Chapter fifty - five - finale part five

After saying my goodbyes, the following morning, I sheathe my blade across my thigh and lower my grey tunic over my leggings. It rests above the knees with slits at the sides to give me free movement. I then lace up my leather arm braces just as Darius walks down the steps of the tavern and Tibith trots after him. I straighten my back, staring at how the long-sleeved black tunic and breeches of his show the strength of his arms, legs... and annoyingly everything else.

"If you keep staring, drool might come out."

My eyes snap to meet his irritatingly golden ones. A smirk molds his lips as I scoff. "I don't ever drool which is more than I can say for someone like you who rolls around in jewels half the time."

He feigns a shocked expression. "How did you know I do that, Goldie? Did Tibith tell you?"

I roll my eyes as Tibith shakes his head, wobbling on his feet, and then a whisper of my name comes from behind. Turning, I notice Gus gesturing his head for me to walk over to him near the bar counter.

Looking back at Darius, I see he's now busy, sheathing blades of his own, and I oblige, heading over.

Gus rubs at his jaw as he takes a few seconds to speak. "I want to wish you luck on this journey."

Genuine words, but I can't help but think he wants to say something else.

I smile at him, but I no longer have belief in myself.

He sees that as he says gently, "You are quite the brave lady, Nara."

I chuckle, though it's painfully feeble. "I'm not brave," I whisper. "But I like to think I can be."

A kind of pain rises to my chest. I can feel it in my throat and my eyes again by just remembering Lorcan. I shake it away.

Gus then hums as if that is hard to believe before his gaze flickers past me. "You know he sees something in you."

I glance behind at Darius, kneeling in front of Tibith with some bread. My brows lift aloof as I look back at Gus. "Disgust, you mean?"

He laughs. "You see something too."

With a frown carving my brows, I part my lips to protest at his horrid assumption, but he speaks before I can, "If you didn't you wouldn't have risked yourself to free him from the dungeons."

Now, I have nothing I can say to disagree with that. I did risk myself, but because it was the right thing against Sarilyn.

"Just... take care of each other." Gus places a hand on my shoulder, shooting me an anxious smile before he walks past.

As I whirl to go after him and ask what he means by all of that, Leira stands in my view and stops me. She sighs with a doleful gaze. "Is there any chance that you will change your mind and stay here?"

My expression is apologetic as I lower myself and wrap a single arm around her neck. "Idris already asked me that," I say into the coils of her hair.

Her chuckle sounds like she's on the verge of crying as we break apart and she holds my arms in her hands. "And of course you said no."

I smile and nod. "It will be good for me to get away from this land, even if it's a dangerous path we're going towards."

Anyone else could easily go with Darius, someone stronger, a person of his own kind, but I'm not one to sit around. I don't wait, I act upon any situation. Perhaps it's a way of escaping or a need to take control myself.

*An adventure into the unknown. *

"Miss Nara!" Tibith snaps me from my reverie, curling into his usual ball and rolling up to us. "We need to go!"

Chuckling down at him, I bite the corner of lip as Leira tugs at my arms causing me to glance at her.

"Nara," she says, inhaling a deep breath. "I just want to say thank you for bringing my niece to me."

A burst of delight wells in my stomach. The first since before the trials even ocurred. Before I knew of what Venators truly meant for Emberwell.

Leira's removes her hands from my arms, creating a sensation much like loss as I straighten, hoping I can pull through this.

Following Tibith to the center of the tavern, Darius whirls to me, eyeing me in a certain heated scrutiny that forces me to shift on the spot. His eyes finally fall on my face as the side of his lips teases a soft smile. "Ready, Goldie?"

I hesitate, looking over at the other end where my brothers, my friends... shifters watch us.

Freya stands beside Idris, smiling at me with glossy eyes.

I had already said goodbye once, thinking I was heading towards a new future. A new future for me and my brothers. Now I'm doing exactly that but for everyone in Emberwell and for the sake of Zerathion.

A blinding emotion builds behind my eyes as I return my gaze to Darius. I raise my chin and breathe out, "Always."

His smile lights the entire tavern. "Then... let's go meet the Elven King."

**To be continued...**

**Hey everyone! So we've come to the ending of book one (Can't believe it!) I am so happy for everyone who has enjoyed it and continued to support me once it became exclusively signed. It means the world and I hope once I self publish this in actual book form you will continue to do that <3
Now for book two, I have decided I will post seperately with a whole new cover and title. It will be called 'A Kingdom of Shadows' and the first few chapters will be up on my authors page on the 25th of February this month so make sure to keep checking that day on AnyStories for when I've uploaded it so you can add it to your reading lists or you can follow my instagram page rina.vasq for more news on it and the exact moment I'll update it that day.
Prepare for lots of steamy moments, plot twists, romance and action!
In the meantime I will be uploading a bonus chapter on here from Freya's pov at the Noctura ball in a few days :)
Love you all, Karina x**