimback, bringhimback, bringhimback, please, please, please.” She shook, repeating the words over and over as she curled up on the ground, hair plastered to her face as pain racked her body.
😭😭😭
Eli shook his head. “No, that was all you. I’m sorry, Elara. Whatever you did, whatever you had to pay… Well…it was worth it. You did it.”
Elara’s heart soared as she held out her little finger, the one with his ring on. “To a new world,” she whispered. Eli smiled, linking his own little finger with hers. “To a new world,” he replied. “Now go. Call me when you need. I’m going to need to fabricate an illusion of utter horror now that the Sun is awake.”
When they reached the other side of the in-between, Enzo realised that adventure was a euphemism for nearly have your bags stolen, get into a fist-fight, and have Elara exercise her nightmares on a woman who had tried to take him by the hand and lead him to her rooms—all within half an hour.
“Jim, I’m going to stop you there. Can I call you Jim?” “Most people call me James, but—" “Jim, you’re a gem.”
“Your Grace,” Adrian said, pulling him rudely out of his fantasies. He flared his nostrils at the pirate who was looking at him with disdain. “You can call him Enzo,” Elara said. “No, the fuck he can’t,” Enzo hissed. “Your Grace will do just fine.” “Enzo, be reasonable.” “I am. I haven’t set him alight yet.”
Enzo grinned, holding his hands up. “I’ll be the best guest you ever had.” Enzo, in fact, was not being the best guest that Adrian had ever had.
“Enzo, anyone could walk out here.” “And do you think I’d let them leave with eyes if they saw you naked? You are safe with me—always. Haven’t you learnt that yet?”
“So I take it if she’s the Moon, then you’re the Sun?” Adrian wheezed, staring with hateful eyes at Enzo. Enzo grinned. “And they say pirates aren’t clever.”
“Yes, Santi is a little overprotective.” Elara snorted. “So is Enzo.” “No, really? He seems like such a mild-mannered man,” Adrian drawled.
Adrian studied her before replying. “Well, being the Moon, I would tell you—you control the tides. Don’t you ever let them drag you under.”
“I’ll have you know that the octopus is one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea.” “Then why is it tattooed on you?” Enzo cooed.
“I don’t beg,” came the reply. Adrian smirked. “Oh, you will.”
“Oh.” “And let me tell you, I love worshipping a woman.”
“You think?” Adrian yelled. “Good thing we have a titan of fire and light amongst us.” Enzo chuckled. “Growing fond of you, Adrian.”
“That’s my fucking girl!” he roared.
👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻
Eli chuckled, and Elara savoured the sound from her new friend. “Don’t be a lily-livered prick, Adrian. Do the shot,” he drawled.
Elara shrieked as she went under, clawing herself up Enzo as she broke the surface, hanging on to him. He kept them both afloat as she shouted out every curse that she knew. “You done?” he asked. “No. You?” “No. I’m still angry with you. But I love you.” “I love you too,” she snapped, and with a moan, Enzo’s lips found hers again.
“How does a reader bare their soul, if not through which parts of a book moved them? You always wished to know what went on in my mind. Now you do.”
