24. Vale

Chapter 24

Vale

“ C ome to me.”

Rune’s voice tore through the peaceful bliss of slumber, startling me awake, but it was so faint, I struggled to discern if it had been a dream or reality.

Limbs heavy, the remnants of pleasure weighed me down as Idris’ warmth flooded through every part of my body. His arm draped over my waist, his legs tangled with mine, his face serene in the faint light from the fireplace, there was no place I would rather be.

I’d never seen him so unguarded, so relaxed. It was as if the last two hundred years had been a terrible nightmare and now it was over. The golden shimmer of my mating mark pulsed in the darkness, the swirling design reaching from the back of my hand all the way up my arm and neck and into my hairline.

Idris showed me the full extent last night in the shower, his mouth and tongue tracing every line as he worshipped me again and again. The lines reminded me of Kian and Xavier and Idris’ tattoos, taking pieces of them somehow and inking them into my skin, the golden marks showing the world who my heart belonged to.

The delicious ache between my legs had me considering waking him again. Maybe this time with my mouth. Watching him writhe right before he lost his mind was becoming my favorite pastime, especially since that link between our minds had yet to fade. Every swipe of my tongue, every circle of my hips had him coming undone, and I felt all of it.

“You can’t ignore me, my Queen. There’s no time.”

The bond hummed with his urgency, pressing against my mind like a roiling thunderstorm ready to break. This was no dream. Any time Rune had woken me, it had been for a damn good reason. Slowly, I sat up, my gaze searching the room for danger. Other than the steady cadence of Idris’ breathing, there was not even a hint of movement.

But still, a thread of danger filled every pore, every cell of my being, making me reach for the jeweled dagger Kian gifted to me what seemed like ages ago.

“No time for what? What is going on?”

A frustrated growl filtered through the bond. “I can’t explain. Get dressed and get down here. Now. It has to be now.”

I slipped from the bed, careful not to disturb Idris, though every step away from his warmth made my chest ache. Moving to the dressing room, I quickly pulled on my leathers, managing not to forget my corset and boots as I grabbed my second dagger and belt.

“Rune, what is it?” I asked, hastily lacing the dragon scale tight to my chest. My boots thudded softly against the stone floor as I cut through the warding on the room, replacing it as soon as I passed through the door.

There was no answer, and soon I broke out into a run, racing through the nearly deserted hallways, the dregs of the party still winding down as the faint strains of laughter echoed through the castle.

My gaze lingered on the double doors I once destroyed, the throne room looming like a shadow in the corridor before I turned left, reaching for the entrance to the caverns. Days ago, I’d made this same trek, only I’d never reached my destination. Swallowing hard, I gripped the hilt of my dagger, Rune’s fear threading through the bond like a death knell.

Gods, this had to be bad.

Shakily, I pulled open the cavern door and my stomach plummeted at the sight of the stairs. Darkness enveloped my path, and it was as if I were back under the mountain, headed to the overseer, praying not to fall to my death. Each step sent daggers through my heart, and the closer I got to Rune, the worse it got. The twisting, winding descent into the caverns seemed to take forever, the air growing colder with each step.

By the time I got to the bottom, I was sweating, shaking, nausea roiling in my gut. But only some of it was mine. White-hot agony lanced through my middle, making me cry out as I fell to my knees.

This wasn’t me.

This was Rune.

Rune was in danger.

“What’s happening? Why are you in so much pain? Why won’t you answer me?”

Staggering to my feet, I shuffled forward, the pain only getting worse the closer I got to him. But I had to keep moving, had to get to him. Dread filled my belly with each step, spoiling every bit of happiness, every good thought, every sense of peace I’d ever had.

Rounding a giant stalagmite, the giant dragon came into view. He was on his belly trying to stand, but his legs wouldn’t hold him. Instantly, tears filled my eyes because a part of me knew there was no fixing this.

“I’ve run out of time, my Queen. I thought I had more, but…”

Choking down a sob, I pressed my forehead to the side of his face. “What can I do? How can I help? Do you want me to call Idris? I?—”

His response was immediate, his voice a low rumble echoing through my thoughts. “There’s no time for goodbyes or apologies. You’ve bonded with him now. The curse has loosened just enough for me to tell you how to break it. Will you help me? I can’t do it on my own.”

My stomach churned, fear and sorrow warring within me as I tried and failed to swallow the lump in my throat. “A-anything,” I croaked, tears falling down my face in earnest. “You know that. I can never repay your kindness, your protection. You’ve saved my life too many times to count. Anything you need.”

His deep rumble reverberated in my head. “I couldn’t tell you before. Zamarra’s curse wouldn’t let me. But now that you’ve bonded with Idris, I can speak—though not for long.”

I stepped closer, the weight of his words settling heavily on my chest. “Then tell me. Tell me how to break the curse.”

Rune’s gaze bore into mine, and for the first time, I saw something in his eyes that I hadn’t before—regret. “The curse can only be broken through sacrifice.”

“W-what kind of sacrifice?” I stuttered, my heart hammering because I already knew. I knew it like I knew my own mind.

“Me,” he said simply, the word a dagger plunging straight into my soul.

“No.” I staggered back, shaking my head as tears cascaded down my face, dripping from my chin. “Not that. Never that. There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” Rune growled, his voice resonating with unrelenting finality that shredded my heart. “This curse was crafted to ensure Idris and I would remain fractured, powerless. Zamarra designed it to keep him weak, to steal all the power of the realm, to rule over the Waking and the Dreaming. To undo it, I must die.”

“I can’t,” I choked. “Rune, I can’t do that.”

“You have to,” he said, his voice softening, though the command in it remained. “If you don’t, Idris will never be whole again. He will never be strong enough to defeat Arden, and the realm and magic itself will fall.”

I clenched my fists, my vision blurring as the tears came faster. “Why does it have to be this way? Why does everything always have to cost so much?”

Rune’s voice rumbled with quiet sorrow. “Because that’s the nature of power, my Queen. It forever demands a sacrifice. This time it’s mine.”

I sank to my knees, the weight of his words crushing me. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’re not losing me,” he said gently, his massive head lowering until his glowing eyes were level with mine. “I’ll always be with you. Through Idris. Through the bond. Through the kingdom we’ve fought to protect.”

But I knew it was a lie.

If I did this, I would lose him forever. Rune had given me so much, but most of all, he’d given me his senses. I could scent the falseness before he ever said it. Before I could respond, the ground trembled beneath us, dust falling from the cavern’s ceiling. Rune’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. “The castle is under attack. We have no more time. You must do it now.”

Panic surged through me, and I rose to my feet, clutching the daggers at my waist. “By who?”

But again, I knew that, too. Somehow the mages had moved much faster than we thought they could.

“I know Girovia wants to keep this curse unbroken, but we can’t let them stop you. They might say they’re here for Idris, but you and I both know they’re here for you,” Rune said, his voice grim. “Vale, listen to me. You don’t have time to think this through. If you don’t act now, everything will be lost.”

I shook my head, stepping back as fresh tears streamed down my face. “I can’t, Rune. I won’t.”

Before Rune could respond, the faint echo of footsteps reached my ears. I turned to see Idris, Xavier, and Kian entering the cavern, their expressions a mixture of fury and fear.

“Vale!” Idris’s voice was sharp, his golden eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. “What are you doing down here?”

Choking down my sobs, I met their eyes—amber, ice, and gold—and my heart broke. “Rune knows how to break the curse. He needs my help.”

All three of them froze, but Idris’ power swirled around his body. “What?” His gaze flew to Rune and back to me. “All this time? How?”

I shook my head as I covered my mouth, doing everything I could to keep him out of my head. He didn’t need to share this with me. It wasn’t fair.

Rune rumbled low, his eyes glowing brighter. “You must kill me, Vale. Stab me right in the heart. And then you must stab Idris in his. Only through your power can we merge, and the curse be undone.”

My knees went weak, but I stayed standing by sheer force of will. That much power running through me wouldn’t just be Rune’s end. It would be mine, too. Agony lanced my heart as I looked at my mates, knowing I would be breaking every promise I ever made.

My promises to stay, to never leave them behind, to stay alive. All lies.

“Sacrifice,” I murmured into his mind, realizing just how cruel Zamarra was.

Idris wouldn’t share her, so she made it so the only one who could break his curse would be someone who had more than one mate. She wanted him alone, separated from his power, so the method of breaking had to kill the other half of his soul. And for just desserts, right when he fell for me, I would in turn sacrifice everything—my magic, my body, my life.

All for him.

Cruel was too kind a word for it.

Idris’s expression twisted into rage, his steps eating the distance between us. “No. Absolutely not. You’re not doing this.”

I backed away, pulling my dagger from its sheath as my heart hammered in my chest. “I don’t want to, Idris. But if I don’t, the curse?—”

“ No ,” he roared, his golden eyes blazing with fury. “I don’t give a fuck about the curse. Fuck this kingdom, fuck magic, fuck everything. I will not lose you. I forbid it.”

Xavier moved closer, blue flames of his power swirling around his feet. His icy-blue eyes narrowed as he tried to penetrate my mind. I couldn’t let him. None of them needed to feel this.

“Why are you shutting us out, Vale? There’s too much at stake, my love. Please let us in.”

Black scales rippled up Kian’s flesh, his usual smirk long gone as he slowly approached, his hands raised. “Tell us what’s going on, little witch. Please, just talk to?—”

The castle shook once more, stalactites crumbling around us as the attack began in earnest.

Rune’s voice was quieter now, his large body fading fast under the strain of the curse. “Vale, there’s no more time. You have to do it now.”

I looked at their faces one more time, knowing this might be my last.

“I love you—all of you. I want you to know that,” I whispered, trying to swallow past the lump in my throat. I thought we’d have more time. My gaze turned to Kian and Xavier. “Find her for me when this is all over? Find her and keep her safe. Tell her I did this for her, okay?”

The look of betrayal on Xavier’s face was enough to make me rethink my decision, and Kian’s devastation was a knife to my heart. They’d never forgive me for this. As one, all three of them moved, trying to stop me, but they didn’t make it very far. Raising my shield, I kept them all back, knocking them off their feet as they fought to breach my magic.

My heart shattered as I turned to face Rune, the weight of his trust and the enormity of what I was about to do crushing me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears blurring my vision as I touched my forehead to Rune’s cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

“Your apologies are not necessary. It’s been an honor watching over you, my Queen. I’m ready.”

He lifted his head, giving me a straight shot to his chest. My small dagger wouldn’t work for this. I’d have to do it myself. Sobs tore from my throat as I formed a sword of light in my hand.

“See you later, okay?”

Rune’s body heaved, his breath rattling in his chest. We were out of time. Why was there never enough time? I screamed as I plunged the sword into Rune’s heart, and his roar of pain mingled with my scream, shaking the very foundations of the castle. Blood poured from his wound, drenching my hands.

His massive form shimmered, seeming to dissolve into a cloud of smoke before my very eyes. The crimson cloud wrapped around me like a suffocating shroud, stealing my breath, my strength as it cut at every inch of my skin.

“No!” Idris’ scream ripped through the air, his rage breaking through every barrier, every ward my mind had. He lunged toward me, he alone cutting through my shield, leaving Kian and Xavier behind as he sprinted for us. Kian and Xavier slammed against the golden barrier, their shouts muffled as I welcomed Idris.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered again, my voice breaking as my knees buckled. “I-it’s t-the only way to s-save you.”

Idris’ fury gave way to anguish as he got to me, his hands trembling as they reached for me. I leaned up, pressing my lips to his, pouring every ounce of love and regret into the bond we shared.

“Please, baby. Please don’t do this. You can’t leave us now. Please.” He put a trembling hand to my face, brushing back my hair. “I love you, Vale. Please. ”

Nodding, I pressed my forehead to his. “I love you, too. I w-want you to r-remember t-that.”

Then, with a single motion, I drove a sword of light into his heart.

Betrayal and shock contorted his face, twisting my heart. The smoke that had once consumed me now surged into him, his body jerking as it enveloped him, filling his mouth, his nose. And when it left me, it felt like I was being torn in two, blood pouring from my nose, my mouth.

My heart slowed, stuttered. My breaths hitched. My sight dimmed.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered through the bond, knowing there would be nothing left of me when this was all over.

Idris’ form shimmered, shifting, and growing as the curse unraveled, revealing the true power that had been denied him for so long.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Idris, his body transforming into a massive red and gold dragon, his roar shaking the very walls of the cavern as the last of my magic died.