Chapter 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

SAGE

I 'm standing on the shores of a rocky beach, a sheer cliff looming at my back. The sky above is a twist of deep, bruise-like purples, but my attention is caught on our vessel, Howler—the massive, round, glass-like orb—engulfed in flames.

Fire licks at the sky, and thick black smoke darkens overhead, turning the sea into a dark, churning mass that reflects the chaos above.

My heart lurches, breath trapped in my throat. Tears sting my eyes, streaming down my face as I watch the inferno consume the vessel.

Shaking hard, I push toward the lapping icy water, the urgency to find my three monsters, to ensure they aren't on their vessel, eating me alive.

A whimper falls from my lips…

Yet, I know this is a vision; I'm aware of it, just as I'd experienced with the last two. Except this one is different… I've never been so scared.

The pain is sharp, a knife twisting in my chest.

"Sage," a raspy voice echoes from somewhere nearby, the sound almost swallowed by the roar of the flames and the crashing waves.

I turn to Nyko, who's suddenly at my side, eyes wide, the reflection of the flames in his glassy eyes, and it grips my heart.

"Fuck, fuck!"

He's rushing into the water from the shore, desperate in his movements, heading for Howler.

I dart after him, snatching his hand, stopping him with a strength I didn't know I had.

"It's just a vision," I choke out. "We can't change anything here."

He stares at me, tears in his eyes, and it's the first time I've witnessed fear in Nyko. My own fright intensifies at seeing such a strong Shadowfen crumble… the home he's known for most of his life is alight, and maybe everyone he's ever known!

"This was meant to be our moment to show we're true mates, but this… What the fuck! Why is the Howler on fire?" His voice breaks, the sound raw and filled with dread.

"I don't know," I whisper, clinging to him, fear skittering across my skin. "My other visions with Wolfe and Killian were of the past kingdom, others of the present…"

"Fuck me!" he mutters, the word laced with hopelessness. "Is this our future?"

He draws me closer into his embrace as we watch the flames devour Howler. Despite the huge flames and heavy smoke, I don't smell anything. It's just a vision, us observing a moment. Dark smoke floats from the vessel, smudging the world. The sight of his home—our home—being consumed by flames is a nightmare I can't look away from.

"If this is our future, we can't let this happen," I sob into his chest.

Nyko's grip tightens. "A vision is just that, but this is like throwing a wrench into the wheel of events."

I nod, looking up at the fear twisting his expression. Dread sticks to me, a suffocating weight because deep down I worried I'm being shown this for a reason.

My arrival has changed the course these three monsters had planned. They've held back from giving me to my father, so is the result? I quiver down to my bones to think my arrival would result in such devastation.

Nyko's skin glows almost orange, the fire's reflection creating a haunting effect against him.

I look up at the jagged stone wall behind us and the long stretch of sea in front of us, and I feel utterly lost. I have no idea where we are.

Nyko cups my face, his touch grounding me. His gaze glistens more.

"This is a warning, a mission for us to prevent."

"I think so, too."

"You are mine now, Sage, and I'm yours," he murmurs his vow, and I nod in agreement. "You mean everything to me. I knew meeting my true mate would change my world, but this is so much deeper than I expected."

The flames crackle in the distance, the smoke thick in the air.

"I can't lose you," he admits, the words almost a whisper. "I won't lose you."

"It won't happen." My heart races at his touching words, the ones that coil around my insides, reminding me that I'm not alone anymore.

He leans down, kissing me, whispering, "I think I'm falling in love with you."

Tears well up in my eyes from the depth of his emotions, from our horrific surroundings, from the sickening ache in my gut that the flames are a result of me.

He leans in for a fiercer kiss, and I soften against him, never thinking I'd ever have someone tell me they love me.

I cling to him, the dread of the dark prophecy looming over us, but for now, we have time, I tell myself. But for how long?

As the world darkens quickly, fading, Nyko holds me tighter, and I shut my eyes.

H is kisses bring me back, soft ones all over my forehead.

I open my eyes to find us back in my bed, me on top of him, us still stuck together.

I'm crying. Tears won't stop falling, and the fear, the darkness in his gaze—it's all still there. With it comes a profound devotion I feel for Nyko.

Maybe it's the vision that's shaken me or that he's confessed to loving me. Whatever it is, my insides are clenched, and I don't want to let go of him.

"It's going to be all right," he says.

"Everything feels surreal." My heart's throbbing. "I think that Howler burning in my vision might be my fault. Maybe it's a warning for me to make a change before it's too late?"

He frowns, the shadows deepening beneath his eyes. "It's not your fault," he says firmly, holding me tighter. "Don't ever say that."

"But it is." I shake my head, panic surging through me. "Being your true mate, and Killian's and Wolfe's, has changed everything. Maybe that vision is showing us that not taking action against my father as planned has set us on the wrong path."

"We're not giving you to him." His frown deepens, and darkness seems to edge closer. "I can't emphasize that enough."

My heart thunders against my rib cage, the weight of his words comforting but terrifying.

"It took me a while to understand why I was so affected by you, Killian, and Wolfe. I didn't truly grasp what being a true mate meant. But now I feel it strongly inside me—the desperation to be with you three, the fear of losing you all, the warmth in my chest when we are together. Each passing day, this place feels more like home."

I pause, the emotions swirling inside me, forcing me to face the truth.

"I changed fate because now you don't want to harm me, either. That's why I know the vision of Howler burning is because of me."

He studies me, his shadowy face hard to read, but that captivating jade gaze holds me.

"We've been talking about alternate plans," he explains, but it doesn't seem concrete.

I want to cry, to pretend none of this is real, but I push on.

"I have been thinking of a way to maybe fix this."

"What is it?" he asks, his arms across my back, holding me securely.

"You need to take me to my father."

"Like fuck we are!" he growls. "We're not going to sit back if you think we'll let you sacrifice yourself. Your father's a son of a bitch, and once he has you, there's nothing stopping him from killing all of us and burning Howler."

I shake my head. "I'd never do that, but I have a different idea."

"Go on," he says, studying me carefully in the dim light of my bedroom. It feels strange having such a serious conversation while he's still buried deep inside me, but there's a comfort in his presence, the building pressure a reminder of our bond.

"If we don't act, that vision might come true," I press on. "We need to confront my father. Not to sacrifice me, but to change the course of events."

He studies me carefully, the shock giving way to grim determination. "How do you propose we do that?"

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "I'm his daughter," I say, meeting Nyko's sharp gaze. "And as such, I have a claim to be the heir to his throne, right?"

Studying me, not saying anything, his gaze is locked on mine, and I can see his wheels spinning.

"And if you three are my fated mates," I continue. "Then you are, through our connection, bound to also claim that throne alongside me."

"He won't hand over his kingdom." His response is immediate, his voice a low growl.

"I don't expect him to," I reply quickly. "We say we're next in line once he's no longer around. Until then, all we ask for is land for your Shadowfen and peace. If we are rightful heirs, we deserve that much." I'm waffling, nervous, but the words keep pouring out.

"I have no idea if this will work, but if he knows I'm here—and if he doesn't yet, he will soon—wouldn't it make sense to approach him before he comes for me? If we do this, perhaps we'll change the destiny of Howler. I won't sit and do nothing if he's the one who ends up torching Howler."

His breathing quickens. "I don't trust the bastard not to kill us once we arrive."

"Well, you all said he's been searching for me, wanting to understand my power. I don't tell him anything until he agrees to our terms and we're safe. I'll take my time telling him anything. If he comes to take me first, we lose all ability to negotiate. He might destroy everyone to get to me."

"He can just as easily take you and still eliminate us once we approach him," Nyko counters, his tone darkening.

"But we can't do nothing! Having Howler destroyed and everyone in it will ruin me. We have to try something."

"Risky as fuck!" He grimaces.

"A massive risk." I nibble on my lower lip as nerves dance in my stomach. He shifts under me slightly, and his cock twitches inside of me. And I'm buzzing all over, squirming, trying not to think about how incredible it feels to have him inside me during this conversation.

The gravity of my suggestion pushes down on me, my own words echoing in my head, doubt curling around them.

"If we're proactive, we have a chance to create peace in the future. But nothing is a guarantee."

He studies me for a long pause, his hands against me giving a slight shake.

"I'll support you… do anything to keep you safe, but we don't rush into this. We have time."

"I know," I concede. "But after that vision…" I swallow hard, still feeling the sickness in my gut to think of the Howler being destroyed. "I feel we may not have that much time."

He isn't okay; it's easy to see the frantic look on his frowning expression. I've observed more sides of Nyko recently, but this one makes him appear unraveled. It reminds me of my arrival in Blight. My panic, fear, and the unknown all terrifying me.

"If we wait, we're at his mercy," I whisper in the silent room. "This way, we at least have a chance to fight back on our terms."

He's silent for a while, his grip on me tightening.

"We do this, we do it together, plus we need Wolfe's and Killian's agreement."

"Of course." I nod again, feeling a surge of determination tangled with trepidation.

Leaning closer, I meet his lips, and he kisses me softer this time but with a passion I hadn't expected from him. This isn't hunger or desperation but one of affection, and it tugs at my heart.

The reality of what I've proposed sinks in.

I have no idea how a passionate night ended up with us making plans to face my father—a plan that might very well end in our deaths—but the more I think about it, the more I feel this is the right way to go.