36. Sunder

thirty-six

Sunder

Steam wafts around me, thick and cozy, a veiling mist that turns the sprawling bathroom into an ethereal haven. I sink lower in the claw-footed bathtub, muscles uncoiling from the relentless sparring with Bobble.

The water ripples as I exhale, a silent testament to the calm I'm desperate to find. Yet, my mind is a tempest, churning with memories of Cor'than and the night everything fell apart.

"Should've known better than to trust him, then. I certainly know better now," I mutter to the porcelain, tracing the intricate tattoos on my forearms.

The memories are like shards of ice, jagged and cold, piercing through the fog of warmth surrounding me. I was Dan'thiel then, King of Valenfall. The night air was still, too still, when my slumber shattered under the distant cries of terror slicing through the castle.

"Guards!" My voice had been iron then, commanding. I sprang from my bed, the sheets a tangled mess at my feet and sword in hand, before my eyes fully cleared the sleep. But silence answered my call—a heavy, ominous quiet that suffocated hope.

"Where are you, blasted fools?" I growled, stalking through my chambers. My keen eyes, finally clear of the sleep fog, cut through shadows, seeking out threats in every corner.

The stillness mocked me. There should have been clanging armor, shouted orders, the rush of boots against stone. Instead, there was nothing. Only the screams, growing fainter, dying one by one until it was just me, alone in the gaping maw of silence.

The corridor was a mausoleum, my bare feet slipping on cold stone as I step over the bodies of my fallen guards. Their faces, once so full of life and loyalty, now stared blankly at the vaulted ceiling. There's no blood, no sign of struggle—just stillness. It's like death itself whispered through these halls, leaving only shadows in its wake.

"Gods," I hissed under my breath, feeling the weight of my naked sword. The grip was familiar, the only comfort in this chaos. My heart hammered against my chest, a drumbeat urging me to action, yet there's nowhere to direct my fury.

A ragged breath echoed down the hall. Instinctively, I tensed, ready for whatever phantom comes for me next. But the heavy steps are uneven, a subtle telling limp. A shadow flickered at the edge of my vision—a figure peeking around the corner. Not an assassin's sleek menace, but something else entirely.

"Kel?" Relief flooded through me as he emerged, my oldest friend looking as harrowed as I feel.

"Dan'thiel," Kel panted, his face drawn in terror. "We have to leave—now. It's your brother."

"Cor'than?" I questioned, the name a blade twisting in my gut.

He nodded grimly, "He's turned traitor, raised hell with a band of mercenaries and somehow gotten the commoners on his side. They've butchered our forces under the cover of night."

"Mercenaries…" I echoed, disbelief tangling with a rising dread. "But why? How did we not see this coming?"

"Because we trusted him!" He spat out, his words laced with bitterness. "But trust is a fool's currency in these times."

"Enough," I growled, cutting through the despair. "We need to move." Grabbing a cloak from a nearby hook, I draped it over my shoulders, covering the royal insignia etched into my hastily donned armor.

We darted through secret passages, the castle that was once my sanctuary, now a labyrinthine trap. Each turn felt like a betrayal, every echo a potential threat. We were ghosts flitting through the darkness, fleeing the horror that has befallen Valenfall.

"Left here," Kel whispered, guiding us through the maze. His knowledge of these tunnels leading out through the sewer was the only thing keeping us alive. The path was familiar. We'd played here often as children. Our parents encouraged it. They wanted us to have intimate knowledge of these paths should we ever need them. But now in the darkness, fear creeping in my veins, they no longer felt like the familiar friends they used to be. Now they felt like a trap.

"That's far enough." The voice sent ice through my veins. Light flickered ahead from torches, cutting off our escape as men silently moved in behind us.

I glanced at Kel, our eyes meeting for half a moment of slow terror before an arrow struck him through the heart. He gasped as I reached for him, holding his dying body as he quickly succumbed to the wound.

I fell to my knees, clutching his body as Cor'than stomped forward. I didn't even fight as his guards took my arms and dragged me away to the Litwood Forrest to carry out a public sentencing of lifetime banishment from my own kingdom.

The whole realm seemed to be in attendance to witness my exile, a spell cast upon my body to prevent me from ever crossing that border again.

And yet, some lone supporters made this dissatisfaction known. Some boo'ing and hissing as Cor'than passed judgement on me. Guards were swift in their punishments as I sat helpless in shackles, bound by a Dampening Shield.

And now my mate wants to trust him, ask for his aid. I slam my fist against the water, disrupting the tranquility. Droplets scatter like tiny prisms, catching the light and throwing rainbows against the tiles. For a moment, they're beautiful—then they vanish, fleeting as the loyalty of a brother turned foe.

The water ripples around me, heat sinking into my muscles like a promise of reprieve. Steam curls up, fogging the mirror and the windows of the rustic bathroom in our hidden sanctuary. I lean back against the porcelain, the cool kiss against my skin a stark contrast to the warmth surrounding me.

"Peace, Sunder," Bobble's sudden chirp seems to say as it echoes in the room, a touch of humor through the bond. In cat form, he pads over, an orange tabby so small it's laughable compared to the man he is. But even in this guise, his amber eyes hold an understanding of the storm within me. I can feel it too, the list of his emotions so plainly written across his soul. My blue Chroma aches to touch and feel every inch of it, but I stop it as best I can. I'm still learning to control this awful beast within me.

"Can't a man be alone with his thoughts in this damned place?" I ask, but my tone lacks the bite I intend. I let out a heavy sigh, watching as he leaps onto the rim of the tub, tail flicking with each purr.

The mixture of pulses from the Third twists my heart as fear, love, and dedication soar between us. "I'm sorry. This is difficult for me. I know its difficult for everyone. I'm also sorry I let Tairyn get to me."

In a moment, he transforms into the huge male I know. I trace the lines of his face and notice the physical signs that this journey is weighing on him, too. Dark bags beneath his eyes. Lines around his eyes more pronounced. His auburn hair and beard a little longer, less tame than before. I avert my eyes, unable to meet his gaze.

"It's ok. It was a fool's hope that we could all sit at a meal together, anyway."

A slow ache twists in my chest. Something like guilt. As if he can sense my sinking mood, he plasters a cheeky grin across his face. "Aren't you even going to comment on my pants?"

I glance down at the tan leather hugging his thick thighs, and the chuckle in my throat is genuine. "You figured out how to shift with clothes. Now I don't have to see your giant dick swinging around all the time. I swear that thing looks like a limp baby arm dangling between your legs."

"You're just jealous I'm a shower, not a grower." He raises a mischievous eyebrow at me, and my body stirs beneath the water. My eyes brush his bare chest, taking in the hard lines mixing with soft ones. There was a time when he was nothing more than a nuisance, but now…

Bobble reaches for my hand, holding it tight in his. A calm reassurance as his grin fades. "I know this isn't what we hoped for. But it makes sense. Cor'than has an army. And he's more likely to listen to us than any other monarch. He knows us, and he knows this isn't something we'd lie about."

"Yes, he knows how to betray us." I can't keep the bitterness from my voice. "You don't remember it the way I do. The details I do. I can't just waltz into Valenfall and request an audience with the King. He'll slaughter us all on the spot when he finds out who we are."

"Maybe not," he says, curling his fingers between mine. "We've got bigger fish to fry than old grudges, don't we?"

"Grudges keep you sharp," I counter, but there's no heat in it. Bobble's right—as infuriating as that often is.

"Or they dull your edge," he shoots back, a glint of gold in his gaze. "Make you see enemies where there might be allies."

"Cor'than's no ally." The words are a venomous growl, tasting bitter on my tongue.

Bobble just nuzzles my hand against his cheek, a small gesture that speaks louder than any lecture. I can't forgive, but perhaps… I glance up at the Third, his presence a balm to the fury that simmers just below my skin.

"Perhaps," I concede, and the word feels like the first step towards something terrifying and new. A risk, yes. But maybe, just maybe, also a chance to save our future.

A shiver runs down my spine from the shadows of memory that cling like cobwebs. Cor'than. Betrayer. Usurper. His name alone brings forth the specter of that night, when blood was spilled and familial bonds were severed. How can I contemplate allying with him again?

"We have to try this plan, Sunder. Maybe he betrays us. Maybe he doesn't help us at all. Maybe he slaughters us on his doorstep. I don't know. I can't know. But I do know that this is our best chance. Yes, we could turn our back on the whole thing. We could walk away and live our short mortal lives together. Maybe that would be better. But we both know there's too much at stake to not try. I want to live a thousand lives with her. With you. And this is our best chance. So even if we only have a few weeks left in this world, I want to spend them knowing that we did everything we could. And if we die in the process, we'll die with our heads held high."

Inside, I know he's right. Untangling our fingers to hold my face, I let the truth seep into my soul.

Bobble's right, again.

And I nod my head, knowing it's what must be done. Now, I must accept it.