Wyatt watched in horror as Nev continued to be guided towards the throne. Feeling the throne pulsing with a dark craving, he wanted to scream. But she was too lost and far away to hear him. If you can’t hear me, then sense me, he thought. He sat down and steadied his mind. He could feel her, but she seemed incredibly distant. Nev, I love you. Please come back to me. Please don’t let go, he thought. Then Wyatt reached out and encompassed her hands with warmth and squeezed.
Nev looked at her hands, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Wyatt, she thought. Having been pulled back into the moment, she turned and looked at The Oracle. “No, you are wrong. There is only one person who truly knows me, and it is not you,” Nev proclaimed, feeling her resolve slowly begin to return.
Wyatt smiled and declared, “I know you. You are brave, beautiful, and definitely more stubborn than me.” Feeling their connection rebuilding itself, he endeavored to bolster her will with his.
Nev nodded at Wyatt and smiled for a moment. “Definitely more,” she agreed.
The Oracle could feel his grip on Nevara slipping. His fury exploded as he sensed her determination grow. “NO! You are the last, and you are mine. You must fulfill the promise. You will sit upon the Obsidian throne. Your blood will flow upon it, or I will end you,” he growled before unleashing a blast of energy that shoved her to the ground. He moved behind her and was now pacing, his fury and desperation growing.
“Nev!” Wyatt yelled, panicked.
Nev took a deep breath and stood back up. She knew now what she had to do. Her will was strong, as was her connection to Wyatt. His fear permeated her senses, and she reached out to ease it. Channeling her thoughts, she whispered in Wyatt’s mind, I love you more than anything, but I know what I have to do. And I know what you have to do. You have to let me go.
“No… no! We will find another way. There has to be another way,” Wyatt sobbed, with desperation. Struggling to stand, he forced one of his feet back under him.
“Some risks are worth dying for,” Nev whispered, her voice quiet and steady. She looked up at Wyatt and smiled before mouthing the words, “No worries.”
The entire room began to vibrate as Nev closed her eyes. Suddenly, a blinding and radiant purple glow began to grow around Nev. It wasn’t coming from her amulet this time but from Nev herself. She let the energy build and build.
The Oracle tried to push her back again, but as he unleashed his fury, he was blown backward instead. He clawed at the ground, attempting to resist Nev’s onslaught. His efforts were futile. “You think you can break your promise? You are wrong. It will be fulfilled. Your victory today will do nothing to change that,” he howled, his voice seething with anger and wanting.
Wyatt watched in awe and heartbreak as he felt the energy within Nev continue to grow. You are crazy, and I love you. And I won’t let you do this alone, he thought, as he pressed his mind to enhance her power with his.
The Oracle screamed, “NO!” Then, in an instant, the entire throne room surged with energy.
Every window in the room exploded out into the courtyard below. Furniture splintered, walls cracked, and the very ground shook. For a moment, it seemed the entire castle may collapse. However, it rapidly became clear that Nev had focused the entirety of her ferocity at two things: The Oracle and the Obsidian Throne. Each began to buckle under her unrelenting assault. Suddenly, both exploded into a fine dust. Purple winds immediately began to swirl throughout the room, and the dust was spun and spun into a tighter and tighter sphere before it simply ceased to be.
Wyatt suddenly felt his mind free from the Oracle’s grasp. The gusts of energy that had consumed the throne room moments before vanished in a heartbeat. Wyatt watched in horror as he saw Nev collapse to the ground.
He scrambled to his feet and ran to her. Scooping her up in his arms, he cradled her on the ground. Wyatt pushed the hair back from her face and desperately searched for any sign that she was still with him. Her amulet was broken and pale in color now. Looking drained of energy, its appearance reflected in Nev. Wyatt grabbed her hand and squeezed. Clinging to the frantic hope that she had survived, he watched for any movement. Instead, her hand was cold and sat limp in his grasp.
“No, you don’t get to let go. You said I saved you. I… there must be some way to save you,” he sobbed, his voice shaky and tearful. He looked down at her and steadied his mind. Reaching out to try and sense her. He pushed himself harder and harder. A devastating pain began shooting through his head in protest, but he ignored it and forced himself to keep searching.
Fear and anguish threatened to consume him, and then he felt it. A faint and cooling ember of life was still there. He could feel death’s cold shadows reaching for it. Wyatt poured every piece of his essence into one thought: BURN!
He could see the ember react. It flickered with a soft, orange glow. Wyatt’s mind began to buckle under the demands of his focus, but he refused to concede. He sent one final surge of energy into the struggling flame. In an instant, it burst and exploded into a raging fire. Wyatt let himself collapse into Nev and sighed with relief as he heard her begin wheezing and coughing. He rested his throbbing head against her for a moment before helping them both sit up.
Nev looked up at Wyatt and blinked. “Wyatt?” she gasped, her voice raspy and weak.
“Thought you found a loophole to my promise, didn’t you?” he teased, laughing and wincing in pain.
Nev grinned and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Tears quickly running down her cheeks.
“Ow… laughing… mistake. You’d think I would remember that,” Wyatt said, rubbing his temples with his fingers.
Nev quickly pulled a leaf from his pouch and placed it gently in Wyatt’s mouth. She looked at him with bewilderment and adoration. “Hi, handsome. You saved me… again,” Nev stammered, kissing him softly.
He felt the intensity of the throbbing sensation in his head begin to retreat. “What can I say? I’m quite the dashing hero,” he grinned.
“You are, indeed,” she agreed, kissing his forehead. “Although, does that make me a helpless damsel in distress?” Nev questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“You? Umm… no. You may be a princess, but you are definitely not a helpless damsel. I mean, have you seen how amazing you are?” Wyatt asked, kissing her playfully on the nose.
“Why don’t you tell me exactly what you find amazing about me?” Nev suggested, winking at Wyatt.
“Well, let me tell you. Hmm… on second thought, maybe it is better that I show you,” Wyatt answered. He then pulled her close and kissed her passionately.
Nev eagerly kissed him back before giggling.
“See, there’s one. Your giggle is amazing. You know, I think it might take a lifetime to list all the things I find amazing about you. I would want to be thorough, of course,” Wyatt said, smiling at her.
“Very sensible. A whole lifetime is quite a while, though,” Nev noted, smiling sweetly.
“Yeah, it is. I suppose a guy should marry a girl that he planned to spend a whole lifetime with,” Wyatt surmised, gazing at Nev.
“‘Suppose he should’ or ‘should?’” Nev asked as she playfully twirled a loose curl of his hair.
“Yes,” Wyatt grinned broadly.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by banging on the throne room door and coughing and moaning coming from General Razine. “So, princess… which do you prefer?” Wyatt questioned, pulling Nev to her feet.
Nev cocked her head to the side, awaiting her choices.
Wyatt glanced at the room around them before turning his attention fully back on Nev. “I told you I would always try to give you a choice. So, castle or cave?” he asked, holding his hand with the obsidian ring up and smiling.
Nev knew her preference instantly. Grinning, she leaned closed to him and whispered, “Hmm… I believe Razine can handle things here. So, do you think you could make the mushrooms glow purple this time?”
“For you, my lady? Of course. After all, you are most definitely
worth it,” Wyatt replied. Quickly he clasped Nev’s hands in his and smiled before they both disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke.
Chapter 45
The throne room door swung open, and enforcers came pouring through. They did not even notice that the required stationed attendant was missing. General Razine heard the sudden commotion and pulled himself to his feet. He’d witnessed but been unable to speak during the confrontation between the Oracle and the lost heiress. He was now working through the ramifications of all of it in his mind.
His head swirled, and for the first time, in a very long time, his mind felt clear. The fog that had clouded his thoughts was finally gone, and he stared at the men now filling the throne room. He studied the room for a moment before one of the enforcers interrupted him.
“Your orders, sir? We found the emperor’s body. Is the one responsible for his death still here?” the heavily armored man with black hair and green eyes asked.
“The Oracle was the one responsible and the real threat. And he is… he is gone,” Razine clarified, still trying to get his bearings.
“What of the lost heiress? Should she still be deemed a threat? Should we continue to send men to look for her?” questioned the enforcer.
Razine looked around the room and replied flatly, “No. That threat never existed.”
“Then what are your orders, sir?” the enforcer asked.
“Secure the palace, halt all tests for Unmarked, and release any women still confined. Also, allow the few remaining untrained Tinkerers to return to their homes. They were no more responsible than the women were. Then bring me some red wine and all the most recent reports,” Razine ordered as he rubbed his temples.
The enforcer saluted and then asked, “Anything else?”
“Yes, hunt down and kill any remaining prowlers,” Razine instructed with a grin.
The enforcer saluted and said without hesitation, “Yes, sir!”
Razine appreciated the enforcer’s enthusiasm when given such a daunting and dangerous task. Deciding he might need someone like that in the coming days, the general inquired, “Oh, and what is your name, son?”
“Liam, sir,” the enforcer quickly responded.
Razine nodded. “Very good, Liam. See that you stick around for a bit after delivering my orders. I may have something else in mind for you,” he added with a thoughtful smile.
Saluting again, Liam turned and left the throne room.
Razine, with no emperor, Oracle, or lost heiress, assumed a role familiar to himself. “Well, as the face of the Obsidian Empire, it would seem I have a lot of messes to clean up. I’d better get started,” Razine said prior to heading out of the throne room and towards the formally emperor’s—now general’s—study.
Epilogue
“How much further?” Nev inquired as she continued to be led forward by Wyatt through the woods blindfolded.
“You aren’t peeking? Are you?” Wyatt questioned.
“What, me? Of course not,” she responded innocently.
Laughing, Wyatt replied, “You are terrible. And no peeking. Also, no attempting to sense where we are going. It is supposed to be a surprise.”
Nev sighed, feigning annoyance. “Fine. I’ll do my best to let you lead me blindly into goodness knows what. Just know, you will owe me,” she joked before giggling.
Wyatt shook his head and noted, “I think you and my sister have been spending far too much time together. Of course, after living at Nellis’ for a little over two months, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“You know. This is all your fault. You and Nellis always running off and leaving me alone with your sister,” observed Nev. “So, does this surprise have anything to do with your constant disappearing?” she questioned.
Chuckling softly, Wyatt asked, “You do know how surprises are supposed to work, don’t you? Now, no more trying to get hints out of me. We are almost there. So, just trust me.”
“Hmm… almost? We’ve been walking like this for almost an hour. You aren’t taking me back to our cave, are you? I mean… I should’ve probably packed a snack if that is the case,” Nev teased playfully.
Pulling her close, Wyatt stopped their progress and wrapped his arms around her waist. Without removing his sash that was being used as a makeshift blindfold, he kissed her deeply.
Nev relaxed into his embrace and eagerly returned his kiss. The questions and innocent kidding all fell from her mind. Quickly finding a curl of his hair to twirl with her fingers, she pressed her lips to his.
Sensing her mind and body relax, Wyatt pulled back from her and grabbed her hand again. “Much better,” he grinned before bringing her hand to his mouth and gently kissing it. “Nev, your appearance in my life was the best surprise I’ve ever gotten. Please let me have my turn to surprise you,” he whispered lovingly.
Smiling sweetly, Nev replied, “You know I can’t resist you, especially when you ask like that.”
With Nev now happily following him blindly, Wyatt quickened his pace. He was careful not to let Nev trip or stumble as he swiftly led her towards his destination. It had been challenging to keep a secret from her. Their recent encounter at the palace had been a catalyst for her latent Tinkerer abilities. Wyatt, and perhaps even Nev, were still not entirely certain just how powerful she was or would become. Still, it was already clear that her skills were quickly surpassing his. There were no feelings of envy on his part, however. Instead, he was constantly in awe of her, proudly watching and helping her powers develop. He had always found her to be amazing, now he marveled at her. It wasn’t just her skills that left him stunned.
Wyatt also felt like he was living in a dream—a very pleasant dream. Every day he woke in wonderment that they’d survived their journey and that somewhere along the way they’d fallen in love. Falling for her had been an easy and natural thing for him. Still, to see his feelings reciprocated by Nev left him astonished. Perhaps she’d been right when she’d first told him she was lucky, he certainly was.
Smiling to himself, he led her further into the woods. The surprise he’d been working tirelessly at was finally ready. He had needed Nellis’ help and Addi’s blessing, neither of which had been hard to secure. Addi was possibly a little too grateful for Wyatt’s suggestion, and Nellis was only too happy to help. Nellis’ knowledge and advice had also proved invaluable in assisting Wyatt’s idea to actually take shape. Overall, it had proven to be an excellent opportunity for him and Nellis to reconnect as friends.
After all, Wyatt had always liked Nellis and viewed him like an older brother. Now that he was a sibling more officially, Wyatt was glad to spend some time with him. It was still a little surprising that Addi and Nellis had gotten married so quickly after Wyatt and Nev had returned. For all of Addi’s bluster and tendency to grumble, she was actually a hopeless romantic and a bit of a softy. At least she was where Nellis was concerned. As far as Wyatt could tell, her absence from Nellis seemed to almost instantly become a distant memory.
As Nev and Wyatt came to the end of the path, Wyatt squeezed Nev’s hand tightly. It was a gesture they had done countless times to reassure one another. This time, it was his nerves that needed her help to become steady. He had taken a gamble, and he was about to learn if she would approve. He had risked time, effort, and expense to hopefully surprise her pleasantly. To help ease his mind, Wyatt repeated the words he’d heard Nev say many times, The risk worth taking. As he felt Nev squeeze his hand, he smiled. Moving to stand beside her, he made sure to keep her hand firmly in his.
Nev could sense Wyatt tensing, but kept herself from feeling anything more. She honestly had no desire to spoil the surprise. Gently, Nev urged Wyatt’s anxiety to ease. Around her, she could hear the trees gently swaying in the breeze and the sound of a babbling creek. Nev could feel the warm rays of sunshine on her face and shoulders as she tilted her head upwards. Peaceful and calm moments had been plentiful since she had chosen the cave. Still, she reveled in them.
Wyatt grinned at
her affectionately. He could sense the serenity within her. Part of him thought to let her stay just like she was for as long as she desired, head leaned back and blissfully enjoying the sunlight. Still, he needed to show her what he’d prepared for her. If she loved it, then there would be countless more opportunities for peaceful moments. “Are you ready for your surprise?” he whispered in her ear.
A light shiver ran through her body as Wyatt’s words danced along her ear. She loved that surprises could now be something she looked forward to instead of hid from. “Yes,” she answered softly.
Instinctually she closed her eyes as she felt Wyatt turn her back towards where they had come. Once pivoted, he removed his sash from her eyes. That piece of fabric had played a significant role in their journey, and it seemed fitting that it was part of this one as well. Nev, not wanting her first glimpse of the surprise to be blurry, looked down towards the ground. She blinked her eyes a few times as they got reacquainted with the light. As she pushed her eyes to focus, she felt Wyatt release her hand and kneel before her. Her breath stopped as she raised her head and saw him on his knees with a silver ring outstretched in his hands. Everything else around her immediately dropped from her sight.
“Nev, I know I brought up the idea in the palace and then asked you once we appeared in the cave, but you deserve more than that. You deserve everything—including a ring and a real proposal,” Wyatt stated tenderly before he smiled at her. “Nev, I never could have imagined meeting the love of my life in the way that I met you. Nor could I have imagined the crazy path we would travel down. Now, however, the only thing I can’t imagine is to not have you in my life. I love you with all that I am. You were and are worth it. Always. Would you do me the great honor of choosing to marry me?” he asked with bated breath. The adoration in his tone and expression were more than evident.
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