Page 73 of Winds of Destiny

The priests of Inarime capture their god on some sort of altar in a grand, spire-studded temple. Whoever built this mosaic spared themselves no pain—they show the murder of the chimera god, how his blood flowed down the altar and through the streets, granting incredible power to the people here, too much power. They couldn’t handle it, and the entire city collapsed into the sea under the weight of their foolishness. I wonder if the lines radiating out from the hole shown in the picture are the everwinds, another expression of the curse these people brought upon themselves.

The last picture shows what might be a self-portrait, a shriveled person surrounded by bones, kneeling before a wall with a single tile in their hand. How must they have felt, piecing this mosaic together with nothing but the dead for company? How terrible must the loneliness have been, the knowledge that their people had destroyed everything that made Inarime great, destroyed their own god, for nothing? I knew what it felt like to lose everything, but at least I had been found again. I had been given another life in Zephyth with Cam.

And I’m not going to lose him.

If this is based on what actually happened, then I need to get to a temple in the center of the city. Embros is no fool—he’ll want to work from a place of power. Once I find the temple, I’ll find my men.

I tentatively exit the building, looking around one last time for the snake god before I start following the trail it’s left in the algae that coats the ground. The street slopes up slightly, heading toward the high center of the city where the temple is located. Or so I hope. I pick up the pace a little, as fast as I can go without slipping on the muck. I keep my ears keen, though—I can’t let myself be surprised again.

Which is how I detect the faint but distinct sound of someone cursing and the subsequent scuffling crash as their feet go out from under them on the slippery path.

My body reacts instantly, rolling to the side and giving me cover behind one of the braided pillars just in time for the person to come into view. He’s dressed raggedly, long black hair piled into a haphazard bun on top of his head, and his pale skin has an almost greenish glow from the reflected sheen of the algae. He braces himself against a wall with one hand and wraps the other tightly around a pendant.

“Where are you, Turo?” he mutters into the silence.

I will never be able to top this moment of timing for the rest of my life.

“I’m here,” I say, coming out from behind the pillar and showing myself.

Cam swivels toward me, his eyes wide, face full of wonder. He lets go of the wall and steps closer—

Then he promptly slips and falls down with another loud curse as the algae gets the better of him again.

All right, maybe that wasn’t the best timing ever.

I make my way over to him as fast as I can.

It’s Cam. He’s here. Nothing could keep me away from him at this point.

I’m down on my knees at his side before he can straighten up, pulling him into my arms and burying my face against his neck. I’m probably holding too hard, maybe even hurting him a bit. I should loosen up, but I can’t.

I will never be able to let go of him again.

If the way he embraces is any indicator, he doesn’t want me to, either.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Cam

Turo.

He’s here.

He’s actuallyhere. Here in my arms, more than just a distant voice and an ever-present feeling in the depths of my mind. I’ve got him back at last.

I want to tell him everything, all my sordid story. I want to tell him how much I’ve missed him and ask him about Kai and a hundred other things all at once, but all that comes out is, “I love you.”

He’s holding me fiercely, but I clamp onto him like a barnacle. If he tries to pull back right now, I’ll die. I need him to know the truth, but I don’t know if I can bear his rejection again. “I love you so much,” I go on, practically babbling now. “I can’t—I can’t be without you, I can’t. Being apart is the most awful thing in the world, it made me want to die, Ifeltlike I was dying sometimes, and I can’t—no matter what happens, I can’t lose you. Do you understand? I’m sorry, I know you don’t—wait—”

Turo is pulling away, and it makes me panic, clawing at his back until he puts just enough space between us to press his mouth to mine.

It’s not a retreat.

It’s a kiss, a desperate, messy, too-hard kiss, full of love and conviction and no trace of doubt. It’s the most divine kiss I’ve ever experienced, and I melt into it, softening the sensation into something tender until Turo finally pulls back again. This time, I don’t fight him on it.

“I was a fool,” he says bluntly. “To think I could live without you. I would never survive losing you, either, Camrael. I should have been honest with myself, and with you, a lot sooner. It would have saved you so much grief, and I’m sorry, but I’m here now. I’m here.” He runs his arms up and down my back, soothing and exciting me all at once. It’s been so long since someone has touched me like this, gentle and wanting.

He’s here. He’s here and he wants me, and that’s all I need to decide it’s a good idea to wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down on top of me. Our mouths fuse to one another, tongues expressing our want with abandon.

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