I spent with her.
“Why in the hell would you suggest this idea?” Her green eyes, now rimmed in red, glimmer in anger, and she may not forgive me, but I’d never forgive myself if she died because I didn’t do everything I could to protect her.
Dagen didn’t need convincing either, jumping right on board when Isolde told us everything. Being linked to Taysa, having her powers live within us and that no matter where we went as long as we were still alive, she’d be almost unstoppable. Triton was away, we didn’t know how much time we had, and even then she may have something up her sleeve to stop him and the girls from killing her.
She’d have to or her whole plan of taking over under the sea while Dagen and I took the land and everything above the sea would be a waste of time. We all agreed that Taysa wasn’t stupid and didn’t lay out all her plans with Dagen and I. That there were still things we didn’t know, and she wasn’t about to lay all her cards on the table just yet.
Not until she knew Dagen and I would follow her. And the impression that we made with her in the dining room, we definitely weren’t on board with her plans.
Dagen threatened to chop all her limbs off. I wanted to blow her up with the cannons on my ship. Both unrealistic as fuck and never going to happen.
“Deep down,” I allude. “You know this is the only way.”
Her jaw ticks. “It’s not the only way. All of you didn’t even give me a chance to figure out something else.”
I hunch down to my knees, almost eye level with her. “I don’t want to leave you, please believe that. But I think I was put in your life to keep you alive.”
“Tobias,” she says softly. “We can find another way.”
“I don’t think there is, to be honest.”
“You don’t understand what you’re—” she breaks in a sob. “—what you’re asking me to do. Again.”
My hand clasps under her chin. “I do know because I’d be like you right now if the tables were turned. I’d never be able to do it.”
“But you’re asking me to,” she upbraids.
“Because you’re stronger than me. And you have more at risk than I ever would.” Her jaw trembles as she bows her head into her chest, wrapping the blanket tighter around her.
“I can’t.”
“Would you rather Atarah do it?”
Her head snaps up to me. “What?”
“She offered.” Davina is on her feet, almost knocking me over as she makes her way toward the house.
Quickly, I get to mine, catching up to her and clasping her arm to turn her around. “I don’t want to fight about this,” I voice. “Just be here with me.”
“My sister would do something so unimaginable and—”
“She hugged me before I came out here. Said I was an honorable man that would always be remembered.”
“I don’t care what she said,” she leers. “I’m not—” She stops when I reach around my coat to pull out my revolver.
Her eyes widen as she takes a wobbly step back.
“I love you,” I convey. “More than my own life. This will be the quickest way.” She stares at it as though it has a million heads and it’s about to snap at her. “Will you hold my hand?”
Her eyes float up to mine, glistening in unshed tears. She’s trying her best to hold them back, to still be angry at me, but we are down the only path we were given to walk down.
This ends when Dagen and I are both dead and, since he is my brother—and I still don’t care for him—I wouldn’t be able not to follow behind him now.
“If you don’t,” I note. “His life would’ve been given for nothing because with my still being here, Taysa has me. I’m the other half, Princess. We have to follow through with it.”
“How am I going to live without you?” she croons. “I can’t pull—” I yank her to me, enclosing her in my arms and resting my cheek against the top of her head.
“You will,” I tell her, feeling my heat rate heighten. “Because you’ll live for the both of us. You’ll kill the bitch and then name a kid after me.”
Davina nestles her face into my chest, letting a violent sob sound into my shirt.
“I know you’re scared. I am too.”
She slowly looks up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t want you to be.”
“I just