“You know something. Stop trying to protect me,” Soryn whispered, his tone harsh. “Tell me.”
“I will not. If you care for me, you will do as I say.” Ashiyn shook his head. “Use your magic to portal away from this place. You are a celestial. Surf the cosmos. Find a different world that is safer. Return when I am victorious.”
Soryn pushed away from the bed and took unsteady steps to close the distance between them. After searching Ashiyn’s eyes he gently reached to brush his fingers across Ashiyn’s cheek in a comforting gesture. “I will not abandon you. Not after all we have been through. You cannot bear this burden alone, Ashiyn. I am here to support you.”
Ashiyn stiffened and pulled back from the touch. He stepped back to put space between them, his tone quivering with rage when he finally spoke, “They sent you here to sacrifice yourself for this pathetic world. I won’t have it. I am not some righteous hero willing to give up everything for the good of the world. I am a selfish villain. You are mine. They can’t have you. I will let this world burn to the ground before I allow it.”
Soryn dropped his gaze to the floor. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “That is the problem, my beloved Ashiyn. You are the villain. I am the hero. The very last hero this world has. I am its only hope.”
“Then let it die,” Ashiyn growled and grabbed Soryn’s arm. “This pathetic world is not worth the sacrifice. Find somewhere else to go, Soryn.”
“And leave you? I can’t do that, Ashiyn. Don’t you understand? My sole reason for surviving this long and enduring everything was to save you, as you saved me,” Soryn whispered. “You and this world are meant to survive. I am meant to save you.”
“You can’t do this, Soryn. I won’t allow it. Sia wants you to take Sihtaar to the between world and trap him there. The only way you can achieve that is to battle him for eternity, so he never has a chance to escape.” Ashiyn went back to pacing across the room, his hands clenching. “Don’t you understand? You will be leaving me. You will be trapped forever in the elseworld, locked in an eternal exhaustive battle with Sihtaar.”
“You will be safe. This world will be safe. You can rebuild it as its king. You will be like a god to the people here. You can shape this world in whatever image you desire. You can make it prosper. I’ve seen the world you can make, Ashiyn. It is worth it. But it will take my sacrifice to change you enough for you to be able to do it,” Soryn whispered.
“You have known? This entire time?” Ashiyn turned to Soryn. No, he would not lose Soryn again. He shook his head and crossed the room to take Soryn’s face in his hands. “You are not just my friend, Soryn.”
“Be careful what you ask of me, Ashiyn. I cannot tell you no,” Soryn pleaded, his voice soft.
Ashiyn pushed Soryn back toward his bed. “You are the only thing on this world that I love besides Illusion. I will not lose you again. Destiny, fate, prophecy, they are lies, Soryn. We make our own choices. Let this world burn and stay with me.”
Tears fell from Soryn’s eyes as he watched Ashiyn slowly undress him. “You always knew there was no other choice for me. That is why you love me. It is impossible for me to betray you.”
Ashiyn helped Soryn back to the bed then removed his own clothes. He would not let Soryn escape and the best way to keep him here was to give Soryn what he had always wanted.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Ashiyn made it a point to keep Soryn exhausted to the point the celestial could not trot happily off to his terrible fate. It was not difficult really. Soryn was still recovering and the intensity of their relationship seemed to wear on him as well.
As Soryn slept, Ashiyn glared out of the window of his bedroom. Sihtaar had grown so large that the dragon’s massive body was all that was visible beyond the cliffs. Ashiyn’s magic told him the world was dying. There were few left for Sihtaar to drain, so now the dragon was draining the life from the planet instead.
“You know Sihtaar will eat all three of us if you do not figure out something,” Sia said as he appeared behind Ashiyn. The ghost seemed a bit startled by the fact Ashiyn was wearing nothing but simply adjusted his spectacles and looked away. Then he seemed to realize what was visible of Soryn was bare as well. “My King, you cannot keep the savior of the world trapped in your bed.”
“I can, and I will,” Ashiyn replied coolly. “Soryn’s sacrifice is not allowed. Find a different way.”
“The only other way is to abandon this world and have Soryn take the three of us to another,” Sia grumbled as he glanced out the window too. “Which is the only real option now.”
Ashiyn raised a brow. “Soryn can do that? I know he destroyed Rhadamanthus’s hiding place in the between.”
“In theory, Soryn can do that. The magic of the celestials allows him to travel between planes and walk into others. You and I are not celestials and do not have that power. He would have to figure out how to take us with him,” Sia mumbled.
“Us?” Ashiyn looked the ghost over. “Who invited you?”
Soryn rolled over to look at them, resting his chin on his arms. “You two are speaking rather loudly for me to sleep.” He sighed and glanced at Sia. “I know I can’t take you with me, Sia. You’re a spirit.”
Sia looked disturbed as he floated there.
“What is holding you here,
