Page 100 of The Curse of Golden Blood
I expected him to step back. To give me space to fall apart in private. Instead, he sat beside me and pulled me into his arms.
This wasn't the Zydar I knew. No sharp words or cruel smiles. No games or power plays. Just warmth and the steady rhythm of his breathing against my hair. His wings unfurled around us, creating a curtain of night against the world.
"This is not terrible for you, for any of us.," he said quietly. " This was always who you were meant to be." Then he smiled and bent his forehead down to mine. “We can be together, Miralyte. Doesn’t it please your heart?”
I didn't want this to be who I was.
After some time, my breathing began to steady, heartbeat falling into sync with his. The terrible spinning in my head gradually stilled.
When I could finally breathe without gasping, I found my voice.
"Then my sister... Ciradyl..." The words came out broken, jagged. "She must have been killed by the Sun Court. By Ylvena."
His hand stroked my hair, and I allowed my body to relax a fraction, responding to the comforting gesture in spite of myself. "I believe that is likely. She might've drawn attention to herself trying to protect you. "
All this time, I'd believed fae raiders had taken her. Random violence from creatures who saw humans as lesser beings. But if what Zydar said was true, if I really was Emystra's daughter, then Ciradyl's death hadn't been random at all.
She'd been murdered. Executed for the simple crime of existing.
My tears dried to salty tracks on my cheeks, and I turned my head to stare up at him. "I'm going to kill Ylvena."
Zydar's mouth curved in a faint smile. "I would expect nothing less."
His arms were solid warmth, and I couldn't make myself pull away. "I'm going to kill her slowly. Painfully. I'll make her regret every breath she took after she killed Ciradyl."
"I promise you will have your vengeance."
I swallowed hard, my throat still tight and raw. "How did I never know? How did no one see what I was?"
"It's rare for halflings to look human. " He gave a small shrug, the movement shifting me where I rested against him. "Magic can be unpredictable in its methods, especially when there's strong intent involved. It's possible that your mother's magic was simply more powerful than anyone realized at the time."
"What happens now?"
Zydar studied my face. "We're going to have to figure out how to reverse this spell."
I looked up into his eyes, my breath catching in my chest. "You really think it can be done?"
"There is a way. There's always a way. You've shown us that much tonight."
I nodded, struggling to process everything that had happened in the last hour. "I thought... I thought I was going home."
"This is your home." His hand moved to my cheek, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "This is where you belong."
The words hit harder than I expected. My eyes stung, but I refused to let the tears fall again. I didn't know where I belonged anymore. I wasn't even sure who I was. But right now in this moment, I wanted to stay here. To stay with him.
So, I tilted my head up and kissed him.
He tensed slightly, and for a heartbeat, I thought he might push me away. Then his mouth softened beneath mine. He responded to the kiss with a gentleness that made my chest ache. His lips were warm and firm, his stubble rough against my skin.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer, wanting to be nearer to the warmth of his body, the solid strength of his muscles. His hand moved to cradle my cheek as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing the seam of my lips.
I opened my mouth beneath his, tasting him.
His kiss was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. It felt like coming home after being lost in the dark for a long, long time. Like coming up for air after nearly drowning in sorrow.
I could have stayed like that forever, lost in the feel of his lips on mine. But eventually, we had to break apart for air.
When we finally pulled away from each other, I felt lightheaded. The look in his eyes took my breath away. I'd seendesire there before, but this was something different. Something deeper. Something that made me want to crawl into his arms and never leave.
