Relinquish(67)

If Eamon were here, he would scold me for being so careless, reminding me that I would catch a cold in the blustery winter air. This is precisely why I don’t dry my hair. Because there is no one to nag me.

I glance at myself in a small mirror that has been propped up on a rectangular table, its white pine top layered with uneven grains, yet to be sanded. As I grab the mirror, I wonder if Bastien overlooked this detail or if he found beauty in the flaw.

Pinching my cheeks to liven up my washed-out complexion, I set down the mirror and take a deep breath. One night with Bastien is hardly enough, but it is all I can hope for.

I don’t look forward to seeing Niyah. Will she know Bastien stayed with me? Is she the reason he snuck out?

Sometime during the night, Bastien confessed to me the truth behind his relationship with the olive-skinned beauty. She is his genetic match, just like Eamon and he are mine. Another relationship torn apart by a destiny that none of us could control.

Bastien can no more love Niyah than I can swear him off. Kyan had hoped that when Bastien met Niyah, something within him would trigger, allowing him to move on, but Kyan’s plan failed. Instead of bringing Bastien peace, he only made things worse.

To his credit, Bastien tried to warn Niyah, but he told me she wouldn’t listen. For some reason, that bullheaded streak of hers doesn’t surprise me. It certainly makes sense why she was so fiercely protective when I showed up. She knew she didn’t hold Bastien’s heart. I do, even if I can’t accept it.

Closing my eyes now, I remember the moment he stole my heart for the second time.

“Were you ever tempted by her?”

He shrugged indifferently. “She isn’t you. Even if she is the right one for me, I would never choose anyone over you.”

“But you have Niyah…”

He took my hand in his and drew it up to his lips. “But she doesn’t have me.”

Those final words tore through my poorly constructed willpower and sent it tumbling to the ground. I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on Bastien that I was doomed, and he just sealed my fate… again.



The base is a barren wasteland today. No one is in the training yard. No one dares to brave the freezing temperatures. Except me.

The rope burns in my hand as I pull myself up the wall. My feet shuffle higher, slipping dangerously on patches of ice. Gritting my teeth, I release the rope and leap the final five feet. My numb fingers grip the top lip of the wall. I grunt as I slam into the wood, smacking my ribs against the wooden planks.

“That was a foolish thing to do,” a voice calls from below.

I swing my weight back and forth, tossing my leg up so it catches on the ledge. With my arms trembling, I pull myself upright, perched with one leg on either side.

“Afraid I was going to fall?” I call down to Niyah.

“Hardly.” She rolls her eyes. Her chestnut hair is drawn tightly back from her face into a severe bun. A few wisps fly away about her temples. Her cheeks are rosy from the wind. “We leave in less than an hour and you’re here risking your life like an idiot.”

I grin and swing my leg over the side. She cries out as I push off from the top of the wall and plummet. She hardly has time to raise a hand in warning as I land with a solid thud on the ground. The top layer of ice coating the mud-slicked yard spider-webs around me as I rise.

She looks between me and the thirty-foot wall. Her gaze hardens as she drops her hand. “You like to show off, don’t you? Makes you feel special. Better than everyone else.”

I grin as I walk past her, making sure to toss my hair into her face as I pass. “Nope. I’m just better than you.”

I sense the attack a split second before she strikes. Ducking to the side, I narrowly miss a well-aimed kick to my head. I spin and crouch low, weaving side to side. She matches my movements, never dropping her gaze as she circles around me.

Her lips peel back into a sneer, her hands poised in front of her. “What are you waiting for?”

“For someone to stop this childish display,” a voice calls from behind us. I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know Bastien stands less than ten feet away. Judging by the sounds of scuffling feet, he isn’t alone either. “I come out here to get you two so we can leave and I find you brawling.”

“It’s not exactly brawling,” I say, rising from my crouch. “I haven’t hit her yet.”

She takes a swing at me and I step back. Niyah growls as she spins and leaps toward me. Her eyes widen in surprise as Bastien’s arms close around her, yanking her back. “Enough. If you can’t let this go, I will leave you here.”

“But she—” She starts but cuts off at a fierce shake of his head.