"Harper, that isn't fair at all. I had no idea."
"And yet, even knowing that I was your mate, you didn't do anything.
"Because it was risky. The Treaty expressly prohibits－"
"－I don't give a damn about it anymore, Lucas. Alex didn't give a crap. He pursued Francine. He didn't allow anything or anyone to come between him and his mate. When they captured him, I bet he fought hard for her. And they literally had to resort to something so heinous to make him forget about her; they had to erase his memory and destroy any bond he had with her."
"I had a plan, Harper. I was going to tell you that you're my mate. I had a plan. We're supposed to leave the country together."
Harper shrugged. "Well, don't you think you're a little late for that now?"
"I guess. My biggest mistake was not allowing myself to be a little selfish. I suppose I should have, but I didn't, and instead, I chose to save my brother first."
"Lucas…please, don't do this now." She took a deep breath.
"There isn't a single day that goes by that I don't wish I had just run away with you."
"Yes. Things might have been a little less complicated if we had done that. But, as you can see, I loved you, Lucas. And again, I still do. The only difference now is that I'm no longer in love with you like I used to be. You are no longer the center of my universe. And I'm not sure when it happened, but it just happened."
"Harper, please…" Lucas begged, tears spilling down his damp cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Harper said, her voice soft and low. "And, as much as you think Alex caused any of this, he didn't. He was always there for me. He was even there when I was still so much in love with you, and when I realized how much I loved you more than I loved myself. I didn't want to be a part of any of this, but I didn't want to disappoint you. So I lied to him, but instead of hating me, he didn't. And…" She paused because her tears were blurring her vision. "...he was there for me when I lost my mother.
"I'm so sorry…"
"Me, too. And, while I'm sorry you're in pain, I don't regret loving and choosing him. He chose me, and I choose him." Hot tears rushed down her cheeks. She was aching because she knew Lucas was hurting, but she was also relieved that she had finally been able to say what she had been wanting to say for so long.
Lucas begged, "Harper, please."
She tenderly brushed the tears away from his cheeks. "Lucas, please, you have to let me go. If you truly love me, please let me go. What you're doing is only making things worse for us both."
He made a shaky motion with his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm not going to do it. You were made for me. I can't give you up," he declared. "It hurts too much. I can't bear the pain. I'm sorry. I just can't."
Harper took a few steps back, putting some much-needed distance between them, but Lucas came forward and grabbed her hands.
"Don't do this, please. I'm going to lose my mind. I can't take the pain. I'm going to die... I swear I'll make you fall in love with me again. I'll do whatever it takes to win you back." His voice broke as he spoke.
Harper had no idea what to say or do. She wished she could help him, but she couldn't save him from himself. She attempted to break away, but his hands latched onto hers even tighter. "Lucas, please let me－"
"Let her go, Lucas!"
They both turned to see Alex racing across the field. Along with him was a red-haired young woman. Looking intently at Alex as he eviscerated a path towards them, Lucas couldn't believe his eyes, but he remained unfazed. Harper, on the other hand, was not. He could feel Harper's shock as well as a burst of relief and joy coming from her.
Harper breathed hard when Alex and Gwinifer joined her and Lucas. She examined Alex from every angle, making certain that it was indeed him who stood in front of her. "Alex, I knew it was you! You're alive!"
"I am." Alex pulled Harper into a tight embrace, completely indifferent to the fact that Lucas was only a short foot away.
Lucas' jaws tightened and his fists clenched at his sides. Despite the hurt in his chest, he did not lash out or react angrily; instead, he simply turned away.
When Alex released Harper, he didn't even bother to glance at Lucas. There were a lot of things he wanted to tell his brother, but he felt it wasn't the proper time. "The Red Wolf saved me. The ghouls are on their way. We're already outnumbered."
They looked at the battle that was going on around them. Roars, screams, cries, and the clashing of blades filled their ears. Alex was right; they were outnumbered, and most of the freed slaves fighting alongside them were neither as strong nor as skillful as Gillen's soldiers. They were being killed at an alarming rate.
"We still have a chance," Gwinifer said, her gaze fixed on Harper. "However, this could result in death."
"What do you mean, death?" Harper asked. "Whose death is it?"
Gwinifer let out a sigh. "Yours."
Alex snarled and snapped his head at the mage. "Hey, you didn't say anything about her dying. What the fuck are you talking about?!"
Harper drew her brows together and blinked at the mage. "Look, I just met you now... I have no idea who you are－"
"Gwinifer," Alex said, a half-smile almost touching his lips. "Her name is Gwinifer. She is the daughter of the Red Wolf, the mage, and our only hope of ever escaping this damned world."
With her mouth open in surprise, Harper's eyes widened. "Y-You're Gwinifer..."
"Yes, and I'd absolutely love to chat with you. You seem like a cool person, but we don't have much time," Gwinifer remarked as she hastily smiled at her. "And oh, I don't really want you to die. Anyway, are you－"
"Yes! Whatever your plan is, let's do it. I don't care," Harper quickly agreed.
"But, Harper, you just heard her, you could die," Alex strongly objected.
"But it doesn't matter. If we lose this fight, we're all going to die."
Gwinifer gave a nod. "She's totally right. Although, I didn't really say she will die, like it's definite. What I'm trying to say is that what we're about to do is extremely dangerous and it could cost her life."
"Well, that's not really reassuring enough, is it?" Alex responded cynically.
"We don't have time to argue right now. Let's go." Gwinifer took Harper's hand in hers and beckoned for her to follow her. They ended up in a corner behind a large pile of rubble. They lay down steadily on the ground and gazed up at the starless night sky. "Okay, just be still..."
"What the heck are you doing, Harper?" This time it was Lucas who objected, breaking the mage's concentration.
"Hey, I suggest you calm down and let me do this," Gwinifer said. "If you and Alex don't mind, you could make sure no one gets close to us.
Alex came and hesitantly tugged Lucas away. "Come on." He then looked down at Gwinifer, who was already looking at him. "Gwin?" His face was filled with worry, rather than confusion.
"I need my power to be at its peak, and I need you both to back off and make sure that nothing or no one gets near us," Gwinifer instructed. After seeing the desperation in her eyes, Alex and Lucas backed away from her.
When she's finally alone with Harpern, Gwiniger took a deep, long breath and tuned off the sounds around her, trying to concentrate again. Then, she slowly pulled an ornate knife from the side pocket of her robe. She took another deep breath and pushed the sharp point into her open hand, cutting a long vertical slit down her wrist. She closed her eyes and muttered an ancient incantation into the air. When dark crimson liquid dripped onto the ground, she bit into her lip.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Lucas and Alex fighting to keep human soldiers away from her and Harper. Turning to her side, she noticed Harper's horrified expression. "May I have your left hand?"
Harper extended her hand to Gwinifer without hesitation.
"This is going to to hurt." The mage quickly executed the same painful ritual on Harper's palm and wrist. Then she dipped her middle finger in her blood and Harper's, and began to sketch symbols in the air. She then proceeded to recite another chant.
Harper kept her eyes on the night sky as blood flowed down from her palm and wrist. Her limbs were starting to become numb. Suddenly, the sky lit up, or a blinding light appeared in front of them. She couldn't be certain.
Then she felt a prickling sensation in her chest, and the blood rushing through her veins began to burn. She wanted to scream, but it went away as suddenly as it came. And then she softly exhaled her final breath into the wind.
After that, everything else seemed to slip away...