Chapter 22

Chapter

Twenty-Two

ANDRIN

I sprinted toward my chamber, my heart in my throat. The doors flew open at my approach, and I rushed inside, my voice cracking with urgency.

“Mirella! Someone said they saw crows—” I froze at the sight of Mirella holding Rane on the floor. My heart stopped. Rane lifted his head, and my heart started up again.

“Andrin,” he said hoarsely.

I crossed the room in an instant. Dropping to my knees beside them, I took Rane’s face in my hands and brushed my thumbs over the tracks of dried tears on his cheeks. “What happened?”

“I flew to the Edelfen,” Rane said. “I thought I could handle it.” Bitterness laced his tone. “I was wrong.”

Anger rose, but I forced it down. “Are you all right?”

He nodded. Pulling from my grip, he stood and then helped Mirella to her feet. He kept a tight grip on her hand as he gazed at her with an expression that was equal parts grateful and awestruck. “I joined with the shadows. Mirella brought me back.”

For a moment, shock rendered me speechless. “How is that possible? She never left the Embervale.”

Rane looked at me with stark eyes. “I brought it with me.”

My disbelief grew. I stared at Mirella. “You fought the Edelfen here? Face to face?”

She shifted under my scrutiny, a blush staining her cheeks. “I… I don’t really know.” Mirella glanced at Rane, her brows knitting. “I just did what I always do when I heal someone. I let light build, and I saw Rane’s memories through his eyes. Then we were here together, and the shadows were gone.”

Gone. The impossible word echoed in my mind. No one had ever survived a direct encounter with the Edelfen. Vivia had deflected it once, barely, and it had nearly killed her. Yet Mirella stood before us, whole and unharmed.

She’d done the impossible, beating the shadows back and dragging Rane from their grip. She’d saved his life.

Realizations slammed into me, each one more powerful than the last. I’d taken Mirella from her home, convinced I was using her for the greater good. Now I knew I’d been wrong. She wasn’t a tool or a means to an end. She was so much more than that. Kind, brilliant, brave, selfless.

I didn’t want her for what she could do. I wanted her for who she was.

She stood hand in hand with Rane, her cheeks flushed and the freckles on her nose gleaming like gold dust. Like the gods themselves had favored her enough to sprinkle her with little specks of light.

My heart sped up, a heady, undeniable truth spinning through me. I stepped close, taking her other hand. Magic sparked against my skin as I pressed her palm to my heart. “Thank you, my lady, for bringing Rane back to me. I’ve been fortunate to fall in love once in my life. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to experience it a second time.”

Mirella’s lips parted. “What are you saying?”

“I love you.” Tenderness swept me, and I tugged a bright curl that had fallen over her shoulder. “It was probably inevitable. Redheads are hard to resist.”

Rane watched us silently, his expression unreadable. The weight of my confession lingered in the air between us.

Mirella’s eyes widened. “How can you say that?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“Because it’s true,” I said simply. “You brought light to the Embervale the moment you arrived. You’ve shown me kindness I didn’t deserve and courage I couldn’t match. And today, you risked everything to save Rane. You’re better than most people, Mirella. Better than I am. I love you. Whether or not you believe it is up to you, but it’s the truth.”

She stared at me. Then she looked at Rane.

He gave a slight shrug. “I’ve loved you since you punched me at the Covenant.”

Mirella released a shaky laugh. Then she sobered. “I would never try to take Andrin from you,” she told Rane.

“I know.” Rane’s eyes softened, and a mischievous smile played around his mouth as he lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I’d like to see you try.”

Mirella bit her lip, her gaze drifting between us as emotions flitted across her face—uncertainty, hesitation, resolve. Finally, she seemed to settle on quiet anxiety. “I don’t… I don’t know if I can… I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I said, squeezing her hand. “You owe us nothing. Not an answer, not a promise. This is your choice, Mirella.”

The tension left her face, and she drew an even breath. “I want to do the shadowbond. Not because I think you want me to, but for the Embervale. For Ginhad, the children, Vivia, and Thraxos.” She looked at Rane. “I’ll bond with you, and we’ll go to Purecliff and find the Kree.”

Rane’s eyes shone. “I would be honored to bond with you.”

Emotion welled in my chest. Maybe I should have felt conflicted about loving two people, but I didn’t. It felt right.

“We’ll go tomorrow,” I said. “Today, we rest and make a plan.”

Mirella nodded. Rane’s gaze lingered on her, his eyes darkening with lust he didn’t bother to hide. She noticed his attention, the pulse in her throat fluttering as she returned his stare.

“We should rest first,” I said. “The bed is big enough for the three of us.”

Rane tucked a lock of hair behind Mirella’s ear with a gentle hand. “It’s Mirella’s decision.”

Silence stretched, and we all knew we weren’t talking about sleep.

Mirella drew another deep breath. Then she lifted her chin, her golden eyes steady. “Yes.”