Page 52 of Song of the Heart Scale
I didn’t answer.
“I do not doubt his love for you,” he continued. “Nor yours for him. But you are not of this world, Cat. And Damien... Damienis. He is… special. He is Elarian. Should he leave, should he cross into your world as you’ve suggested... we don’t know what will become of him.”
“You think he’ll lose his powers?”
“I think it is possible. And without his magic, he may lose more than his strength. He may lose part of himself.”
I stared into my tea and watched as the steam curled like a question mark. “And if he doesn’t?” I whispered.
“Then he will live,” Royal Prince Bai said gently, “forever. In a world that is not his. Watching as the woman he loves grows old and dies. And then he will be alone. Unable to ever come back to Elaria.”
I swallowed, hard. “We haven’t talked about any of that,” I admitted. “We’ve been too busy trying not to die to think about what happens... after.”
“You should think about it now, before the cost becomes something you cannot afford.”
I looked up at him. “You think I should leave without him.”
He didn’t answer right away. Then, quietly, “I think you should go home before it’s too late for both of you. I initially encouraged him to go with you, but I hadn’t thought things through. I understand you’re the twin flame and we’ve been searching for you for decades, but…”
Silence stretched between us, heavy as stone.
I set the teacup down with shaking fingers. “Well, shit,” I muttered.
Royal Prince Bai blinked. “Pardon?”
“Sorry. That’s just... a verymy worldway of saying, ‘I hadn’t thought this far ahead and now my brain is melting.’”
His mouth twitched again. “Understandable.”
I slowly stood. “Thank you for the tea, Your Highness. And the existential dread. Both were piping hot.”
He inclined his head. “Cat... I mean you no harm.”
“I know,” I said. “But that doesn’t make this any easier.” I walked back to the door, suddenly feeling like the walls were closing in. “And for the record,” I added over my shoulder, “I don’t know if I can go home. Not after everything.”
“Then you must decide,” he said. “Before someone decides for you.”
The door clicked softly shut behind me.
For the first time since arriving in Elaria, I realized that surviving was no longer the hardest part.
Letting go might be.
My feet carriedme without direction past polished columns and hanging tapestries, into quieter halls filled with warmth and floral-scented air. I needed a distraction—something that didn’t revolve around dying worlds and eternal loneliness. Preferably something with less tea and more towels.
I found Maeve folding linens in a side corridor that led toward the guest baths. She looked up as I rounded the corner.
“Oh, my lady!” she said, quickly straightening. “I was just about to come find you.”
“Perfect timing. I need a bath and my clothes—unless I’m about to start a new career as a robe thief.”
Maeve chuckled, though her eyes searched mine. “Is everything alright?”
Nope. Not even close.
“Just had tea with Damien’s uncle. Casual chat about life, death, and whether the man I love will explode if he enters a different dimension.”
Oh shit, did I just say love?
