He exhaled a shaky breath, trying to maintain a sense of calm as Herric stared at him, his leg flung over the opposite arm of his throne, his foot swinging casually from side to side.

“So nice of you to join us,” Herric said, sweeping out a hand. “As you can see, we’ve been celebrating your arrival.”

Rion didn’t respond. Couldn’t respond. Sweat beaded on his forehead as his stomach twisted in knots. His tongue felt like paper glued to cardboard.

“Some of us more than others,” Herric said as he then gestured to the side. Rion followed the direction, noticing the woman who knelt beside the throne with her head down and her hands folded in her lap. A dark tumble of hair fell over her face, but Rion would have known her anywhere.

His breath solidified into lead, and he nearly dropped the girl, but he clung on, determined to barter Rachel’s way out of here. After centuries of regretting his choices, Rion no longer cared about power or magic. All he wanted was her.

Herric smirked and leaned forward, placing a finger under Rachel’s chin and tipping her face up. She stared at her master, unblinking.

Rion’s heart felt like it turned to ash, burning with the ardent fury of his need. She was exactly as he remembered.

“Rachel,” he choked out, and her eyes turned to him. They were endless. Dark pools of light reflecting off a still pond under a full moon.

He felt everything in that moment: the years he had spent missing her, the mistakes he’d carried in his chest, cracking his ribs. This was his chance to start over, to finally have the life he’d given up almost three hundred years ago.

Rion wanted to toss the girl down and wrap Rachel in his arms, but he resisted the urge to give in to his desires. He had to think clearly. He had to play this wisely.

Reluctantly, he dragged his gaze away to find Herric still smirking.

“Is this who you were after?” he asked, as though he didn’t already know.

“I bring the girl,” Rion said with a knot wedged in his throat, deflecting the question.

“I see you bring someone,” Herric said. “Turn around. I want to be sure it’s her.”

Rion hesitated but then did what he asked, facing the hundreds of gawkers who continued to stare at him like he was a fresh steak tossed into a lion pit. After a pause, Rion heard the echoing click of footsteps. Before Herric could get too close, Rion swung around. He held up a hand and retreated a few paces, consciously aware of the crowd behind him inching closer.

“Stay back. I have some conditions before I release her to you.”

Herric arched a brow and lifted his hands in surrender.

“I only want to see her face,” he said. “Then you may tell me your conditions.”