Page 94 of Between Imminent Fates

“That’s why he hated Isaiah,” Circe breathed.

“Circe—”

She shook her head as her pain overflowed, covering her face and sobbing. Brushing past Derikles, Lucius drew her into his chest.

Cursing himself, Derikles reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder. Though he couldn’t forgive himself for making the error, the least he could do now was offer her support.

“There is no way he could’ve known,” Rukia said. “If Isaiah had sensed a child there, it would’ve played out differently.”

He nodded. “Those were my thoughts as well.”

Derikles, Rukia, and Jaeda moved into the kitchen to give the couple time to process. Circe’s pain stabbed at him through their clan bonds, but Lucius was her mate, and that relationship was far more important.

“There has to be something more we can do for him, Jaeda,” Rukia growled. “He’s been comatose for more than a month now, and he’s not getting better.”

“We’re trying, Rukia,” came the healer’s kind words, “but every text I’ve read says there’s no coming back from a psychic wound of this magnitude. It’s not something I can heal—and even Luna hasn’t had any success with Key or Nina.”

“Jaeda is doing everything in her power to help Isaiah.”

“And yet, it still isn’t enough.” Releasing a frustrated huff, Isaiah’s mate turned on him. “Did he give you any indication that he was going to give you the sovereignty? That he was going to his death?”

A thread of guilt. “He tested a transfer once before, but at the time, I had no way of knowing what it was—or would become.”

Immediately outraged, she hissed, “He tested it on you, and you didn’t think to say anything?”

“Rukia, for millennia, there has never been any indication that such a thing was possible,” he explained. “The only way out of a sovereignty is death: that was the truth handed down to us for generations. If I had known his intent, don’t you think I would’ve stopped this madness?”

Teeth bared, the water Elemental stormed out of the house. The sound of cursing outside made both of them cringe, but the healer looked defeated. Walking over, he drew her into his arms.

“It isn’t your fault, Jaeda.”

“Or yours, either.”

For a moment, they simply stayed locked together, comforting one another through a pain that would seemingly never end. Soon, they’d have to discuss what Isaiah’s injury meant for the long run. It wasn’t a conversation he looked forward to.

The floor creaked overhead. Immediately, he scanned the room above him and realized that Circe had stayed back. Excusing himself, he went in search for the red-haired Raeth where Isaiah lay sleeping.

Guilt radiated off her in waves.

“This is my fault. Rayn became our enemy because of what Isaiah did to protect me. I’m the reason theCitizensgot as far as they did.”

“That absolutely isn’t true. Wicked men don’t need a reason to practice evil, Circe. Even if Rayn had been saved by Isaiah, this was still a possible outcome.”

She sniffed. “But it’s still my fault. He saved my life and now he’s dying because of it.”

Her pain drew him closer. “He saved us all, Circe. You, me, and everyone on the field that night. Key wove the tapestry, but we all played our parts. For better or for worse, each of us had a hand in what went down that night. We won, Circe—and that is what matters.”

“Is it a victory if not all of us were saved?”

Silent for a long moment, Derikles fought against the part of him that’d been wounded by Isaiah’s sacrifice. There was an element of deceit in what his former sovereign had done, but he didn’t doubt Isaiah’s intentions for a minute.

After pulling himself together, he asked, “Do you think Isaiah would’ve given his life if it hadn’t been worth it to him? Do you think he would regret what he did? Him, or Key, or Nina?”

Circe tearfully shook her head. “No.”

“That’s right. Isaiah would’ve given his life for any of us that day, Circe. That’s just the type of man he was. He wouldn’t want you to live in sorrow and regret.”

“I miss him.”

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