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And then it’s gone.
The obsidian fragments dissolve into glittering dust.
The air falls still.
Vidar looks down at his hands.
The faint black markings that have sometimes appeared beneath his skin are gone.
He flexes his fingers.
Then looks at me.
“The curse.”
I swallow.
“What about it?”
“It’s broken.”
My heart stutters.
“Completely?”
He nods slowly.
“Nemesis bound my power to my wrath. Every act of vengeance strengthened the curse. Even after you awakened me, its remnants remained.”
I touch his cheek.
“But tonight…”
“I chose mercy.”
His gaze lifts to mine.
“Not because I lacked the strength to destroy him. Because I finally understood there was something more important than my anger.”
I smile.
“Me?”
He brushes his thumb across my lips.
“Your freedom.”
And then something extraordinary happens.
Vidar laughs.
Not a quiet chuckle.
Not one of those tiny, reluctant smiles he tries to hide.
A real, deep, gloriously masculine laugh that echoes through the courtyard.
I stare at him.
