Page 96 of Severed Heir

“It meant enough,” he said. “It formed a rider bond.”

My laugh was hollow. “I don’t believe a single godsdamned word you say.”

“I was trying to protect you,” he said. “Rok never assigned a bond to you. He wanted you to fail. If Myla hadn’t chosen you for her outing, Callum would’ve had every reason to kill you or leave you trapped in that dungeon for three years.”

“And you just—what? Claimed the space in my shield like it was yours to take? How convenient.”

“You were vulnerable. The bond saved you.”

“No,” I snapped. “The collapse of my realm saved me. Archer saved me. Not you.”

He stepped closer, voice dropping. “Archer didn’t want it to be you, Severyn. I made the decision for both of us. Now we’re Serpents. We survived. We all win.”

I stood slowly, the fire roaring again in my blood. “No. You win. You always find a way to twist the story, to come out with your hands clean. But this—” I pointed to my chest, where my heart throbbed like a bruise, “—this isn’t survival. This is a trap.”

Damien’s smile was razor-thin. “Maybe. But it’s the only thing that kept you breathing. You wanted to know who I was, it kept you going.”

“Malachi is dead, I’m barely breathing.”

Damien cringed. “I am truly sorry for your loss. The lindworm struck her near the end. She fought hard.”

I had so many things I wanted to say, so many harsh words to throw at him. But none of them seemed to matter anymore.

“We can’t go back to how we were, Damien. Not ever. I can never trust you again.”

His hand grazed my cheek, and I instinctively leaned back. “I missed you, Sev. I meant what I said that night.”

Boots stomped down the narrow corridor, and Ellison stepped toward us, his eyes flicking between Damien’s proximity and my obvious discomfort. “Is he bothering you?” he asked.

“Leave, Ellison,” I said, barely a breath between the words.

“No. I was ordered to stay beside you. To protect you.”

Damien leaned away, swiping his hand back. “She doesn’t need protection. Stay in your fucking lane, guard.”

I stepped out of Damien’s shadow, my heart pounding in my chest. Without a second thought, I ran toward the stairs. Ellison chased after me, grabbing my elbow. “Am I not worthy of an answer? You lie about being a Serpent in Malvoria and drag me to your titling service over a courtship, all while secretly dating your leader. Give me something.”

“Courtship?” Damien chuckled. “You’re actually courting him?” His eyes flicked once over Ellison. “I figured Archer knew titles were important. Marrying a guard is foolish.”

And I had forgotten how difficult it was to shield from Damien’s presence. “Well, your father stripped the sun from my land. I had no choice.”

Damien’s expression froze for a moment, but he quickly masked it. “I see. Well, I’m sure we can barter something at the estate.”

“Barters only occur at the Bid.”

“And when a Serpent is crowned. I won, meaning all who bid on me will win their prize. You could be happy for me, you know. I was happy for you.”

“A few diamonds and gold are hardly worth it.”

He smiled. “More than a few diamonds were bid on me to claim.”

A second set of boots sounded on the wooden stairs. Lasar. “There you are,” he said to me and then gestured to Damien. “I see congratulations are in order. Two generations now. They say it takes someone of great failure or power to claim or lose once the first survives. I suspect the Lynch family will go down in history.”

“And what about my family?” I asked, my voice biting. “Am I the failure because my land became barren after a century?”

Lasar’s face remained stoic. “No. Stealing a title that was never meant for you takes even greater power. The Night realm is powerful. It called to you for a reason.”

Damien flashed a grin at me. “How is my brother, anyway?”

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