Page 136 of Spellbound
“Thalia?”
She stepped out from a shadow. “Brother.”
I placed my hand against my chest. “You scared me. I thought I’d hallucinated you for a second.”
She hugged Raiden and stepped back. “Now that you’re safe, I need your help, brother.”
His shoulders tensed. “Anything.”
“We’re going to kill our father.”
My stomach dipped. All of this, and he was going to rule the underworld anyway and take his place. “No,” I said, interrupting. “We can seal this place, and all of us leave. Now.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied. “He killed our brother and sister. He must pay. He cannot be left to rule here.”
I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. “I came here to save you both.”
Raiden grabbed me and pulled me back into the room. “A minute,” he told Thalia, then half closed the door. He walked me to the edge of the bed, cupping my cheeks in his. “What I said before, I didn’t mean it.”
“Raiden.”
“Wait.” He brushed a lock of hair from my face. “I have to do this, Elle. He needs to die. I wish—”
“Then don’t,” I pleaded. “Let this go. Come back with me.”
He took my hands in his. “Vengeance is the only thing I have left.”
I closed my eyes. My heart raced to his touch. “That’s not true. You have me.”
“You can’t want this.” His breaths quickened. “I’m not good for you. Look at you—at everything you’ve sacrificed.”
“I like who I am,” I said. “Feeling this strong, seeing the world this way... It’s not a sacrifice, and I would have given it all up for your sister to come back if she were still here, but she’s not, and I’m happy like this.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “You like the power.”
“I’m not Freya.” I scowled. “It’s not like that. I’m here, aren’t I? I never left you. I never hurt you. I won’t.”
“You deserved better than this.”
“Don’t do that.” My gaze burned into his. “You make me feel alive. I feel like I can do anything. You made me see the best version of myself, and because of that, I became it. My sister’s back. I saved her, and I killed Freya. So no, I regret nothing. I have sacrificed nothing. For the first time in my life, I’m not afraid of everything.”
He lowered his lips, inching closer to mine, but pulled away. “I have to go with Thalia. I’m sorry. I am.”
My arms dropped to my sides as he turned his back toward me, heading for the door. I couldn’t believe I was thinking it, let alone going to say it, but I couldn’t deny it anymore. When I looked at him, all I wanted was to be by his side, to take on every obstacle and enjoy the beauty in our world, together. “I love you, Raiden.”
Everything stopped. Time. My heart. My breath. Him.
