Page 40 of Embers of Fate
But then, to my astonishment, Nik’s hand smooths over my shoulder, gently easing me aside as he steps forward to face my brother, his chin lifted in sheer defiance.
“Get your filthy talons off my sister!” Gavriil roars, his face flushed with outrage. I pray to all the gods that he doesn’t do something rash, something we’ll all regret.
Nik’s impassive eyes fix on the Ursa King, tracking his movements as he grabs my arm and yanks me towards him, his harsh grip bruising in its intensity.
Gavriil ignores my disarray and pulls me behind him, lunging forward until he’s nose-to-nose with Nik, his teeth bared in a snarl. “Do not think for one second I will let this pass,” he hisses, his voice dripping with venom. “Bram will be hearing from me soon!”
“Please!” I beg, my heart shattering into a million pieces, the pain worse than any physical wound could ever be. “Gavriil!Please, listen to me!”
My brother’s head snaps towards me, his fierce eyes blazing with fury. “Do not speak another word,” he tells me in our mother tongue, his tone smooth but no less harsh for its beauty. By choosing to speak in Russian, he’s deliberately shutting Nik out, creating a wall between us that feels insurmountable.
Gavriil’s wrath consumes him entirely, rendering him oblivious to my sore arm, and for that small mercy, I am grateful. I shudder to think of the mounting rage he would unleash if he knew the extent of my burns.
“Let’s go!” he barks at me, still in Russian, his fingers digging into my skin with bruising force. I flinch, knowing that any resistance will only make him angrier.
“Please, don’t…” I insist in the lowest of voices, knowing full well it will be useless. Once my brother has made up his mind, there’s no changing it, no swaying him from his course.
Nik’s brooding eyes follow me as my brother drags me towards the door, steel blue and glistening with undiluted pain. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but hesitates—torn between his desperate need to stop Gavriil and his desire to protect me from himself. Nik knows I am safest far away from him. It’s an excruciating battle, and I am caught in the crossfire.
The realization that he’s willing to let me go, to sacrifice our love for my safety, is like a knife to the heart. As soon as it sinks in, I stop fighting, the strength draining out of me like water through a sieve. Warm tears trickle down my face, blurring my vision as I turn towards the door, each step like a dagger in my soul.
I’m leaving behind my greatest love, the man who holds my heart in his hands. I’m saying goodbye to the purest happiness I’ve ever known, the joy and peace I found in Nik’s arms.
And as the door closes behind me, shutting me off from the warmth of his presence, I feel a part of myself wither and die, turning to ash in the face of this unbearable loss.
But even through the pain, through the soul-deep ache that threatens to consume me, one truth remains, bright and shining and unshakable.
I love him. I will always love him.
25
SAM
Tears stream down my face as I sit in silence inside the car, my heart shattered into a million jagged pieces. I wouldn’t dream of letting my brother see me cry, but I can’t seem to stop the flow of emotions that pour out of me, as unstoppable as a river in flood. Gavriil slides into the Rolls-Royce Phantom SUV. He sits beside me, his face stoic and unreadable, seemingly untouched by the situation now that his rampage against Nik has ended.
The sound of Dima closing the door barely registers through the haze of my grief, and I hear the crunch of gravel under his feet as he moves around the vehicle, the driver’s door opening and closing as he settles behind the wheel.
Through the blur of my tears, I catch a glimpse of Dima’s dark green eyes in the rearview mirror, shining with worry and concern as he watches me. But I can’t bear the weight of his gaze, can’t stand the pity I see there. So I turn away, staring out the tinted window at the world beyond, a world that feels cold and empty without Nik by my side.
As the car’s engine rumbles to life, I take a small measure of comfort in the knowledge that it’s just Gavriil, Dima, and Sasha following in his black BMW. My brother’s security detail is minimal, but then again, he hardly needs more than a fierce Enforcer and the head of the clan’s Elite. The rest is just for show, a display of power and strength that’s as much about intimidation as it is about protection.
And besides, I know Gavriil wouldn’t want word to get out about my relationship with Nik. The Ursa clan would be in an uproar if they knew I was sleeping with the enemy, and my brother’s position as leader would be called into question.
When the privacy screen rolls up with a soft whir, I heave a sigh, my shoulders slumping under the weight of my exhaustion and heartbreak. As if facing a frisky dragon wasn’t enough, now I have to deal with a rabid bear, my brother’s anger and disapproval like a physical presence in the car.
I shut my eyes, childishly hoping that by closing them, I can make Gavriil disappear, just like I used to do when we were kids and we’d get into a fight.
But of course, it didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now.
“He’s a Draken, Samara!” Gavriil mutters, his voice tight with barely contained rage. “A Draken!”
I glare at him, too exhausted and hurt to speak, to defend myself or my choices. It’s not as if my brother expects me to say anything anyway. He’s the mighty Ursa King—hewillbe heard.
He combs his fingers through his long chestnut hair, a gesture of frustration and agitation, before leaning towards me, his face inches from mine. “Do you understand we’re at war with this family?” he says through clenched teeth, his voice low and deadly. “Why? Why would you tarnish our name with this... unspeakable betrayal?”
“Gavriil...” I manage, my voice barely above a whisper, but he cuts me off with a sharp gesture.
“No!” he explodes, his eyes flashing with fierce fury. “I don’t want to hear any excuses! Whatever you had with that monster is officially over.”
