Chapter Thirty-Five

I took Ara to the chamber outside the Emperor's apartments.

Ara peered around the vast room with wonder, then down at me. "You did it. You freed me. Again."

"And I'm going to make sure that you stay that way," I vowed.

"Thank you, Ember," his voice cracked. "Thank you."

I cupped his cheeks even as my men arrived around us.

"Sorry to interrupt," Kel drawled. "But we need to get him secured."

"He's fine," I said. "I freed him of Death. We can take the manacles off."

"No!" Ara cried before anyone else could protest.

"You're safe here, Ara," I said. "Death can't get through the Emperor's wards."

"He can if there's still a piece of him inside me."

"There isn't. I destroyed the cage."

"We don't know that for sure. Just as I hid my link to Caleb, so could Death be hiding his link to me. We must be cautious. Once we're bound and I can put up Spirit wards inside myself, then you can release me."

"I can't fucking believe I'm about to say this, but I agree with Aranren," Keltyr said.

"Fine," I said. "Just for now."

Meanwhile, Rath went to the Emperor's door and pounded on it.

Ara stepped away from me to face my lovers. "Thank you. I know you must feel conflicted."

"Conflicted?" Xae snorted a laugh. "Yeah, maybe a bit more than that."

Agal, the Emperor's manservant, answered the door with his usual annoyed expression. "What is it now?" Then his stare found Aranren and widened. "Oh, great Goddess! Is that—?"

"Where is he?!" Rath rushed past him.

"It will be all right," I said to Ara and took his hand.

"I know it will be," Ara said. "You've given me your hope, Ember."

"I had enough for both of us." I drew him after Rath and the other men brought up the rear.

Agal rushed ahead, glancing back often to gape at Aranren. "I don't think . . . uh . . . I can fetch—"

"We don't have time for that," Taroc said and pushed the man forward. "Run. Go get him."

Agal ran. I would have been amused if not for the severity of the situation. Yes, Ara was safe behind the Emperor's wards, but even the Emperor's wards could be surmounted. And the war wouldn't be over until Death's door had been locked, bolted, and bricked over. I had to bond with Ara as soon as possible.

Then I heard laughter. A little girl's laughter.

"Oh, fuck," I whispered and stopped short.

"Sally," Kel said.

"She doesn't see him." Xae pointed at Aranren. "Understood?"

I nodded.

"Who's Sally?" Aranren whispered.

"Oh, just one of the children you kidnapped, then orphaned," Kel drawled.

Ara's face went white.

"Kel!" I hissed.

He just shrugged.

"That could have been me, Keltyr!" I said. "Would you be treating me like this if I had done those things while possessed by Death?"

Kel winced.

"It's all right, Ember," Ara said. "I'm just happy to be free of Death. Their scorn is a small price to pay."

"Aranren?" the Emperor's voice came from down the hall.

All of us turned to find the Emperor standing in a doorway, half into the hall. He looked back and said, "I'll be right back, my darling. Uncle Agal will keep you company until then."

"All right, Daddy!" Sally said.

Ara's eyes widened as he whispered, "Daddy?"

The Emperor shut the door and strode slowly down the corridor until he stood before Ara. "Aranren?" He looked down at the manacles, then back at Ara's face. "It's you, isn't it? The real you."

"Yes, my friend. It's good to see you without Death's darkness weighing upon me."

"You knew," I whispered.

The Emperor's golden stare shot to me. "Yes, of course. I've always known that Aranren was innocent."

"Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Ember, he couldn't," Ara said. "He knew he had to defeat me. It didn't matter that I was being controlled. There was no way to save me. Not that he knew of. Telling his soldiers that I was innocent would have only weakened them." He looked back at the Emperor. "So you bore that burden alone. I'm so sorry, Sarthares."

"No, I'm sorry, my friend." The Emperor's eyes filled with tears as he pulled Ara into an embrace. "I gave up on you when I obviously shouldn't have."

With his wrists chained together, Ara couldn't return the embrace, but he did lay his cheek on the Emperor's shoulder. When I saw that, my chest clenched and a sliver of jealousy ran through me. It was ridiculous, especially with how many lovers I had, but love often is. I knew that Aranren had loved Sarthares. Probably still did. The Emperor never loved Aranren in that way, but he did as a friend. It was obvious to everyone in that hallway. And things change. All those years of regret could have turned into a longing for something he thought could never have.

The Emperor stood back and swiped at his eyes. "I will do everything in my power to free you, Aranren. But if I can't, you know what I must do."

Aranren nodded. "If that's what must happen to end this, then so be it."

"What?" I whispered. Then, much louder, I said, "You're not going to die!" To the Emperor, I said, "You're not killing him. I didn't bring him here for that."

"It is only a last resort," the Emperor said.

"It's no resort," I shot back. "Not a first or a last or anything in between. I've already freed Aranren from Death. Now, I'm going to bond with him and give him access to Spirit. Spirit will make sure that Death never reclaims him."

The Emperor blinked. His jaw fell open. He looked at Aranren. "That . . . may just work. Are you willing to do this, Aranren?"

"I love him, Sarthares," Ara said in an almost apologetic tone. "Even if there was no war, I would gladly bind my life to his."

The Emperor straightened, his shoulders especially seemed to harden. He lifted his chin, then nodded. "I understand now."

"The Goddess led me to him," I said. "I know this is how I will end the war, Your Imperial Majesty."

The Emperor's lips twitched at the title, probably because it had taken me so long to remember to use it. "I think you may be right, Ember."

"Really?" Keltyr asked. "I mean, do you really think so, Your Imperial Majesty?"

"Yes, Lord Keltyr, I do. I believe and I have faith in the Goddess." The Emperor looked at the rest of my lovers. "This must be difficult for all of you. It was wise to bring Aranren here instead of the citadel. I can protect or imprison him if necessary. But I'm hoping that I won't have to do either of those things for long." He looked at me. "I will have Agal prepare a room for your use, Lord Ember."

"Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty." I bowed.

"May the Goddess be with you both." He kissed Aranren on the cheek. "And congratulations on finding love, my friend."

"Thank you . . . Your Imperial Majesty," Ara said. Then he asked, "And congratulations to you as well. When did you become a father?"

The Emperor's grim expression transformed immediately. "Thank you. And it was very recently. Sally is . . ." he hesitated.

"One of the children Death forced me to take," Ara finished. "Yes, I know. I assume her parents were among those murdered."

"Yes," the Emperor said. "But I have her now, and I can't help but feel grateful and blessed, no matter how she came to me."

"Fate is strange," Aranren whispered, his stare sliding to me. "Sometimes it gives us exactly what we want, but not in the way we envisioned it."

The Emperor followed his stare, smiled, then turned away, heading back to his Sally. "Yes, indeed. I will fetch Agal."

"Your Imperial Majesty," Ara called after him.

The Emperor paused in the doorway. "Yes?"

"You need to be prepared to act immediately if my fate is not so sweet as yours. Ember will not have the strength to do what needs to be done."

The Emperor's jaw clenched, but he nodded before entering the room.