by Todd, E. L.
Accacia saw his body stiffen. She moved for Aleco’s heart, preparing to take the injuries onto herself when Zyle stopped her again. This time she grabbed his hand and shoved him back. She stared at Zyle with a look of determination. Nothing was going to stop her. “Step back, Zyle. You can’t stop me from doing this—it is my decision.”
Zyle moved toward her but she aimed her dagger at him. Zyle flinched when he saw the gleam of the metal. He knew she was serious. He held his hand up. He could see that nothing he did was going to stop her unless he knocked her unconscious. Zyle was disturbed that Accacia would die to spare Aleco. He wondered if she would do it for him. He knew nothing was going to assuage her choice. Zyle sighed to himself as he realized what he had to do. “Then let me help you,” he said. “Let’s split the injuries between us.”
Accacia lowered her dagger and stared at him. “You would do that?”
Zyle nodded. “I will do anything for you, Accacia. You should know that by now.”
Accacia nodded. “Thank you,” she said. She reached her hand over Aleco’s heart, but Zyle pulled it away.
“Let me go first, Accacia.” Zyle closed his eyes and concentrated, willing the injuries to be transferred to his body. He could feel the slits cover his extremities as he bestowed the cuts onto his own skin. The searing pain filled his body and made his arms tremble. He ended the spell before it became too much. Accacia steadied him as his chest heaved with deep breaths. His brow was covered in his sweat and blood dripped from his body. “Don’t take—it all, Accacia. He can suffer through—some of it.” Zyle lied on the floor and closed his eyes.
“Are you alright?” she asked with a voice full of concern. Zyle only nodded.
Accacia turned to Aleco and began the healing spell, taking the afflictions of his body and sucking them inside of her. She felt her wrist redden in a cut and her shoulder become stiff with torn muscles and ligaments. Accacia ended the spell when she felt it was becoming too much. Acacia pulled back Aleco’s jacket and stared at his body. He had already improved. His breathing had picked up and returned to a normal rate. Accacia felt his heartbeat and smiled at the strength of the pulse. Aleco was still unconscious but Accacia knew he was going to survive. He was just exhausted.
Accacia returned to Zyle and leaned over him. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed him. “Thank you so much,” she whispered to him. Zyle opened his eyes and stared at her, feeling his body return to a state of calm at her face hanging over him. She smiled down at him and his heart melted. Zyle sat up and held her in his arms, feeling her body against his own. He thought he would never see her again. Zyle remembered their parting and felt his heart drop. He hoped she had forgiven him.
“I’m so sorry, Accacia,” he said into her neck. “I hope you can forgive me for what I did.”
Accacia pulled away from him. “Let’s discuss it later. I’m just happy that you’re okay.” She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes.
Zyle felt the panic course through him. Her words didn’t sound promising and they didn’t ring with the bell of forgiveness. He stared at her but she didn’t open her eyes. “Accacia, please forgive me,” he begged. “I need you to forgive me.”
Accacia opened her eyes and met his gaze. She saw the desperation in his eyes and she felt horrible for making him suffer. She didn’t want to hurt him. “I don’t know if I can, Zyle. I know I said I would but—I don’t know.”
Zyle felt his heart rise into his throat. He gripped his hair as he felt the tears fall down his face. Accacia was leaving him. He had betrayed her beyond forgiveness and now he had lost her. Zyle wished he had died in the fight—it was preferable to this agony. “Please don’t leave me, Accacia,” he said without looking at her. “I’ll never do it again—I promise.”
Accacia held him in her arms. She felt even worse for what she had done to him. “That isn’t what I meant, Zyle,” she said as she kissed him. “I’m sorry I made you think that. I told you to never doubt my love for you.”
Zyle felt his body relax at her words. The clawed talon that gripped his heart released its hold, letting him breathe again. He held her in his arms. “Thank the gods.” He wiped his tears away and looked at her. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have made my meaning clear.”
“Then what did you mean? You have to forgive me, Accacia. I only did it to protect you.”
“I know you did, Zyle, but that is unacceptable.”
Zyle felt the jealousy grip his heart. “And why aren’t you mad at Aleco? Why am I the only one held responsible for this?” He pulled back and looked at her, watching her face.
“I expected this from him—he has never misled me or lied to me. I trusted you above everyone else, Zyle, and I knew you would never betray me. You of all people understand how being locked up would make me feel.” Zyle looked away. He had known this when he made the decision but he had done it anyway. “I felt powerless and violated, just as I was when I was locked in here. I knew if Aleco tried anything you would protect me. I trusted you, Zyle. I thought you honored and respected my decisions, even if you didn’t agree with them. I never expected you to do that. You come from a society that honors the equality of women—you went against everything you believed in.” Accacia crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, putting distance from her husband. The sting of the betrayal was coming back. She wished she had waited to have this conversation later. “And then you didn’t give me a chance to say goodbye—that is the worst part. You had your moment to appreciate your last meeting with me. If I had known it was the last time I may ever see you, I would have done things differently. My husband left for battle, possibly to never return, and I didn’t get to tell him how much I loved him.”
“I already know how much you do.”
Accacia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Zyle. I’m so disappointed in you.”
Zyle dropped his gaze to the floor, ashamed of himself. “I’m sorry, Accacia. I mean it—it won’t happen again. I just needed to protect you. You almost died in Paso Robles—I couldn’t live if you hadn’t survived.”
“And do you think I feel any different?”
Zyle didn’t respond.
“Why is your concern for me overriding mine for you?”
“It—doesn’t. I just—wanted to keep you safe. My intentions were purely honorable. It won’t happen again, Accacia. You can trust me. Please forgive me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?” he asked desperately. “I only did it because I love you—there is no other reason. Please understand my feelings, Accacia.”
“I can forgive you as my husband, but not as my king—not my fellow ruler. Your selfish act cost thousands of lives today. Do you understand that? You put my life before everyone else, and as a result, my subjects have died. They could have been spared all of this.”
“I don’t understand, Accacia. This would have happened no matter what. Lives would still be lost.”
“You’re right,” she said. “You don’t understand. If you allowed me come to battle when we left, I would have gathered the elemental stones when we parted. The Lorunien Tree had been waiting for me to escape so it can give me the tools to defeat Drake. I would have had them when we arrived—I would have killed Drake instantly. We wouldn’t have even needed an army at all, Zyle. Now do you understand what you have done?”
Zyle kneeled on the floor and covered his face with his palms. She was right; his selfish priorities had come at the price of his own subjects. If he had kept his faith in his wife and her fighting abilities, this all could have been avoided. “I would have done things differently if I had known that, Accacia—you can’t hold that against me. I apologize for what I did and I mean it. But if I had to do it over again, I would have done the same thing. Nothing is more important to me then you are—I admit it. I am selfish and have no right to lead the Asquithians.” He looked up at her. “What more do you want
from me?”
Accacia embraced him, kissing his tears away and sliding her fingers through his hair. “I love you,” she whispered. Accacia felt her heart squeeze as she looked at her life partner. She had caused him unbearable pain, enough to make him fall apart right before her eyes. “I’m so sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me.”
“I will always forgive you, Accacia. So please forgive me.”
She grabbed his face and kissed him. “I will as long as you promise to never do it again. You have the right to express your opinions about my decisions but you will never force me against my will. Can you agree?”
“Consider it done.”
She smiled at him. “Good.”
Accacia heard Aleco stir from his position on the other side of the room. Accacia released Zyle and advanced to him, kneeling at his feet. Aleco sat up and she helped him rise. His body was sore and he still felt the pain coursing through his limbs, but he did feel better. He opened his eyes and looked at Accacia for a long moment. Neither one of them said anything for several minutes.
“You’re an idiot,” he said.
Accacia didn’t react to his hostile words. “And you’re an asshole.”
Aleco smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you for everything, Accacia. This wouldn’t have been possible without you.”
Accacia leaned her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling protected and warm in his embrace. Aleco didn’t release his hold and let his body rest in her arms. Accacia tried to pull away but Aleco held her tight. “Please hold me,” he said. “Don’t go.”
Accacia tightened her hold on him. “It’s okay,” she said. “You’re safe.”
“I owe you my life, Accacia. Now you’re the one who saved me.”
Accacia laughed. “I guess so. None of this would have happened without you, Aleco. We were meant to do this together. We fulfilled our destiny.”
“Horseshit—fulfilled our destiny,” he said with a laugh. “We just got lucky.”
“I don’t think so. I think our paths were meant to cross.”
Aleco pulled away and stared at her. He had felt the same way a year ago, at a time when he knew they were meant to be together, but now she was no longer his. He had been wrong. He tucked her brown hair behind her ear and memorized her face, knowing this was the last time he would be close with her. “Perhaps.” He stared at her for a moment longer and Accacia rested her hand on his cheek, pressing her forehead against his. Aleco knew Zyle was watching but he didn’t care. Accacia didn’t seem to either.
“I love you, Aleco. I’m so glad you’re okay. I couldn’t live without you.” She kissed his cheek and he felt his heart throb in his chest.
He wanted to break his oath to Zyle and the Nature God and just kiss her, but he held back. The words she said radiated down his spine and reached his fingers and toes. He didn’t understand how she could be with Zyle if she felt that way. He didn’t understand at all. “I can’t live without you,” he whispered.
She kissed his cheek again.
He stared at her for a moment before he rose to his feet. “I need to return to the battle and spread the word of Drake’s death. I suspect the revelation will end the fight.”
Zyle walked over and grabbed Accacia’s hand. “But the chamberlain said the battle had ended.” The King of the Asquithians hid the anger he felt at their affection. He realized Accacia was just upset that Aleco had almost died. The closeness meant nothing more.
Aleco shook his head. “I think he was lying. He just needed something to say to slip you that dagger.” Aleco turned away and walked toward the door, leaving the king and queen alone.
Zyle sighed as he looked at Accacia. He knew his following words were going to crush her. Even though she had just forgiven him, Zyle suspected she would take it back. She was going to hate him, probably leave him. “Accacia, I need to tell you something.” He grabbed both of her hands and leaned his forehead against hers.
Accacia saw the dread in his eyes and she knew his words would break her heart. “Who is it?”
Zyle looked at her and understood her meaning. “Laura.”
Accacia fell to the floor and shook with the sobs that wrecked her body. She had lost the only family she had left. Zyle kneeled down and wrapped his queen in his arms, feeling powerless to help her. There was nothing he could say to ease her pain, nothing to make her smile. Zyle felt his soul cry in agony as his other half gave into the greatest despair she had ever experienced. “No,” she cried through her tears. She buried her face in his shoulder and gripped his arm, trying to pull him closer to her. Zyle wished he could take the pain away and carry it himself. He wished the spell didn’t only pertain to physical pain. Zyle rocked her back and forth and whispered words of love into her ear. “It’s going to be okay, Accacia.”
“Did she suffer?”
“No,” he said. “She had no idea it was coming.”
Accacia nodded. “That’s—good.”
Zyle picked her up in his arms and carried her from the room, wanting to spare her the sight of her aunt’s corpse in the corner. He knew she hadn’t seen Laura yet, and he didn’t want her to notice it now. He left the door open behind him and carried her to the bottom of the stairs, away from the violent devastation of the study. Zyle set her on the stairs and Accacia stopped crying.
“Are you ready to go home?” he asked.
Accacia nodded.
“I’m going to go to the battle field and round up our people. After everything is set in order, we will return home. You can stay here,” he said as he held her hand. “I can take care of it.”
“I want to come with you.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Take a moment if you need it.”
“I don’t want a moment, Zyle. I feel numb—I need to do something.”
Zyle understood her meaning. “Then let’s gather our troops and head home.”
“Okay.”
Letumian Province
39
The wounded soldiers were carried to the medic tents and healed. The injured didn’t consist only of Asquithians and guildsmen, but the Letumian soldiers as well. Now that the war was over, Aleco knew there was no distinction between them. They were all the same. Aleco searched in the rubble and pulled out as many survivors as he could. He used his skills as a Nature Priest to ease the pain of the dying and heal those who were injured. The men stared at his countenance in surprise, mistaking him for the king, but Aleco set the record straight to all the citizens. Accacia insisted that he reveal his true identity to everyone, letting himself finally be free. She tore the hooded jacket from his body and tossed it into a nearby fire, and together they watched the material burn into ashes. She held his hand while they watched his former identity die. Aleco watched her gaze in the light of the fire, and she turned her sight on him. He didn’t look away and gripped her hand harder. Aleco recalled their evenings together in Asylinth Cottage and the way the fire would highlight her features in the bedroom. Her eyes lit up in flames as she looked into his eyes when he made love to her, and his heart squeezed at the memory. Aleco released her hand and walked away, needing to be away from her. Aleco took comfort in the knowledge that he wouldn’t feel this pain forever—it was going to be over soon.
Aleco thought he would be happier at the outcome of the battle, but he felt just as empty as he had before—if not more so. His brother had finally been killed, forced into the void where he couldn’t hurt anyone any longer. Aleco avenged the death of his parents and his uncle but he felt no satisfaction in the realization. Everything felt exactly the same—nothing had changed. Aleco felt the hole in his chest where Accacia had been. He knew he would never be whole without her. The only pleasure he experienced was Accacia’s happiness. She was free, forever and always. Accacia wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.
He felt a hand enclose around his and he looked down to see Accacia looking at him. “Come with me,” she said.
“And where are we going?
”
Accacia held her guild sword in her grasp. “Now that we have the Soul Relenter, it’s time to destroy the Soul Binders. I want you come with us.”
Aleco pulled away. “It’s not my place,” he said. “That should be the responsibility of you and your king.”
“I want you there, Aleco—I need you. This never would have happened without you.” Accacia tugged on his arm and he let her pull him away. They marched to the forbidden room, and Zyle pulled the key out of his pocket that he had picked from the king’s clothing earlier. He confiscated the Aqua Stone as well. Zyle opened the door and the three of them walked in. Aleco withdrew his guild sword and handed Zyle a blade. They all held their swords at their sides and looked at the piles of Soul Binders in the room. There were thousands of them, shining in the light of the torches. Aleco had sent the soldiers away and instructed the Asquithians to return to Orgoom Forest. Messengers had been sent to the other realms to notify them of the king’s death. Now this was all that was left. Aleco knew it would take them a long time to destroy them all. Aleco walked into the room and grabbed a Soul Binder at random. He placed the gem at Accacia’s feet and stepped away. “After you,” he said.
Accacia smiled at him and raised her sword. She aimed for the stone on the floor with both men standing on either side of her. Accacia felt the pain rush through her body as she sympathized with her imprisoned kin. They had been trapped for decades, knowing they would never travel to the afterlife. Accacia felt the tears fall down her face, and Zyle felt his own drip down his cheek. He feared he would never free Cassandra from her eternal prison and he was overwhelmed that he succeeded. Accacia slammed down her sword and severed the Soul Binder directly in half. Tendrils of smoke floated upwards and twirled in the room. Accacia saw the outline of a man and a woman. She couldn’t make out their features but she knew they were familiar.
“Thank you,” a woman whispered. Accacia felt the tears fall. It was the voice of her mother. She had never heard it before, or at least she couldn’t remember, but she knew in her heart it was true. She stared at the smoke as it dissipated into the room. Zyle reached for Accacia and steadied her. Together, they watched the smoke disappear entirely.
