Chapter 69

Elora’s POV

Man, those fortress nights? Forget about peace and quiet. There’s always that one guard, bored out of his mind, shifting his weight every two seconds. Tonight, every sound was breathing down my neck, reminding me this whole thing was a dumb idea.

Let’s be real, I had zero business going to see him. Especially not now, with the council already watching me like I’m about to pull the pin on a grenade and toss it under their table. The whole Dante situation was a circus, and I was the center of attention. Still, I couldn't go. I needed somebody to look me in the eyes and tell me I wasn’t losing my mind.

I stopped at his door, heart pulling some breakdance moves in my chest. Two guards, serious as statues, didn’t say squat as I slipped by. One gave the other a sideways look, like, “Well, this’ll be interesting.”

Dante was up, sitting by the window, lamp barely alive. Shadows made him look like he hadn’t slept in a year, sharp edges and all. He glanced at me, locked eyes, then pretended to be super invested in that parchment. Like he hadn’t been waiting, but we both knew.

“Elora.” His voice was rough, all sandpaper and secrets. “You shouldn’t be here.”

I shut the door, leaned against it for a second, and tried to get my act together before I walked into the room. “Couldn’t stay away,” I muttered, which was... well, true.

He hit me with that look. The one that makes you feel like you never had secrets to begin with.

“You look tired.” He said it softly, but the worry? Heavy. Could’ve smothered us both.

“So do you.”

I dropped into the chair across from him, no grace at all. We just sat there, in silence, doing a weird little dance between us, lamp tossing gold shapes over his hands while he kept messing with that parchment. Tense, but not the dangerous kind. It was that loaded silence when you both want to say a million things and neither of you can pull the trigger.

He finally broke. “Mira.”

That name? Like getting sucker punched. I straightened up, instantly wired. “What about her?”

He clenched his jaw. “She’s trouble, Elora. You feel it, right? Always lurking, always whispering poison to the council. You can’t trust her.”

I felt my throat lock up. I wanted to agree with him, but all that came out was a sigh. “I don’t trust her,” I said. “But suspicion’s not proof. Go after her now, I just look jealous. She’ll twist it, make me the villain. She already started, hasn’t she?”

He leaned forward, eyes practically on fire. “Let me handle her. You’ve been carrying this crap for too long.”

“No.” Too sharp, but I meant it. I grabbed the table like it might float away. “If you go after her, Dominic will call it another betrayal. She’s already got him wrapped around her finger. He’s always gonna pick her first.”

And then... nothing. That heavy, suffocating silence. We didn’t say it, but we both knew Dominic barely trusted me anymore. But Dante? He would never let go.

He let out this shaky exhale. “And still, you stay. Still loyal. Even when it’s tearing you up.”

That one hurt. Not gonna lie, he was right. The bond dragging me toward Dante was like wildfire, and pretending otherwise just made it worse.

“Don’t make this harder,” I whispered.

“Harder?” His voice cracked, all raw edges. “Elora, I’ve been locked up, branded a traitor, and spit on by my own brother. The only thing that kept me breathing was you. This...whatever it is...it’s not a weakness. It’s not betrayal. It’s just... us. It’s the only real thing I’ve got left.”

I shut my eyes. Damn, those words. Used to be all I wanted, now they just cut deeper.

“I can’t leave him,” I said, voice shaking. Trying to sound tough. “Not while he’s lying there, poisoned and helpless. Whatever he’s done, he’s still my husband. I swore as Luna.”

“And what about your promise to yourself?” Dante’s voice got sharper, almost desperate. “The bond the Moon gave us...what, you just ignore it? Pretend it’s not there? That’s not you.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up, crossed to the window. Outside, the night was just...endless. Forest out there, like the world just stopped and left us behind. My reflection in the glass looked like some ghost. Pale, hunted.

“I don’t even know who I am anymore,” I whispered. I didn’t even know if he heard me.

So, he was behind me, didn’t touch me, but close enough that my skin went all electric.

“You’re tougher than you think,” he said, his voice quiet enough I almost missed it. “You kept this circus running, Dominic’s out, Mira’s got a vendetta, but you’re still here. Still standing.”

I spun around, words falling out before my brain caught up. “Yeah? ‘Cause it freaking feels like I’m disintegrating, honestly. Especially when you look at me like that. Every time I have to pretend you don’t matter when all I want is...”

Nope.

Not finishing that sentence.

Not out loud.

He reached out, his hand resting near my cheek. “Don’t lie. What do you want? Same as me. Stop pretending.”

My heart flipped, and my body got hot. Suddenly it was just the two of us and this ridiculous space between us, and I swear the air was sparking.

“Dante,” I said...more like breathing it, like his name was some kind of warning or plea.

Instead of backing off, he leaned in, forehead to mine. Not a kiss, but damn, maybe even more dangerous. My skin basically lit up.

“Let me be here for you,” he whispered. “Even if you can’t pick me yet. Let me watch your back.”

My eyes stung. I hated that he could make hope sound real. Hated that I wanted to believe him even more.

“I’m not good enough for you,” I told him, my voice a whisper.

He just shrugged. “Don’t care.”

For once, I let myself lean in. Just a second. He steadied me, even while my insides were trying to self-destruct.

Blew up.