To Love A Villain

Chapter 216: Telling Einar

>>Enya

I held Ahin’s hand a little too tightly.

Not because I meant to. Just... because I was nervous. But of course, I meant to clutch his hand too. I like the heat of his body next to mine.

The fire flickered low in the hearth. Shadows danced on the ceiling, and in the far corner, little Rika was asleep, a soft snore escaping from beneath her blanket and the scarf Einar had given her. She looked peaceful, untouched by the growing storm outside. I envied that innocence.

Ahin sat beside me, silent and steady, his thumb gently brushing the back of my hand. That small gesture helped. It reminded me I wasn’t alone in this.

Across from us, Einar was seated with his sketchbook balanced on one knee, charcoal smudged on his fingertips. He hadn’t drawn in a while, not since the last Rika portrait, but tonight he seemed at ease, quietly observing us the way only Einar could—like he already knew everything and was just waiting for me to say it out loud.

I cleared my throat. "Einar?"

He looked up.

"There’s... something I need to tell you."

I felt Ahin straighten beside me. The air seemed to still, thick with things unsaid.

Einar’s gaze flicked briefly to our interlocked hands and then back up. Calm. Still unreadable.

"You’re together," he said softly, like it wasn’t even a question.

!!

We both were shocked.

I blinked. "You... knew?"

"You think I wouldn’t notice the way you look at him?" he asked, voice touched with amusement. "Or how quiet you get when he’s hurt? How you stop breathing every time he leaves the room?"

My face grew warm. I dropped my eyes for a moment. My fingers tightened slightly around Ahin’s.

"I wanted to tell you properly," I murmured. "Because I didn’t want you to think I was being irresponsible. Especially with everything happening, with the miasma, and the lockdown—"

"Enya." Einar’s voice cut gently through my ramble.

I looked up.

"I’m glad." He said

The words stunned me.

"I... what?" I didn’t know what to say to that.

He smiled, that rare smile of his—the one that always felt like sunrise after a long, cold night. "I’m glad. Truly. I’ve watched the two of you. And I already knew one day, soon enough, you’d be on top of each other."

His words made us both blush and we looked away shyly

"But, I’m happy for you too." He said and I looked back at him.

But right there in his eyes, hidden behind the happiness, behind the peace, there was some strange sort of sadness.

I turned to look at Ahin

"I want to talk to Einar alone," I told him and he looked back.

He didn’t mind my words at all.

He simply nodded and stood up to leave

***

The wind rattled the window panes. Outside, snow drifted down in slow, spiraling flakes, coating the courtyard in white. Inside, the fire was dying low, casting soft orange glows across the walls of the sitting room where Einar and I sat. Ahin had gone to put Rika in her own bed—she was still sleeping soundly upstairs, curled beneath layers of blankets.

The silence between my brother and me wasn’t heavy. It was simply waiting.

I sat with my legs pulled up, arms wrapped around them, staring into the fire like it held the answers I needed.

"We can’t keep them here," I said at last. "Ahin and Rika. What if Emrys takes him into the wilds again? What if it’s worse next time?"

My voice shook without permission. I hated that it did.

Einar turned his gaze toward me. His expression wasn’t surprised.

"It’s time we get all of you out of here," he said, his tone calm. Resolute.

I blinked, slowly turning to him. "Wait..." I narrowed my eyes at him, "What do you mean, all of you?"

He nodded. "All three of you."

It didn’t sink in at first. But then he looked at me with that knowing glint in his eyes.

"Three?" I asked softly. "Einar, what are you saying?"

He didn’t look away. "You’re going with them."

My stomach dropped.

"No," I said, shaking my head instinctively. "I can’t. I’m not leaving you behind."

"There’s no reason to stay," Einar said, gently, but firmly. "My part in this place is nearly done."

"No—Einar, you—" I stood up, hands clenched. "You’re not—don’t talk like that."

"I can feel it, Enya." His voice remained steady, even as mine trembled. "The magic inside me has been weakening for weeks. The rot... it’s closer than you think. I’m not going to last long."

I felt like the floor had opened beneath me. The thing was. The kind of magic Einar possesses is too hard on his body. Too powerful. It was the cause of his constantly declining health. And now it had started to leave his body

"Then I’ll heal you," I said quickly, desperately. "We’ll find something—we always do—"

He rose too, but slowly, and reached out to take my hand.

"You have to stop carrying everything alone."

I looked up at him. My brother. My anchor.

His eyes softened. "You found something worth protecting, Enya. Let yourself protect it."

Tears prickled the edges of my vision. "But I can’t leave you."

"You can," he said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "And you will. You’ll leave with Ahin and Rika, and you’ll make it out of this cursed place before the exits are gone for good."

I shook my head. "It’s not fair."

"I know." His voice cracked slightly, and that shattered me. "But it’s right."

The miasma was thickening each day, poisoning the skies and lands beyond. But in that twisted irony, it was the only thing distracting Emrys and the others from watching the outer edges. The only window we had.

And Einar... Einar was giving it to us.

"I’ll draw the map. I’ve already memorized where the watch routes are lightest. We’ll make a plan." He smiled then, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "And once you’re out, don’t look back."

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his chest like I hadn’t done in years.

"I don’t want to lose you," I whispered.

"You’re not," he murmured. "You’re carrying me with you."

The fire popped behind us.

***

>>Emrys

It had been a while since I met my siblings.

I knew my relationship with Enya was bad but Einar understood me. He tried to mediate too but things never turned out that well between us.

So that is why I was here too.

But as I stood with my hand on the door handle, just outside Einar’s room, I heard the conversation that made my blood run cold.

Einar is going to die soon?

And Enya is going to run away? With that beast?!?

The blood rushed to my brain in anger

No

I will not let that happen. I’m going to take that beast into the wildlands again! I’ll leave him there before Enya can run away!

This way, I won’t be left alone.

There was a weird sort of panic inside of me.

Yes...

I nodded.

This will work

***

>>Enya

The snow was still falling when I found him. But the end of winter was coming soon.

Ahin stood beneath the eaves of the corridor, where the stone columns opened to the garden. Snow blanketed the trees in thick white, untouched and silent, and Rika’s laughter from earlier still seemed to echo faintly in the air.

He turned when I approached, his eyes softer than usual, more open. He hadn’t been sleeping well—anyone could tell. But when our eyes met, he smiled like it didn’t matter.

I hesitated only a moment before stepping beside him. We stood in silence, side by side, our breaths forming small clouds in the cold.

Then I said it.

"Einar wants me to leave," I whispered. "With you and Rika."

Ahin didn’t flinch. "I figured."

I swallowed. "But he’s staying behind. He... he said his part is done."

Still, he didn’t look surprised. He only looked at the falling snow.

"I don’t want to leave him," I continued, my voice breaking slightly. "He’s my brother. We grew up together. We’ve always had each other. And if he stays here... if he dies here..."

Ahin looked at me then. His eyes, so quiet, held no judgment. Only calm.

"Then I’ll stay," he said simply.

I turned to him, startled. "What?"

"If it keeps you from hurting, I’ll stay here with you. I don’t mind." He spoke softly, but there was no hesitation or doubt in his voice.

The words stung more than they soothed. I reached for his hand and gripped it tightly.

"You can’t say that," I said. "You can’t just throw away your life like that. I made you a promise, Ahin. I said I’d get you and Rika out of here. And I meant it."

He stared at our joined hands.

"Enya," he said gently, "that was the plan at first. Fake it. Stay close to you, help you do what Emrys asked. Then leave when the time was right." He looked up at me again. "But then I... imprinted. For real." My breath caught. "I didn’t mean to," he said, almost laughing, almost pained. "But it’s you. I don’t think I ever had a chance."

Something inside me cracked open. I reached up, fingers curling into his shirt. My voice trembled.

"Why are you always saying things like that? Like I’m supposed to be okay with hearing it and letting you go?"

His hands found my waist, hesitant at first, then firmer, grounding me.

"You’re not supposed to let me go," he said. "You’re supposed to hold on."

The air between us trembled. My heart pounded, and I could feel the warmth of him despite the cold.

I reached up, my fingers brushing his collar.

And then I pulled him down, pressing my lips to his.

It was slow—soft and uncertain. Not the first kiss of passion, but of something quieter. Of trust. Of finally allowing ourselves to feel what had been there, swelling and unspoken.

When we pulled apart, he rested his forehead on mine.

"Where can half-breeds even go though?" He asked

"I don’t know," I replied, "Do people like us have no place to go to?"

"No," He replied, "No where,"

My heart hurt at that. "I wish there was." I whispered, "Somewhere far away from all other races."

He smiled, "I wish the same. A place where halves could live like normal people."

We moved slightly, heads still joined as we looked into each other’s eyes.

"If I could, I would have made a place like that myself." I said and he smiled.

"I would like that." he replied and silence took over for a few seconds. A calming silence.

"I’ll stay by your side," He whispered.

The cold wind brushed past us, quieting the world in a blanket of white. Ahin’s arms were still loosely around me when I spoke again, my voice trembling despite myself.

"But if you stay... what if Emrys takes you into the wilds again?" I asked.

His breath caught for a second, but he didn’t hesitate.

"Then I’ll go." The firmness in his voice startled me. I pulled back just enough to look at him, frustration twisting in my chest.

"You’ll go?" I repeated, incredulous. "After what happened last time? You nearly died—Ahin, you did imprint. You don’t have to prove anything anymore. He should know that."

"I do know that," a voice cut in coldly.

My blood ran cold. We turned at once.

Emrys stood there at the end of the corridor, his black coat dusted with snow. His eyes were like polished stone—emotionless, unreadable. As if he’d been listening the entire time.