Live Specimen

Pretend.

The word echoed hollowly in his mind, his chest aching in a way that felt both foreign and familiar. It was funny, in a bitter sort of way, that the faction was so concerned about a union that didn't even exist beyond the bounds of necessity. For Elara, at least.

For him, though…

Caspian's jaw tightened, his gaze dropping to the faint glint of the jewel-encrusted on the hilt of his sword at his side. He had loved her for far longer than she could possibly imagine—since he first heard her voice rooting for him in the darkest moments of his many lives. Her voice had been a beacon when he had been stuck in an endless pit of despair. Loop after loop after loop, and all of them ended the same: with his death. Although he had told Elara he didn't remember dying, the truth was he did. He didn't remember exactly how he got there, but he remembered the throne room and the piercing pain of swords stabbing through his flesh.