Chapter 258: 258

Elara

I have no tears left to shed by the time Cassian’s eyes open in surprise and he takes a deep breath. He presses his hands to his chest as if it hurts. My fingers tremble and I don’t know how to react.

“Cassian…” I whisper.

He forgets his pain completely and wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. My hands dig into his back, and a sob lodges in my throat when I feel once more the comfort of his body against mine. Only now, there’s something else between us—the beating of our hearts, thudding in unison. He buries his nose in my hair and we both sway from side to side, rocking.

“You’re here.”

“I told you I would always be with you.”

“You were gone.” My voice cracks.

“Not completely,” he murmurs into my hair. “I couldn’t go. My soul belongs to you.”

“Don’t you ever do something like this to me again.”

His fingers tangle behind my nape and he pulls me back just enough to look at my face, a small, sincere smile tattooed on his lips.

“All right.”

A single word, simple, but I know it carries all the determination of a man who would come back from death a thousand times over just for me. I am grateful our paths crossed, no matter the suffering the idea of being with him caused me at first. Ironic how the one I thought would be my end turned out to be the beginning of something much greater.

“Luca …”

“She kept her promise to the very end.”

Without words, I know we are both remembering her in our minds. I’ll never be able to go down to that library without thinking of her, or look at the flames without expecting her tiny, dancing figure to emerge from them. It’s surprising how someone so small could awaken such big feelings and show such courage. Everything she did for me, for us, is something I will never allow myself to forget. I will remember the fire Phoenix until the moment we meet again.

“My heart is beating, Elara.” His words are tinged with surprise and a kind of amusement. “It’s…”

“Does it hurt?”

He shakes his head.

“It’s strange.”

“It’s human.”

I place my palm over the exact spot where I first felt the beat of his heart. I need to feel it beneath my hand to believe this is real and not just some cruel dream. From the corner of my eye, a tear escapes. I still feel the emptiness, that gut-punch sensation from when our bond broke; worse than that was the small death my heart suffered when the light in his eyes faded. By mere impulse, I run my fingertips over his body again and again, searching for the trap in all this.

“You’re really here,” I sob.

“You are extraordinary, Elara.”

His words sink into me more deeply than ever. I remember my old self, the girl resigned to die, who walked into a frozen lake seeking death, ready to embrace it. The one who thought she had no reason to live. The one who believed she had a void in her stomach capable of devouring everything. If I looked in the mirror now, I’d see a determined woman, capable of descending into the Underworld to bring back the love of her life, unafraid to look death in the eyes because I no longer fear it—now it is my friend. I have tamed the reaper, controlled it, walked hand in hand with it.

Behind us, a sound pulls me back to reality. I look over my shoulder at my father, who watches us with a smile he tries to hide. Antony is not far away, with Nymera in his arms, who seems incapable of leaving the safety she has found in the embrace of the vampire she once seemed unable to stand.

“How is this possible?” I ask Azeroth. “His heart is beating.”

“How is it possible that yours beats too, when you share part of his nature?” He shrugs. “I don’t know of any vampire who has returned from death; I don’t know what repercussions this might have. What I do know is that you’ve done something extraordinary, Elara.”

“Does this mean I’m like her now?” Cassian asks.

“I don’t think so. Her gifts are unique—only my descendants possess them.” He lowers his gaze toward me. “And in case you wonder, you are the only one, and I intend to keep it that way.” He turns his attention back to Cassian. “I suppose with your return, Elara brought you more life than you had before.”

“Will it be bad for him?”

“A heart that beats and feels is never a bad thing, little one.”

With that, he moves away, giving us a little more privacy, though it doesn’t last long, as Antony’s eyes plead to approach his friend. I give him a small nod and he walks toward us, carrying Nymera. She protests to be put down.

“I’m not letting you get away, little witch.”

My friend’s cheeks take on the color of poppies, but she says nothing more. She bites the inside of her cheek and avoids the vampire’s black-eyed gaze.

“How could you even think for a second of leaving this world before me, you damned bastard?” she says accusingly to Cassian.

“Do I need your permission to die?”

“Not mine, hers.” He tilts his chin toward me.

“I suppose that’s why I’m still here, isn’t it? I can’t leave until she allows me to.”

Antony half-releases Nymera, though he still holds her with his hand. He kneels beside Cassian and slings an arm around his shoulder in a sort of embrace.

“We didn’t come into this world together, but we will leave it together, do you hear me? Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”

“I only allow romance from my partner, Antony. Step back and bother your new victim.”

Cassian casts a sidelong glance at the Blood Wraith.

“I know you love me, Cassian. Doesn’t matter if you don’t say it. I know.”

I can’t quite hide the small smile on my lips. I look at the faces of those around me, visibly more at ease. No one would say that just minutes ago I was considering giving up, that I had lost a fundamental piece of myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Azrakiel and Caelum, who seem to be holding each other up. I cast a brief glance at my partner to be sure this is all real and then rise, my legs sore and trembling. Despite the pain stabbing through every limb, I manage to reach them. I throw my arms around Azrakiel, who doesn’t hesitate a second to lift me into an embrace.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

“It has been a pleasure to fight by your side, Crimson Queen.”

“Don’t talk like you’re saying goodbye to me—I intend to keep training with you.”

“Of course, I expect nothing less.”