Rayne sighed heavily and rubbed his hand over his heart. “I’ve been thinking a lot about…us,” he admitted softly, and a chill ran through Eno at Rayne’s careful tone. “What hope do we really have? We’re heading to Zastrad, Thia is in peril, the gods have run amuck. We’re poised to be crushed, Eno. What little time we have left, will it even be enough…”
Eno’s throat grew raw, and he had to clench his teeth against the swell of pain. There were times he hated Rayne’s need to face the world with his eyes wide open. There was no false hope or even optimism. The road ahead of them was daunting and dark. The idea they would all come out of it alive was almost laughable.
But he understood what his lover meant. When this was over, there wasn’t a shared apartment, wedding rings, and a happily ever after waiting for them to make all this pain worthwhile. As much as he might like all of that, it wasn’t what he needed.
“Every day that I wake up and see your face, hear your voice, feel the brush of your hand, it’s enough for me. It will always be enough,” he said in a ragged voice.
“Eno—”
He slammed on the brakes and stopped them in the middle of the street. He gave everything to Caelan. He could steal one minute for himself right now. “I never thought I’d kiss you, Rayne. I never thought I’d get the chance to hold you in my arms while you slept. Or that you’d whisper your worries and fears to me.” He lifted his hand and lightly brushed the tips of his fingers across Rayne’s cheeks, brushing aside a tear that slipped free. “If I never have that again because it’s too painful for you, so be it. I’ll cherish our memories. But I will never stop protecting you. I will never stop caring about you. Whatever we have, it will always be enough for me.”
Rayne dragged in a shuddering breath and gave a jerky nod. Eno wasn’t quite sure what that nod meant. Maybe he was simply acknowledging Eno’s feelings. Maybe he needed more time. That was fine. The road to Zastrad was incredibly long, and he wasn’t giving up on his lover yet.
Eno reluctantly dropped his hand from Rayne’s cheek and started to turn back to face front when Rayne jumped. He pulled out his phone and frowned at it. From the corner of his eye, Eno could see that he’d received a text.
“What’s up?” he asked, moving the car toward King’s Square again.
“It’s a text from Caelan. He says to meet him at the Armory. He’s got a surprise.”
“Why is that the scariest thing I’ve heard all day?”
“Because we’re both all surprised out,” Rayne grumbled. He leaned back in his seat and stretched out his long legs as best he could in the compact car. The man beside him looked worn to the bone, but some of the tension had at last fallen off. His hair was a dirty, sweaty mess. His face was streaked with dust and tears. But Eno knew for as long as he lived, he’d remember Rayne as being incredibly beautiful in this moment. As if his exquisite soul were glowing out through his skin and lighting something dark and hopeless within Eno.
Reaching out, Eno covered the hand Rayne had resting on the center console with his own. And Rayne smiled.
27
Caelan Talos
Caelan looked up at the sound of fast-approaching footsteps pounding on the old stone floor of the Armory Keep. Centuries ago, the Keep had been the home of the royal family and seat of power for Erya, while the site of the Godstone had been a temple. It was only a few generations ago that a fire destroyed the temple and his ancestor decided to build the Towers in place of it. When the royal family moved closer to the Godstone, the Keep was turned into an arms storage facility.
However, there were a handful of rooms that remained untouched, such as the king’s private chambers as well as the original throne room. Caelan stood in front of the old throne now with Drayce hovering at his elbow as Rayne and Eno raced into the room, weapons still in hand as if they expected do battle.
He watched as Rayne’s gaze swept the room with a critical eye and locked on the surprise he’d mentioned in his text.
“Shey!” Rayne gasped and blushed brightly. Drayce snickered behind him, and Caelan even had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing.
Of course, Prince Shey had zero qualms about expressing his own feelings. He darted across the room, already reaching for Rayne. “Are you okay? Were you hurt?” he demanded, his hands sweeping across Rayne’s shoulders and down his arms. He completely ignored the daggers that Eno was glaring at him. Interesting? Did Eno really not trust the Caspagir prince?