Chapter 6
Arther’s face lit up with wild hope, but I merely stepped over to stand beside Ethan.
Talding his arms, I turned and smiled at Aether.
“Who said you were my fiancé? I’ve already spoken with the King–I’ve chosen Ethan as my consort. The Starfire family’s amber pendant proves it.
The crowd fell into stunned silence. Then an uproar broke out.
No one had expected me to choose Ethan.
He was just a minor divine, one without favor or power.
He was calm and reserved, unlike the other Dravon nobles who constantly tried to show off and curry favor with me.
Most of the time, he simply watched from a distance. If our eyes met, his ears would turn scarlet.
Had I not seen the quiet affection in his gaze in my past life-
Had he not risked everything to retrieve and bury my body-
I would never have believed that this boy cared for me at all.
Many had claimed to love me, but most only wanted the Starfire goddess for the power that came with marrying into the Dravonline. Only Ethan had been different.
My gaze shifted back to Aether.
In my previous life, he had only dared summon three divine flames.
Surviving that alone had left him covered in wounds.
He had been unwilling to accept such mediocrity
Even marrying me and gaining access to power wasn’t enough. He wanted to prove himself.
So he sent me a secret message, begging for my help.
I secretly activated the Nirvana spell and shielded him with my own Heartilame core.
That battle left my core damaged. It took me two centuries to recover, and I bore the aftereffects ever since.
But because of that battle, Aether became the first to ever survive nine divine flames at once.
He was worshipped as a hero, a once–in–a–generation King
No matter who spoke of him, they praised him as the one.
But he had always been too greedy.
With memories of his past life to guide him, he had summoned all nine flames again without hesitation, without care for who might be harmed.
He never cared whether I was injured, or if I would suffer lasting damage
From beginning to end, Aether had only ever cared about himself.
I looked once more at the rolling divine flames. This time, I doubted he could even survive the second one.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a second violet–gold flame shot out with a thunderous boom.
“No!” Aether’s face contorted with terror, but it was too late.
The divine flame strack the peak of the volcano with a violent burst.
I lowered my gaze and saw the summit glowing with fire
All eyes were fixed on the smoke and flames swirling from the mountain.
After a long moment, the King sighed and raised his hand, dispersing the remaining divine flames.
My gaze fell upon the lava Aether lay in a crumpled heap, soaked in blood and unconscious.
“He’s still a member of the Dravon family, after all,”
