When his magic feeds on mine, my soul becomes calm.
“As you wish, my lady.” He rains kisses down my cheek; along my jaw, against my neck, pressing his devious lips to my wildly beating pulse. “Just look at you, Finley. You’re the most glorious thing I’ve ever beheld. My sweet, brave love. If it weren’t for you… I don’t know what I would have done. Goddess, you give me life.”
“I don’t know what I would have done either,” I whisper, heat unfurling in my core. I want him so badly. I want the sharp, exquisite pain of his bite. I want all of him. “If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have…”
I wouldn’t have been able to keep it all together.
When I started to change, Corvan didn’t see me any differently. He didn’t become threatened by me or try to stop me.
He simply accepted me, flaws and all.
And he’s held me, every step of the way.
I can hardly believe that this man—beautiful, patient, fearsome—is all mine.
“It’s all right, Finley,” he rumbles, caressing my jawline with the pad of his thumb. “Everything is well. And you’re perfectly fine.”
His fangs pierce my skin. His bite is more like a caress.
I swoon.
And his roving thumb dances between my lips. I close my eyes and bite on him gently. Lips parted, a soft groan escapes me.
If I was aroused before, I’m on fire now.
He takes from me.
He takes, and brings the wild magic in me to heel. The branches and vines slowly unfurl, releasing me, but I don’t fall.
I’m in his arms.
And he’s kissing me; holding me.
Knowing me.
I let go, but I don’t fall.
Corvan’s here. He’ll never let me fall, and I’ll never let him become lost.
High up in the canopy, in the dancing morning light, we discover each other again.
Everything is in perfect balance, and the world belongs to us now.
EPILOGUE
Finley
In Tyron, it felt like the winter would last forever.
But then the trees sprouted tiny leaf buds, and the snows became lighter and lighter until they were no more, and the ponds and streams started to thaw.
And then all of a sudden, the world just decided to burst into bloom.
All around Tyron Castle, there grow trees that exist only in this part of the empire.
Now they bloom in hues of pink and red, decorating the forest with brilliant color. I don’t know what they’re called, but I can smell their sweet, heady fragrance from afar, and sometimes I catch a burst of gloriously frenetic energy from them.
Suddenly, the air is abuzz with insects.
For someone like me, the springtime is intoxicating. The plants and trees hum with the euphoria of new life, and I can feel it. Like a drug, it affects me too, at times making me giddy.
It doesn’t help that my husband-to-be is here, and he finds a way to spend every spare moment with me—when he isn’t dealing with the responsibility of holding the empire together.
After his father died and his half-brother, Ansar, disappeared in rather mysterious circumstances—along with Rhaegar and Leticia Talavarra—Corvan returned to Lukiria and made his presence known to the world.
At first, there was shock and disbelief amongst the citizens. People were afraid of him. His changed looks were the subject of wild rumors. They said he’d returned from the dead; that he’d turned into a demon, that the Goddess Hecoa herself had cursed him. Some of the fiercest hatred and opposition came from members of the nobility, who used all their influence and power to spread lies that Corvan was a madman who’d changed his body with arcane magic.
But none of them knew what to make of the gigantic tree that had suddenly appeared in the center of the Imperial Palace, towering above the buildings.
I soon discovered I could bend that tree to my will—like pretty much all trees I encountered. My full powers had finally been unlocked.
I’m still learning how to control them. They’re tied to my emotions, which can be dangerous. If I get too angry or too afraid, the trees can grow unpredictable and harm anyone in the vicinity—even innocent bystanders.
So I must be careful until I know how to control them better.
If only my mother would hurry up and pay me a visit. If there’s anyone that can teach me how to use these damn abilities, it would be her.
As for the dissenters in the capital, Corvan quickly silenced them. I don’t know how he managed to do that quite so fast, but being a prince of the empire and a well-respected one at that, he has many allies and supporters in Rahava. The full extent of which I’m still discovering.
When it comes to matters of politics and power, Corvan can be tight-lipped, but his influence is far greater than what I’d imagined. There are many that simply don’t care about the rumors or what he looks like now.
It didn’t take long at all for the entire Rahavan Military to pledge loyalty to him. In fact, the military were easier to sway than some of the nobles. It turns out that Corvan and Commander Kaithar Bareem are held in the highest esteem by high-ranking officers and infantry alike.
After all, they protected Rahava’s Northern Border from the fierce Khaturian Tribes.
Most people don’t realize that Corvan and the Khaturians now recognize each others’ power.
Corvan is their Kral.
The Khaturians keep him in check.
And as for Kaithar…
He’s well. Changed, but well. Sylhara took him up into the mountains, to Niize, where Kaithar underwent secret rituals known only to the Khaturians.
I’m told they managed to contain the lycan-magic within his body, stopping him from transforming into a monster.
The only remaining trace of his ordeal is in his eyes—they’ve turned from dark brown to startling amber.
And he’s as jovial and good-natured as ever, ribbing Corvan every chance he gets.
I’m just glad he’s alive and well.
Everything is coming together. I never could have imagined that my life would become so amazing. It’s so different here to the bleak existence I knew in Ruen.
I can hardly believe that once, Ruen was my whole world, and Lucar—the man I used to call my father—used to rule over me.
Ever since he was sent packing, Lucar has been deathly quiet.
At least one of his wishes will be fulfilled, however.
My brothers and Garan are off to Lukiria soon, to start training at the Imperial Knights’ Academy.
They don’t even plan on stopping by Ruen to visit Lucar and Dorava. It seems Aderick and Kastel have had plenty of time to dwell on our family’s toxic dynamics. They’ve seen how a proper castle should be run. Surrounded by tough, honorable men, they’ve started to understand that Lucar’s way 0f doing things is a coward’s way.
My husband-to-be is the complete opposite.
Honorable and fearless. As hard and unyielding as diamond when he needs to be, and kind at all other times.
I’ve truly fallen head-over-heels in love with him.