Jaral sighed. “Go away, Lee.” He focused his attention on the surviving demons milling around the edges of the room. “Go home,” he ordered, complete authority in his voice. “Do not trouble the hunters of this city and return to the palace immediately.”
The creatures looked at one another, some baring their teeth. But none, it seemed, were willing to take on the demon who had destroyed their king.
Darcy watched them shuffle from the room leaving it almost empty. She’d expected to see spirits remaining but the small monsters seemed to have disappeared with their rulers. Soon only their foursome remained in the large room.
“Cailin, can you go check on Blake?” Darcy asked, her eyes on her lover. “With all the demons running around, they might need help out there.”
“On it.”
“Liam,” Jaral called.
The demon grinned and swept them an elegant bow. “I shall assist the lovely hunter.”
Cailin rolled her eyes but waited for him to catch up.
Darcy waited in silence while the pair disappeared. Finally alone, she searched for the right words but nothing came to mind.
It was Jaral who broke the silence. “You gave me the valar blade.”
She blinked. Of all the things they needed to discuss, the dagger wasn’t one of them.
“You needed it.”
Jaral rose from his crouch and turned to face her. “Days ago you wouldn’t have made that choice.”
She shrugged, looking away. “Things change.”
“How much?”
Completely. Utterly. He’d turned her entire world upside down and now she had no idea which way was up. But telling him that would be unfair, and selfish. She couldn’t beg him to stay with her when his entire life had been spent trying to earn the throne waiting for him in the demon realm. He had to go back.
And she couldn’t follow.
“Let’s just leave it,” she said, refusing to meet his gaze. “You have a kingdom to get back to and I’m sure I have weeks of cleanup ahead of me here.”
Jaral walked into her line of vision, nodding. “Of course. That makes sense.”
Her heart constricted. She needed to get out of here quickly. “Best of luck,” she said, turning to leave.
Her lover darted forward, wrapping a hand around her wrist. “The problem is,” he said, “nothing in my life has made sense since I met you.”
Darcy looked up at him. A smile curved his lips.
“And after centuries of clear, ordered purpose I find I far prefer your chaos.”
“You can’t stay,” she whispered, shaking her head. “That throne means everything to you.”
He pulled her closer and she tried to ignore how good it felt to stand in his arms. “I have lived a long time,” he told her. “Hundreds of years, and all I wanted was a place I belonged. Somewhere I wasn’t the bastard son or the upstart or the traitor. Somewhere I could breathe.”
“You can have that now,” she argued. “The demons need you.”
He shook his head. “I have dozens of brothers. Any one of them could rule as well as I.”
“But you’ve spent your life waiting for this.”
“I’ve been waiting for you.” He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I thought that throne would give me purpose, but when I think of returning to it, all I feel is dread.”
“Why?”
His dark gaze flicked back to hers. “Because to claim that position, I’ll have to leave the only place I’ve ever belonged.”
“Where’s that?”
“Here,” he murmured. “By your side.”
Her heart soared at his words but quickly crashed back down to earth.
“You can’t stay here,” she said.
“Why?” he demanded. “You gave me the dagger, Darcy. Considering the knowledge you had at hand, it would have made more sense to keep it. Or to give it to anyone but me.” His smile was gentle. “You gave it to me because you trust me, my love. You knew I’d make the right choice.”
“Fine, I trust you. I said it, all right? But that doesn’t change the facts.”
She looked up at the man she loved. The only man she feared she would ever love. It might have taken him centuries to find her but she’d had only days with him. The memories they’d created would have to last her a lifetime because she feared she’d never feel this way about another man.
And because she loved him, she had to free him.
“You will do the right thing,” she whispered, looking up at him. “You think I’m your mate and you will stay with me because that’s what you think you need to do.” She swallowed, needing to gather her strength before she said the words that would part them forever.