Cursed by Darkness (Once Upon A Curse)

44. Bodin

FORTY-FOUR

Bodin

B odin had faced horror many times in his life.

He’d seen his first wife die after giving birth to their son, who never took his first breath.

He’d watched as the creature he had become killed his second wife, parents, and dozens of others.

He’d seen war ravage his kingdom, men tearing each other apart for a cause most probably didn’t even believe in.

Yet, nothing compared to being a helpless witness as the woman he loved more than anything faced death. He’d watched her realize the truth of what was about to happen, and then she’d wrapped her arms around her stomach, around the precious gift he was to lose again. She’d closed her eyes as the Ombrete prepared to incinerate her.

The last thing Bodin remembered was him screaming in the monster’s mind, pounding with invisible fists against whatever kept him trapped. He pleaded, cried, and made promises.

And then, it all went black again.

At least there had been some mercy. He hadn’t seen Juniper die with his own eyes.

Bodin blinked them open now. Somehow, he had survived when no one else did. And now that he had nothing to fight for, he didn’t think he would ever make it back to his human form.

He took a deep breath and furrowed his brow, not understanding what he was seeing above him.

A breath… He’d taken a breath.

Slowly, he lifted his hands. A sob escaped his lips. What kind of horrid torture was this? He had shifted out of the Ombrete? After it was too late. What was even the point now? Almost everyone he cared about was dead. Juniper, Laurent, Richard, probably the princes. They had been with her near the end, but he’d burned hordes of soldiers. He knew the odds of them surviving.

Ronna had taken control of his wife; he knew that much. She must have forced the change on him after it was over. After all, that was her power. The magic I gifted you to create a place to hold my brother until it was time for him to emerge again , a soft voice whispered in his mind.

It didn’t surprise him nearly as much as it probably should have to hear the goddess. After all, he’d lived with the God of Light in his head for six years.

The magic you still possess that will help your people heal and rebuild—and help yourself through the days of guilt and sorrow. For everything you have endured.

He could only hope she’d made Juniper’s death painless. The thought made him sick.

Why didn’t you stop Theran sooner? Why didn’t you save June? he asked the goddess.

When she didn’t respond, he sat up with a wince. His entire body ached, but he seemed to be on a cot in a tent. “What the…”

“Bodin?”

The soft voice brought instant tears to his eyes. Perhaps he hadn’t shifted after all. Either he was dead, or this was a dream. His chest heaved as he turned to find Juniper getting out of a chair to kneel beside his makeshift bed.

Bodin brushed his fingers along her cheek. “June.”

“Hi,” she whispered with a half-sob, half-laugh of relief. Her eyes were lined with tears as well. But her smile took away his pain and brightened the space around them.

He reached for her, needing her closer. She didn’t hesitate to climb up onto his lap and bury her face against the side of his neck. Wrapping his arms around her, he cried with her. “Please don’t let me wake from this dream.”

“Bo, this isn’t a dream.” Juniper leaned back to meet his gaze.

“We’re…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it. “I knew I’d find you in whatever was after life.”

Sympathy filled her green eyes. “We’re not dead, Bo.”

Shaking his head in confusion, he whispered, “But the Ombrete, Theran… he killed you with his fire.”

“No, he didn’t. He tried, but I had help in blocking the flames.” She took his hand and placed it over her heart.

Her beating heart.

“You’re alive?” He was too afraid to believe it. When she nodded, he whispered, “How?”

But before she could even answer, he covered her mouth with his. Bodin held her close, kissing her as thoroughly as he could. He didn’t care how. The only thing that mattered was that she was here. They both were.

“Ronna protected me,” she said, breaking the kiss. “ Us. ”

Then, he remembered. He looked down at her stomach between them, his pulse racing again. This time for an entirely different reason. It was fear, yes, but also joy. More tears blurred his vision as he lowered a hand to her abdomen. “It’s true?”

“It’s too early to really know, but I trust the goddess.”

He smiled and met her gaze. His lips trembled though. If anything happened to her…

As if reading his mind, she put a palm against his cheek. “I’ll be all right. It won’t be like with Camille. I have Lumen magic to heal, as does Richard.”

“Richard is alive? I thought he fell.”

“He did. Twice. But he’s been resting and regaining his strength. He’s also been using his magic to help with other injuries.” She seemed to hesitate before adding, “Alongside our new friend.”

Bodin took a deep breath. “Start from the beginning. How long have I been unconscious? What happened to the Ombrete? How did you…” He reached into his mind, searching. “It’s gone.”

“It’s been about a day and a half. Richard healed you, but you wouldn’t wake…”

He kissed her again, understanding how difficult that must have been for her. “I’m here. We both are.”

Juniper nodded and lowered her hand to his. “The new friend I mentioned has extremely powerful Lumen magic. She is the one who encircled us while I approached, and she… Ronna separated you and Theran when it made to attack that final time, and our friend extinguished his shadows.”

“She killed it?” He couldn’t believe it, not after so many years of trying to find a way to be free of the monster. Years of being tormented by the guilt and fear that came with knowing it lived inside him.

Juniper shook her head. “Not entirely. She destroyed his physical body, and while he was weak, Ronna disappeared with him back to the stars.”

Theran. Ronna. They’d been at the center of this battle among gods and managed survived. “It’s over?”

“Yes,” she said with a soft smile. She brushed a kiss against the corner of his mouth. “It’s over.”

He nodded, more to himself than her. The fight with the Ombrete was done, but he still had a war and a kingdom to consider. His body was drained though. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to even stand.

“Did you know it was Theran?” she asked a moment later.

“Not in the beginning.” Bodin sighed. “It wasn’t until more recently that I began to form that theory. That first week after we were married, you mentioned during one of our late-night chats how you had always felt Ronna’s presence with you. It made me think of that book I loved as a child, and I went back to reread it. Specifically, the part about her banishing him to the shadows. I… wasn’t absolutely certain, but it was a theory. That’s why I gave you the book. I wondered if you would see the connection or if I had made it up in my head.”

Juniper lifted a palm to his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Bo. You never should have been caught up in this.”

“Neither should you.” He gave a small grin. “But this means I was right. You, my dear wife,” he tapped the end of her nose, “are my soulmate. The goddess brought us together, and our love ended this darkness.”

She kissed him again. And again. He never wanted her to stop.

Though, eventually she did. But Bodin reminded himself they had more time now. At least until Gilarn attacked again.

When she rested her head against his shoulder once more, he ran a hand along her braided hair and asked, “Now, who’s this friend you met? A Gilarnian, I assume.”

“Iliana,” a new voice said.

Juniper pulled away enough to sit beside him, but Bodin didn’t let her get far, needing her close while also wanting to protect her from this potential new threat… He wanted to shove her behind him, but knew that wasn’t a possibility at the moment with how he felt. Still, he looked for his sword.

“I’m not here to hurt you or your wife,” the woman—Iliana—said, lifting her empty hands in front of her. “I’m unarmed, and you know Lumen magic cannot harm anyone.”

“How did you get here?” he asked in a harsh tone.

Iliana strode to the chair Juniper had occupied when he first woke. “On a horse, Your Majesty.”

Bodin scowled.

She crossed her legs, drawing attention to the fact that she wore fighting leathers, not a dress or even armor. Her fierce demeanor reminded him that those in the north often raised their daughters to be warriors. She also reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t put his finger on who. Her nearly white-blond hair was braided back on one side in tight, small twists, with the rest flowing down the opposite side, and kohl lined her eyes. She was beautiful, and she knew it. She had that cocky, arrogant air about her. “I was already trying to figure out a way to get here. Then, I saw your queen facing you alone and admired her obvious strength and bravery. When it was clear that she was struggling with her own Lumen magic, I couldn’t just stand by.”

He didn’t understand. Before he could ask more, the tent flap opened and Prince Delroy stormed in.

“We told you to wait,” he shouted at Iliana. “We ordered you?—”

“I don’t follow your orders, Prince,” she said with a sneer, pushing to her feet.

Bodin was stuck on one word though. “ We ?”

Sure enough, a second later, Rafe entered as well. Bodin let out a breath of relief. At least two of June’s brothers had lived. Rafe nodded toward him. “Glad to have you back.”

“I still don’t understand how I’m back.” He looked at the young woman still glaring at the younger prince. “Why would you help us?”

Did they know who she was?

“I got your letter.” Iliana turned toward him, giving Del her back. “Besides, I wasn’t just helping you. I saw the destruction that monster was creating, and I knew eventually it would come for my people too. So, I was trying to rally up a defense, finding a way to fight it when your wife went for it on her own. I didn’t realize she was the queen until I got close enough to speak to her…”

June curled up against his side more, and he kissed the top of her head. He would yell at her later for being so reckless.

“I thought saving you and your queen might go a long way in discussing those negotiations you mentioned,” Iliana said.

“The letter actually made it?” he asked, looking from one person to the next. They each nodded, likely already having heard her explanation.

“You were right. We didn’t want this war.” Iliana crossed her arms, looking every bit the warrior princess she was raised to be.

“My father started it after my brother was killed by who he thought was a Gilarnian assassin,” he admitted.

“I know,” she said. “ My father repeatedly told him it wasn’t our doing.”

For so long, he’d blamed himself for Elias’s death. For the fact that as the crown prince he’d been the target, but his brother had paid the price. He thought about what they’d lost over the years, those who’d been lost just today, and his heart ached. Laurent . His best friend was gone.

Bodin nodded. “I’ve since learned the truth, that it was Umbra, not Gilarn. But even before that, I wanted to end the fighting. I still want to end it.”

Iliana’s clear irritation faded as she sighed. “As would I.”

Bodin believed her. Maybe it was na?ve, maybe it was simply out of hope, but if it led to peace, he would accept this story. “Well then, what did you have in mind, Princess?”

She smirked and took a seat once more. No one else appeared shocked at her identity, so perhaps she’d already revealed that to them as well.

“An armistice to begin with,” she said. “The fighting stopped when your monster attacked, but I don’t want it to start again.”

“Agreed. Then, a treaty?” He needed to find out which of his commanders and advisors made it out alive. That only made him think about Laurent again. Swallowing past the tightness in his throat, he looked at Rafe. “Is Moreau alive?”

“Yes, he’s currently overseeing everything with the help of a few others,” the prince said. “Hugo and Laurent are with him, Samuel, Thomas?—”

“Laurent?” His pulse thundered in his ears. He didn’t hear Rafe’s response, but he saw the man nod. Ignoring the rest of them, he stood from the cot using what little strength he had and stumbled out of the tent into the dim evening light. Juniper followed, grabbing him when he nearly fell, putting his arm over her shoulder while she wrapped hers around his waist. He twisted this way and that, searching.

“Over here,” Rafe said as he joined them and led them through the maze, obviously understanding where he needed to go, who he needed to see.

Three rows away, they turned, and Bodin stilled. Laurent was there, standing with Hugo as they talked to a handful of soldiers. As if sensing him, Laurent lifted his eyes and met Bodin’s gaze. The moment he started grinning, Bodin almost collapsed with relief. Instead, he removed his arm from June and walked over to them as quickly as he could manage, interrupting their conversation by yanking his friend into his arms. His brother in all the ways that mattered.

He didn’t care what the others thought. “You were dead.”

“Nah, takes more than a little sword to kill me,” Laurent said with a chuckle, holding him just as tightly. They stepped apart only for him to pull June into his arms, a surprised laugh leaving her as he did. “Your wife saved me. Told you she loved me more.”

Bodin laughed, shaking his head.

“She gets all the credit?” Hugo asked. The other soldiers dispersed, giving them a little privacy. “I literally jumped in front of a blade for you and then carried your bleeding ass away from the battle.”

“Fine, you’re my hero, Prince Hugo. My savior,” Laurent deadpanned. “How ever shall I thank you?” Rolling his eyes, he said in a normal tone, “Your sister used actual magic to heal me. Magic she didn’t even know how to use, I might add. It was her love that saved me.”

Juniper snorted and pushed away from him. “Stop. Both of you.”

Her words said one thing, but her smile said another. Especially when it widened as Richard appeared. And Bodin knew it was the same thing he was thinking. Drawing her into a hug, he tilted her chin up and kissed her before whispering, “We made it.”

They had lost so many men and women, and he would feel that guilt for the rest of his days, but he would do everything in his power to rebuild this kingdom in a new, peaceful era. For now, he thanked the goddess for protecting his family. For ensuring a future with his incredible wife and their future child.