Chapter 81 — Grim

Cronan speaks into Grim’s mind, accusing Grim of betrayal and vowing he cannot let Grim live. He then offers a bargain: if Grim wins the public duel against Isla, Cronan will spare the realm of Nightshade, swearing on his crown. Grim, already resigned to Isla’s death and now aware their lives are bound, accepts that killing her will also kill him, but concludes Nightshade’s survival is worth his own end.

Grim reflects on Isla’s insistence that he once knew happiness and briefly imagines a life unbound by duty, only to dismiss it as fantasy. He steels himself to defeat her, convinced Cronan’s multiplicity across time and worlds means they cannot jointly overthrow him. At dinner among the lords, Isla’s absence sharpens Grim’s resolve and grief; he suppresses his hatred of Cronan, focusing on saving his realm.

Returning to his chambers, Grim finds Isla waiting, dressed in a fragile, humiliating outfit intended for the duel. Isla calmly states she will die tomorrow, declares her love, and asks to spend her last hours with him. Grim hesitates, knowing intimacy will complicate the duel, but ultimately chooses her, pulling her back as she leaves.

They share an intense night together, asserting connection and agency in defiance of Cronan’s cruelty. The encounter affirms Isla’s love and Grim’s conflicted desire, even as both accept the looming duel and its cost: Isla’s likely death and, through their bond, Grim’s own.