Sage

Sage

Sage watched the ships come in and out of the port until the sun sank behind the expanse of sea, turning everything molten gold.

As soon as the stars poked their bright holes in the blanket of velvety black sky and she could see no more of the ships, she turned from the window and gazed at Kade’s sleeping body.

His human skin had faded the moment he passed out next to her. She arched her back, still feeling stiff between her shoulder blades where Kade had been struck. He’d broken his back, and any normal person would be in a wheelchair for the rest of their life after that kind of injury.

But his deep sleep wasn’t just because of his injuries. She’d seen the way he looked at Zaniel, and it must have brought up several unwanted memories. Not to mention how he must have felt knowing Omi, the only sibling he liked, was being held hostage by his bloodthirsty brother.

Zaniel, his half-brother who cursed him and took his Demon powers away. Zaniel, who betrayed him when he crossed over. Kade had said he didn’t want their father crossing the barrier - Zaniel wanted to be the Demon King in his own right.

So why now? Why risk it all and bring him over?

From what she understood about Demon culture, just killing the King wouldn’t make Zaniel the next one. Not when Kade, the true heir with his golden horns, was alive. So what if he didn’t have his magic? If Zaniel tried to take his crown, there would be a civil war - those for Kade and those against.

Which meant Zaniel didn’t plan to let Kade live. It made no sense otherwise. Which, in turn, meant he planned on killing her. He’d said they just needed her blood to open the portal and didn’t plan on killing them. But he hadn’t said he wouldn’t afterward.

There was no way Zaniel would let Kade keep on living, and if he killed Kade, Sage would die along with him. She was certain Vinciei would have divulged that information to him, since they appeared to be working together.

“When did they meet?” She asked herself.

“My guess is before she killed all her sisters,” Kade grumbled. Sage frowned, looking down at his still-closed eyes.

“Listening to me while I have conversations with myself is creepy,” she said.

He opened one red eye and trained it on her. “Talking to yourself while I’m trying to rest is creepier.”

Sage shrugged, “Do you think this was their plan all along?”

“What? Convince your family to sacrifice you to me, but botch it, then by the grace of the Goddess have you come here with Minx and collect all the other Maidens so they could free my father?” Hearing him say it out loud made it sound silly, but Sage threw him a serious look.

“Yes.”

Kade shut his eye and sighed. “Does it matter when they met? They are partners in this, so now we have to deal with twice the delusion.”

“Delusion?” She asked.

“Zaniel cannot be King. Even if he kills me, which I suspect he might try to do, it would only serve to open the throne to any Demon born with royal blood.” Sage recalled once how Kade mentioned he had many, many half-siblings. The only reason he was considered an heir was because of his golden horns. If Zaniel removed him from the equation, it would open the throne up to anyone with silver horns.

“And Vinciei cannot be a Goddess,” Sage said. “Even if she can kill us all and take our gifts, it doesn’t make her one.”

“Exactly,” Kade said, cracking an eye open. “Which makes them delusional.”

“And dangerous,” Sage mused.

Sage waited for him to say something snarky, but he didn’t. She watched as his chest rose and fell gently, like he’d fallen asleep again.

“Sage?” He asked. Her heart sped up, kicking adrenaline through her body at the way her name sounded on his lips. He rarely called her by her name.

“Yes?” she said.

“Once you get Gabriela back to the others - I think we should cross over to your world.” Sage knotted her brows.

“You’re joking, right?” She asked.

Kade opened his eyes but kept his gaze on the ceiling.

“You are right. Zaniel and Vinciei are dangerous, and they will not stop until they have what they want. You aren’t safe here. It would be safer if we both went to your world, where they cannot find us.”

Sage couldn’t believe what he was saying.

“What about my soul?” She asked. “Kade, if we do that, if we go to my world, we will be safe, but I will grow old and I will die. Which means you will too.” The entire reason they started searching for the other Maidens was to fix her soul. She couldn’t believe he wanted to stop that.

“You would be tied to me until death.” She said. “And we can’t leave everyone here to deal with Vinciei and Zaniel. Just because we can hide out in my world doesn’t mean they will or can.”

“That’s not true. Without us, they can’t accomplish what they want.”

“You just said they couldn’t to begin with, so what does that matter?” She shot back.

Kade sat up, pinning her with his red stare. “They are delusional, remember? It doesn’t matter what we think, only what they think. And if they think they need us dead, then we take ourselves out of the equation. With me still alive, Zaniel knows he cannot afford to kill our father. And without Zaniel, I doubt Vinciei can get what she wants.”

The memory of Vinciei killing Kami and almost killing Gabriela surfaced. Sage doubted Vinciei needed Zaniel at all. She just had to pick them off, one by one. Which meant they needed to take her out of the picture, or themselves.

It was tempting. She had to admit that. Going back to her birth world would solve all their magic-related issues. She could even see Minx going back with them - but not the others.

Rhea and Wraza had too much at stake here, and Gabriela had Naru - and they had too much potential here that would go to waste in her world.

“Kade-” she began, but he placed a finger over her lips.

“A half-life with you would be better than eternity without you by my side. I’d rather be a mortal and live and die with you than lose you to them.” Sage’s heart clenched as warmth flooded her cheeks.

Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

“I know what it is to live alone - drifting in the endless black sea of solitude, you become content with it, but it’s an empty feeling like the world is drained of color and light.” He drew his finger down her lips and cupped her chin in his hand. Sage was speechless - all snarky remarks had left her brain, and all she was left with was wonder.

Was he going to say what she thought he might?

“You brought color and light back to my life, Blackwood. And without it, without you, I would shrivel up and blow away in the wind - because you are my sun. I love you, Sage.”

He pulled her lips to his and sealed his words with a searing kiss. Sage felt like her entire body was on fire and threatened to melt into a puddle at his feet.

He loved her.

The Demon Prince, the one who stole her soul - he loved her.

He broke their kiss, his eyes burning lilac as they searched her face for something. He was expecting her to say something - anything. Sage searched her heart for the answer.

He was arrogant and broody. He’d tried to kill her. He stole half her soul. She wanted to punch him in the face at least twice a day.

So, of course, she already knew the answer. And this time, unlike with Naru, she wasn’t going to beat around the bush. She was going to be honest.

“I love you too, Kade.” She whispered. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him closer and kissed him. The bond between them flared to life, burning through her veins as he deepened their kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you.” He kissed her cheek, then her chin, and made his way to her neck. “For you, I’d give up immortality, my people, my home.”

Sage clung to him, his lips searing her skin wherever he planted gentle kisses. She loved him, and she couldn’t imagine being without him, but she knew she couldn’t ask him to go to her world.

“Kade,” she cupped his face between her hands, “I love you, but we cannot run away to my world. I understand you’re afraid of losing me - I’m terrified of losing you. But that’s not the answer. We wouldn’t be who we are if we did that.”

Kade held her gaze, and for a moment, she thought he would argue. But then a slow, lazy grin broke over his face.

He reached up and brushed his thumb over her chin. “That is what I love most about you.”

“What?” she asked.

“Your courage. You will fight to the end, against all odds, so long as you believe it’s right.”

“Some people would call that stupidity.” She pointed out.

He shook his head. “That too, but mostly courage.”

She curled up to him, wrapping her body around his as they sank back into the bed. Stupidity or courage, it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t turn her back on this world and her friends in it.