In order to save the world from eternal night, Red must find a way to unlock the dormant power of the Sun Goddess running through her veins without killing herself and everyone she loves.
...
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A small but surprisingly deep lake in a recess of the mountain saved their lives, though near half of it sprayed out on impact. The silver wyvern and her haggard rider emerged from the dissipating mist, climbing through the unsettled waves like a horse on its last legs. When the soft mud beneath her talons gave way to smooth pebbles, she slumped on the shore out of sheer exhaustion, half of her tail sticking out into the water.
First Hunter kissed the ground. Then he threw his arms around the shivering girl who emerged from the shadow of the silver wyvern, wan and exhausted from a long day of fighting, transferring crumbs of soil to her sweaty brow.
Oriana stiffened in his arms at first; then she melted into his muscled chest, letting him hold her up, burying her face in the tangled curtain of hair tumbling over his shoulder. Hunter sighed and tightened his hold reflexively. After nearly losing her forever, the thought of letting go was almost physically painful. He felt like he couldn't get close enough to her, like he was about to lose sight of her again, even though she was standing right in front him.
Hunter pressed another kiss against the top of her head, breathing deeply of her scent. It was sweet and heady, capturing that essence of summer that was so hard to put his finger on; traces of salt water and warm sand, tangy citrus and the faintly sweet fragrance of wildflowers, all tied together by a hint of something woodsy and musky and...
His forehead crinkled as he pulled back. "You smell like..."
Oriana smiled sadly, letting the harsh truth bubble up in their mingling thoughts. "We were always meant for each other," she said, and even though they were the words he'd longed to hear, they punched through his chest like a cannonball. She was referring to somebody else.
Something burned behind his eyes. "I don't understand," Hunter said huskily, knuckles going white on her shoulders. When he realised it must have hurt he made an effort to relax his grip. "Weren't you supposed to be my mate?"
"I think Nya originally intended me for Sebastian," she said, reaching out to trace the scar on his temple. It was the only sign of the brand she'd left on his soul. "You have to understand, the bond... it was never about love. Not for me," she said, even though it pained her to admit it. "It was always about controlling my power. So when Sebastian fled, they had to tether my soul to somebody else; somebody they felt was impressionable and loyal. Somebody who didn't care too much about me, so that they could put me in my place if necessary."
"Me," Hunter muttered, scarcely able to believe it. First his mother, then his mate... Had his entire life been a lie? "I..."
He was sorry. But how could he express the full extent of his regret? Two months ago, he would have been repulsed by the thought of a life with the girl whose true name he hadn't even known, but now it was all he craved. To think that he could have hurt somebody he cared so deeply about...
