Epilogue

T orin felt a coolness wash over him. It was calming and relaxing. It was beautiful. But it was clearly magic; only magic could lure him into a false sense of security like this.

"I love you, Torin Blacksteel. And I will find my way back to you, back home."

Torin sat bolt upright. A scream left Sybil's lips as she jumped back. Gideon shouted too, but then he moved in towards him.

Gideon threw his arms over him. "Brother..." And his body sagged against his own.

"Torin..." Kellen kneeled beside him, and both of his brothers embraced him.

His body hurt, as did his head, but it was nowhere near how much his heart hurt.

But why?

"Where is she?" he breathed, replaying the last memory of her crying face. Torin looked at his brothers, who had pulled back from their embrace. "Where is Emara?" he asked them again. He placed a hand where the shadows of the Dark King had penetrated his soul.

He was healed.

Kellen fell back on his ass and ran a hand down his dirty face.

Gideon's lips were taut and his face pale. His unruly hair had been swept to one side, and there was a strain in his voice. "She's gone, brother."

Torin got to his feet so fucking quickly, dragging Gideon with him. "Gone?" He fisted his tunic, bringing Gideon up with him. "What do you mean gone?"

Flashes of remembrance flickered in his mind.

Him begging her, Emara's tears, the deal she wanted to make…

Gideon's eyes were lined with worry, and it looked like his lashes were sticky with tears. Torin's hand tightened around the tunic, scrunching it up to Gideon's neck. Artem placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Tor? Why don't you come and sit down a minute?"

Torin dove towards him. "Sit down?" He grabbed Artem's tunic. "Sit down? You want me to sit the fuck down? Where is she?" he bellowed, feeling the tidal wave of rage about to breach the shore. It wasn't just a tidal wave, it was a fucking tsunami.

He had an overwhelmingly horrendous feeling that he knew where she was.

Gideon pulled him back and stood between them. "There was nothing we could do." His brother's green eyes were full of sorrow and rage. "But we will get her back. I promise you that."

"Get her back?" He almost wheezed as panic flooded into his bones, his knees too weak to keep him standing. "Please don't tell me…"

Unfiltered fear overtook his rage.

"No," he whispered as his world spun on its axis. "No, she hasn't…she isn't…"

It wasn't long before rage boiled the fear and served a plate of flaming-hot fury. He grabbed his brother again. "You let my wife, my whole fucking heart, go into the underworld alone?"

Gideon sucked in a breath.

"Fucking answer me."

"We had no choice," he breathed. "She wanted to save you. She would have done anything to save you and there was no stopping her without you both dying. I would have done anything—"

Torin broke away from Gideon and raced to where the gates had been clouded by a huge portal to the underworld. It was gone.

"No, no, no!" He halted as he realised that nothing was there but traces of blood that dripped into nothingness. "No!" he roared, and he swore the sky shuddered as it looked down on him. He spun, whirling on dizziness. "You two"—he pointed at his brothers—"you should have fucking let me die." He pushed Gideon and then Artem before heading to Kellen. He grabbed his littlest brother. "You should have fucking let me die. You know my life is worth nothing without her. You know she is everything, fucking everything." Torin's legs gave out, and Kellen tumbled to the ground with him. His youngest brother put his arms around him, holding him tight. "It should have been me. You should have let me die and saved her. I told you to always save her, always fucking save her. " A sob broke from his chest. "She is my wife, my soulmate. I will tear this fucking world apart to find her. My whole—my—"

Torin Blacksteel broke apart. Kellen said nothing as he held Torin in his arms, struggling to hold him up. Sybil sat down beside them, still covered in his blood, and placed a hand on Torin's cheek as he sobbed and sobbed.

"What do we do now?" Artem said.

Gideon ran a hand over his face. "It looks like we need to find a way into the underworld before my brother burns this kingdom to the ground."