Fire and Bone (Otherborn #1)(124)

“Too true.”

I smile, rising as he bends, and our lips touch, gentle and delicate. I take in the smell of his skin, the taste of his breath, fresh and alive, then we pull away and continue walking, his fingers still woven through mine, as we listen to the life in the trees, the song of the birds and the rustle of the leaves. Leaving behind the weight of what came before.

After a while I say, “Astrid was right about one thing, you know.”

He frowns, giving me a sideways look.

I grin at him. “You were my first kiss.”



I find my king in a small thicket, resting under a rowan tree. His head leans on the dark, twisted trunk, eyes closed, the limbs above him heavy with red berries. His raven, Bran, announces my arrival with a screech as I come through the ferns. He hushes the bird with a cluck of his tongue.

“Why did you draw me here, my love?” I ask, kneeling beside him in the clover. “I thought you were in Constantinople.”

He reaches out, brushing his calloused fingers along my jaw. “I wanted you here in this moment, to be home where you feel safe.”

The pained look in his eyes stills me. Something’s wrong. “What’s happened?”

“My sister.”

“Mara again? What of her?” His sister is always a nuisance, trying to pull his strings, to manipulate me as well. But what could she have done to create that torment in his eyes? There’s never been any true danger from her.

“She’s done the unthinkable, Lilybird.” He takes my hand, weaving our fingers together. “She’s set to destroy you, to steal your heart, your soul if need be. And I’m afraid she’s come too close this time. We weren’t wary enough of her.”

“What do you mean?”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls something free. “I am poisoned.”

I go cold, the warm summer air of the wood no longer soothing my skin. “Poison? But you . . . what are you saying?” It doesn’t make sense.

“I had to be sure,” he says. “I felt the effects of something, but I didn’t realize what it was. I discovered her trickery last night.” His palm opens, and I see my torque cradled in his fingers.

I look at it, trying to understand why he’s showing it to me. “I haven’t worn that in centuries.”

“I tucked it away long ago, when you first came to me, and now I carry it with me when I’m away from you, so that it’s always near my heart.” I reach out to take it, but he closes his fingers, hiding it in his fist again. “She somehow had it soaked in an insidious poison. It’s very powerful. I’ve never felt anything like this. I’ll be lost to it soon.”

A sharp pain pierces my chest. “No,” I say, very sure, “you can’t be seeing this right. It can’t be true.” My love cannot be lost from me. Not my king. He is death. He is forever.

“I’ve asked your monk, and he’s revealed the truth for me,” he says. “It appears to be a poison from a Chaldean sect. I have little time before it eats away at my mind. I’ll be useless within a fortnight, and there’s no antidote. Not even your monk knows of one.”

“No,” I say again. His words won’t settle in me. This can’t be real. I saw him last moon before he left on his journey to the east; he was well, strong.

“It’s why I called you to this wood,” he says, ignoring my protest, “where my sister’s eyes can’t penetrate. We must act now or it’ll be too late. I won’t be able to instruct you on how to destroy me.”

“Stop,” I say, rising to my feet. “Enough. You’re talking nonsense. I’ll speak to Lailoken, he’ll know what we can do. We should have your younger sister call on your mother—”

“Silence,” he growls, struggling to his feet, leaning on the tree. “Hear me, Lily. I’m telling you, there is only one thing to do if we’re to salvage this and protect what we’ve created.”

I stare at him, shocked by his weakness, even as I feel his wrath filling the trees. The raven screeches, then spreads its huge wings, lifting off the ground to settle on a branch above.

“It is a very old magic,” he says, his voice shaking now. “It is very delicate. But it will allow us to hide, to bide our time.” He coughs and blood stains his lips; he wipes it with his sleeve as if it were nothing. “We will create a story. It will go before us, and when we’re able to complete the circle, we can find our way back. It’s the only way.”

Fear crawls through me. “What magic is this?”

“We sever our spirits,” he says, “leave our vessels behind us.” When I only stare at him, he continues, “You will hide yourself in Fionn, and I will hide in Bran.” He glances at his raven, determination in his eyes. “We’ll ensure that your demi body is preserved for a while so that you can come back first, when the time is right. My body will need to be destroyed, however, because of the poison—and it must happen tonight before we leave this wood. I trust you will find a way to pull me from Bran and place me in a proper vessel soon after your own rebirth.”

It’s impossible to breathe. My whole body shivers as I listen to him, my fire stirring in my skin. Tonight? He will be lost to me after tonight?

I can only shake my head.