Soul Relenter (Soul Saga #3) (44 page)

“Accacia, don’t do this. I’m sorry—I’m sorry.”
He screamed before the sword swiped his head off, and his face was set in a permanent look of horror. Accacia stood still for a moment, unable to believe that it had really happened. She was free forever. The tears fell from her eyes. It was done—it was finally over.

Aleutian Keep

38

Accacia caught her breath as s
he stared at the corpse of the king at her feet. Drake’s head had rolled away to the edge of the circle and Accacia couldn’t force herself to look at his face. She was finally free of him forever, even in the afterlife. Never again would Accacia have to fear him, nor would Aleco. Accacia felt her sword drop to the floor as the reality set into her bones. She succeeded in the mission, one that no one expected to accomplish. Accacia watched the fire swirl around her and she felt the reality sink in. It was finally over.

The q
ueen thought of her loved ones on the other side of the swirling flames of fire. She knew Aleco was badly injured. She immediately ended the spell fueled by the power of the stone and ran to Aleco. She dropped to her knees beside Zyle and grabbed Aleco’s face. His breathing was deep and shallow and his eyes were closed. Accacia felt the blood of the floor soak into her trousers and she felt her heart fall. She feared she was too late.

“Thank you for kicking his ass, Accacia,” he said without opening his eyes. His voice was quiet and weak. “Now I can die happy.”

Accacia felt the tears fall from her face. She didn’t know what to do. Aleco was covered in mortal injuries. She didn’t know how he was even speaking coherently. Zyle said nothing as he sat beside her, understanding it wasn’t the time to speak. Accacia examined his wounds and realized there were too many. Even if she could find an extraordinary healer, she would be too late. Aleco would be dead when she returned. Accacia felt the sobs shake her body—this couldn’t be happening.

Accacia pulled her hands away from Aleco and tore off her armor, throwing it aside. Zyle watched her in confusion, not sure what she was planning to do. Accacia placed her hand over Aleco’s heart and closed her eyes.

Zyle pulled her hand away. “What are you
doing
, Accacia?” His eyes were larger than she had ever seen them. He gripped her wrist with his strength.

“I have to save him, Zyle,” she said through her tears. “I won’t let him die—I can’t.” She placed her hands over his heart but Zyle pulled her away
again.

“Stop this,
now
. Accacia, do you not remember what I told you? It only works on animals—not humans.”

Accacia shook her head. The tears were falling from her face and landing on Aleco’s cold body. “No,” she said. “It can work on humans—it just isn’t recommended.” Accacia tore her hand away from her husband and grabbed Aleco.

“IT WILL KILL YOU!”

Accacia shoved him back. “I don’t care.” She was hysterical in her pain. It reminded Zyle of the day Accacia realized their commitment to another
. Her heart was broken in agony. She couldn’t accept the truth. “I can’t let him die, Zyle. I refuse to do it. I need him to live.”

“I can’t let you do this, Accacia.” He grabbed her hands and held them to his chest. “I need
you
to live.”

Aleco moaned from his semi-conscious state. “Accacia, please don’t do it. Let me go.”

Accacia grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “I have to.”

“No.” Aleco felt his mind slip away. He wanted to say more but his body was no longer responding to his commands. It was time.

Accacia saw his body stiffen. She moved for Aleco’s heart, preparing to take the injuries onto herself when Zyle stopped her again. This time she grabbed his hand and shoved him back. She stared at Zyle with a look of determination. Nothing was going to stop her. “Step back, Zyle. You can’t stop me from doing this—it is my decision.”

Zyle mov
ed toward her but she aimed her dagger at him. Zyle flinched when he saw the gleam of the metal. He knew she was serious. He held his hand up. He could see that nothing he did was going to stop her unless he knocked her unconscious. Zyle was disturbed that Accacia would die to spare Aleco. He wondered if she would do it for him. He knew nothing was going to assuage her choice. Zyle sighed to himself as he realized what he had to do. “Then let me help you,” he said. “Let’s split the injuries between us.”

Accacia lowered her dagger and stared at him. “You would do that?”

Zyle nodded. “I will do anything for you, Accacia. You should know that by now.”

Accacia nodded. “Thank you,” she said. She reached her hand over Aleco’s heart, but Zyle pulled it away.

“Let me go first, Accacia.” Zyle closed his eyes and concentrated, willing the injuries to be transferred to his body. He could feel the slits cover his extremities as he bestowed the cuts onto his own skin. The searing pain filled his body and made his arms tremble. He ended the spell before it became too much. Accacia steadied him as his chest heaved with deep breaths. His brow was covered in his sweat and blood dripped from his body. “Don’t take—it all, Accacia. He can suffer through—some of it.” Zyle lied on the floor and closed his eyes.

“Are you alright?” she asked with a voice full of concern. Zyle only nodded.

Accacia turned to Aleco and began the healing spell, taking the afflictions of his body and sucking them inside of her. She felt her wrist redden in a cut and her shoulder become stiff with torn muscles and ligaments. Accacia ended the spell when she felt it was becoming too much. Acacia pulled back Aleco’s jacket and stared at his body. He had already improved. His breathing had picked up and returned to a normal rate. Accacia felt his heartbeat and smiled at the strength of the pulse. Aleco was still unconscious but Accacia knew he was going to survive. He was just exhausted.

Accacia returned to Zyle and leaned over him. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed him. “Thank you so much,” she whispered to him. Zyle opened his eyes and stared at her, feeling his body return to a state of calm at her face hanging over him. She smiled down at him and his heart melted. Zyle sat up and held her in his arms, feeling her body against his own. He thought he would never see her again. Zyle remembered their pa
rting and felt his heart drop. He hoped she had forgiven him.

“I’m so sorry, Accacia,” he said into her neck. “I hope you can forgive me for what I did.”

Accacia pulled away from him. “Let’s discuss it later. I’m just happy that you’re okay.” She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes.

Zyle felt the panic course through him. Her words didn’t sound promising and they didn’t ring with the bell of forgiveness. He stared at her but she didn’t open her eyes. “Accacia, please forgive me,” he begged. “I need you to forgive me.”

Accacia opened her eyes and met his gaze. She saw the desperation in his eyes and she felt horrible for making him suffer. She didn’t want to hurt him. “I don’t know if I can, Zyle. I know I said I would but—I don’t know.”

Zyle felt his heart rise into his throat.
He gripped his hair as he felt the tears fall down his face. Accacia was leaving him. He had betrayed her beyond forgiveness and now he had lost her. Zyle wished he had died in the fight—it was preferable to this agony. “Please don’t leave me, Accacia,” he said without looking at her. “I’ll never do it again—I promise.”

Accacia
held him in her arms. She felt even worse for what she had done to him. “That isn’t what I meant, Zyle,” she said as she kissed him. “I’m sorry I made you think that. I told you to never doubt my love for you.”

Zyle felt his body relax at her
words. The clawed talon that gripped his heart released its hold, letting him breathe again. He held her in his arms. “Thank the gods.” He wiped his tears away and looked at her. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have made my meaning clear.”

“Then what did you mean? You have to forgive me, Accacia. I only did it to protect you.”

“I know you did, Zyle, but that is unacceptable.”

Zyle felt the jealousy grip his heart. “And why aren’t you mad at Aleco? Why am I the only one held responsible for this?” He pulled back and looked at her, watching her face.

“I expected this from him—he has never misled me or lied to me. I trusted you above everyone else, Zyle, and I knew you would never betray me. You of all people understand how being locked up would make me feel.” Zyle looked away. He had known this when he made the decision but he had done it anyway. “I felt powerless and violated, just as I was when I was locked in here. I knew if Aleco tried anything you would protect me. I trusted you, Zyle. I thought you honored and respected my decision
s, even if you didn’t agree with them. I never expected you to do that. You come from a society that honors the equality of women—you went against everything you believed in.” Accacia crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, putting distance from her husband. The sting of the betrayal was coming back. She wished she had waited to have this conversation later. “And then you didn’t give me a chance to say goodbye—that is the worst part. You had your moment to appreciate your last meeting with me. If I had known it was the last time I may ever see you, I would have done things differently. My husband left for battle, possibly to never return, and I didn’t get to tell him how much I loved him.”

“I already know how much you do.”

Accacia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Zyle. I’m so disappointed in you.”

Zyle dropped his gaze t
o the floor, ashamed of himself. “I’m sorry, Accacia. I mean it—it won’t happen again. I just needed to protect you. You almost died in Paso Robles—I couldn’t live if you hadn’t survived.”

“And do you think I feel any different?”

Zyle didn’t respond.

“Why is your concern for me
overriding mine for you?”

“It—doesn’t. I just—wanted to keep you safe. My intentions were purely honorable. It won’t happen again, Accacia. You can trust me. Please forgive me.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?” he asked desperately. “I only did it because I love you—there is no other reason. Please understand my feelings, Accacia.”

“I can forgive you as my husband, but not as my king—not my fellow ruler. Your selfish act cost thousands of lives today. Do you understand that? You put my life before everyone else, and as a result, my subjects have died. They could have been spared all of this.”

“I don’t understand, Accacia. This would have happened no matter what. Lives would still be lost.”

“You’re right,” she said. “You don’t understand. If you allowed me come to battle when we left, I would have gathered the elemental stones when we parted. The Lorunien Tree had been waiting for me to escape so it can give me the tools to defeat Drake. I would have had them when we arrived—I would have killed Drake instantly. We wouldn’t have even needed an army at all, Zyle. Now do you understand what you have done?”

Zyle kneeled on
the floor and covered his face with his palms. She was right; his selfish priorities had come at the price of his own subjects. If he had kept his faith in his wife and her fighting abilities, this all could have been avoided. “I would have done things differently if I had known that, Accacia—you can’t hold that against me. I apologize for what I did and I mean it. But if I had to do it over again, I would have done the same thing. Nothing is more important to me then you are—I admit it. I am selfish and have no right to lead the Asquithians.” He looked up at her. “What more do you want from me?”

Accacia
embraced him, kissing his tears away and sliding her fingers through his hair. “I love you,” she whispered. Accacia felt her heart squeeze as she looked at her life partner. She had caused him unbearable pain, enough to make him fall apart right before her eyes. “I’m so sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me.”

“I will always forgive you, Accacia. So please forgive me.”

She grabbed his face and kissed him. “I will as long as you promise to never do it again. You have the right to express your opinions about my decisions but you will never force me against my will. Can you agree?”

“Consider it done.”

She smiled at him. “Good.”

Accacia heard Aleco stir from his position on the other side of the room. Accacia released Zyle and advanced to him, kneeling at his feet.
Aleco sat up and she helped him rise. His body was sore and he still felt the pain coursing through his limbs, but he did feel better. He opened his eyes and looked at Accacia for a long moment. Neither one of them said anything for several minutes.

“You’re an idiot,” he said.

Accacia didn’t react to his hostile words. “And you’re an asshole.”

Aleco smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you for everything, Accacia. This wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

Accacia leaned her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling protected and warm in his embrace. Aleco didn’t release his hold and let his body rest in her arms. Accacia tried to pull away but Aleco held her tight. “Please hold me,” he said. “Don’t go.”

Accacia tightened her hold on him. “It’s okay,” she said. “You’re safe.”