Blood of Two Crowns (Hallowed Fates #2)

Chapter 50

Chapter

Fifty

MAREINA

T he first place we returned to was Zurie’s palace. It still felt too surreal to call it my palace or even Nakoa’s palace. All of the surviving drakonati had accompanied us. Pomona and Famei took the liberty of getting most of them settled in a distant wing of the palace. Roderick, Lokus, Rayne, Vesper, and Val had all also survived and escorted an unconscious Azrael, slung over Rumiel’s shoulder, to the dungeons.

It seemed impossible to me that Miroslav had apparently not survived. My mind seemed entirely unable to fathom such a possibility, and I could only attribute it to the fact that I couldn’t even begin to emotionally process it while I was mourning Malekai.

Asterion was nowhere to be found, something that I vowed to remedy. As soon as Azrael woke. I had hope that he’d survived, was safe and somewhere where he would find his soulbound… and that one day I would be able to see my friend again.

Erius, joined by the alabaster female, stood beside Nakoa, and I, as Bohyun, our army’s best healer who had apparently been promoted to chief healer in my absence, examined Ataraxus.

“His body has recovered from whatever wounds he sustained, so I can’t say exactly why he hasn’t wakened. His lifeforce is there, but it remains… faint.”

I squeezed Ataraxus’ limp hand in mine as if doing so might push some of my own life force into him.

“But he’s not getting worse?”

Bohyun gave me a helpless shrug. “Not from what I can tell. Have you tried giving him some of your blood?”

I felt like a fucking idiot when the truth forced to reply no. Bohyun nodded, eyes drifting back to Erius. “Try… If the blood of even a minori wielder can sustain a sanguinati, then surely the blood of a god would expedite a drakonati’s recovery... Not that I have any knowledge of the drakonati,” she adds pointedly. “Do you not have a healer?”

Erius frowned. “They did not survive.”

Bohyun’s expression softened as she heaved a sigh and returned her gaze to mine and Nakoa’s. “Considering the three of you are soulbound, both of you need to give him blood. Even if it’s only a few drops… I’m guessing neither of you have fulfilled the bond either?”

I could feel the way Nakoa held his breath before I answered. “No. I haven’t.” Bohyun’s gaze slid to Nakoa as he shook his head.

Bohyun looked annoyed by the answer, unable to hold back her commentary. “If I had found my soulbound , I wouldn’t hesitate a single fucking moment.”

My eyes narrowed at the female I’d known for at least fifty years, but I couldn’t find fault in her words, even if they were insensitive. She turned to leave, parting on one final word, “Blood.”

Silence fell. Erius and his female left, followed by the other few drakonati after they each took turns whispering a short prayer in Vassileon and pressing their foreheads to Ataraxus’.

For several moments, Nakoa and I only stared down at Ataraxus’ ashen face. Now that we were alone, the emotion I’d been desperately holding back could finally be set free. Nakoa took me in his arms again as I maintained my grip on Atraxus. Nakoa’s hand found mine and to my surprise, wove his fingers with mine and Ataraxus’.

“You’re awfully calm about this…”

“Somnus came to me beforehand… And I can feel it too. The tether between us. I will not do to him what I did to you. And I vow to spend the rest of my days making up for the error of my ways.”

My lament swelled anew. “You went to hell to save me. Started a war for me . You’ve made it up to me a thousandfold. If anything, I owe you. And if I hadn’t…”

I couldn’t bring myself to utter the rest without another sob wracking my body. Nakoa’s hold tightens on me. “Shhhhh… There isn’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t do to save you, lohane thili .”