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I stared back at him as he lifted a brow then closed my eyes and listened to his request. I sucked in a sharp breath throughmy nose, letting my cheeks balloon out as I blew the air out of my mouth.

“Now,” he started again, letting his hands fall from my shoulders. “Where are the others?”

“I don’t know, I have only seen Ata and Asrai since Dukovich and I got back. I sent Asrai to the infirmary maybe two hours ago to check on Ata, and Landers and Andrues should be back soon. The moment they get back we—”

“Why is Ata at the infirmary?” he interrupted, worry dancing across his features as his brow creased.

My pacing started again at his question.

“She was attacked last night. She is safe now—stable.” I could feel the words catching in my throat as the sight of her mangled body came back into view.

There were memories that I knew would haunt me the rest of my life, but I never expected so many of them to be filled with Ata’s suffering.

There was something in her eyes that I had never seen there before. After everything she had been through—everything she had lost—I’d never seen such an extraordinary amount of fear and pain screaming behind her eyes.

My feet had stopped moving as my mind plummeted, spiraling into thoughts of her and when I looked back up at Wren. He didn’t say anything, didn’t ask any questions. He just reached out, coiling his fingers around my arm and pulled my body against his chest. Tears slipped from my eyes as I wrapped my arms around him and I could feel that healing energy, that calmness seep into my skin like a balm—soothing my aching heart with every breath I took.

The sound of tethering whooshed through the stables and my eyes shot open to see Landers and Andrues standing in the doorway.

My heart ceased to beat for one moment.

A sob lodged itself inside my tightening throat as I stared back at him.

Then Iran.

Curls whipped over my shoulders as I careened into him. He caught me effortlessly, his body an immovable force as my chest slammed against his and he lifted me from the ground. My legs wrapped around his waist as his arms enveloped me, pulling me tight against his body. I buried my face in the crook of his neck as the familiar scent of leather and moss and woods filled my senses.

And for the first time since stepping back into Locdragoon, I could breathe.

He pulled me impossibly closer, one hand cradling the back of my head while the other locked around my waist and I clung to him desperately. Hot tears streamed down my face as my fists clenched the fabric of his tunic.

His heart beat strong and steady against my own racing pulse. I was trying to keep it together, trying to stay strong while everything seemed to be crumbling around me and I needed him. I needed his touch. It hadn’t even been a full day since we split up, and though we had spent many days apart over these last couple months—this time felt different.

It felt . . .dangerousto not have him here.

We stood there for what felt like an eternity, lost in each other’s hold, the rest of the world fading away.

Andrues cleared his throat, a gentle reminder that we were not alone, and my eyes flashed to his over Landers’s shoulder to see a soft smile growing onto his lips. Landers lowered me to the ground and I pulled back just enough to look up at him, searching his face.

He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes and a weariness that seemed to emanate from his very soul. But there was also agentleness in his gaze as he looked down at me, a tenderness that always seemed to ease whatever emotion was stirring in me.

“I love you,” I whispered, and a smile split onto his lips.

That unholy gorgeous smile.

His eyes lit up, drowning out the fatigue that had settled there.

“I love you, Darkness.” He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before pulling away and looking at Wren. “What did we miss?”

Silencefelloverthefour of us as I finished telling them everything that had happened and I could see the unmistakable shade of rage flood Andrues’s features.

“How did you find her?” Andrues asked through clenched teeth.

“A raven flew into the banquet hall while Dukovich and I were eating together. That raven turned into a wolf as it landed at our feet and luckily, Dukovich knew Ata had a familiar or else I think I would have killed it. It led us to her.” Andrues only nodded as his thumb began to rapidly twist the ring on his forefinger. “Did you know she had a familiar?”

“Yes.” He hesitated, his eyes flickering over the three of us. “I also believe that she is a seer.”

My eyes snapped wide.