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"I said I would, didn't I?" Xilya began to lower herself, and Ryziel took that moment to unwrap his arm from Aly, letting her sit up from on top of him to slide to the edge of the alcove and let her feet dangle.

"Come on, come on," Xilya said, and Aly hesitantly dropped down with Xilya catching her and placing her on her feet. Ryziel waited then dropped beside them.

"Took you long enough," Ryziel said, rolling the ache out of his shoulders.

Xilya snorted. "I wouldn't even joke. If it weren't for Aly, I wouldn’t have come at all."

"How did you know where to find us?"

"Nar locked onto your location and sent the map my way. Took me a little longer to find you once I got into the Keep, but I was able to trace your scent." Xilya brought up her techband and clicked it on. "Nar, I have them. We are returning now."

"Thank Nihl," came the urk's voice.

"You didn't see anything as you were coming in, did you?" Aly asked, fear still showing in her gaze.

Xilya shook her head. "Everything was still...perhaps a little too still. Which means we should move quickly."

Ryziel could agree to that. He reached out for Aly on instinct but then quickly drew back.

No. Just because he had somehow managed to restrain himself—or rather his Drega had kept from reacting—when he found her against him, didn't mean he had free reign to touch her. Memories of what happened after the nyghi attacked were a blurry, chaotic mess at best and, though he was more than relieved to see her unharmed—to see her looking at him without fear—something in the back of his mind told him a lot had happened and eventually those memories might resurface. His eyes fell down to the rip in her suit and a fire burned in him. Something told him he had done that. But as their eyes met, she did not look at him horrified or disgusted. Instead, her face turned red as she kept the suit up with one hand in order to not expose herself. He could ask her what he had done. But not here. Not now.

"Nihl Ryziel, when you’re done staring, can we go?"

Ryziel forced his eyes away from Aly to look at Xilya, nodding his head. "Lead the way."

***

They made good time exiting the Keep, and, to their great relief, nothing appeared out of some place unseen to stop them. Ryziel agreed that the area seemed unnaturally quiet. No howls or cries in the distance, and even the muirlemp seemed dimmer than usual. When they came upon the corpses of the felled nyghi, the scent of blood still permeated the air, but surprisingly, there was little blood left to be seen. Even the bodies seemed thinner somehow...smaller, as if drained. Aly tried to study them but Ryziel refused to stop. She clung to his belt tight and kept up with him as best she could, though he drove her hard, keeping at a light run. He knew she was tired still from everything that happened, but he wouldn't dare slow or rest. Not yet.

"What about our packs?" Aly mentioned as they came to the first door of the Keep.

"We leave them for now," Ryziel said. "Best case, they will be there once I return. If not, they can be replaced from above."

Aly said nothing. She stuck close by him. He could hear her ragged breathing and felt her steps faltering, but still, he refused to stop.

They passed the bridge then the long passage after. When they got to the first set of stairs, Ryziel gave a quick pause. He looked at Aly again and saw sweat glistening on her brow. He knew forcing her upward without rest was unfair, but he didn't want to stop, only to return to the lair. They had been gone for a long time, and he had a feeling her shift in the mines had ended at least a couple hours ago. If he didn't get her back soon, enforcers might grow suspicious as to why a human was working overtime.

He thought for a moment, then made Aly release his belt.

He turned toward her and tied her gaze with his. "It's a long climb up. I should carry you."

She said nothing at first, her eyes averting from his. "I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

She might, it was true, but damn if he cared at that moment. If he had somehow been able to keep himself from harming her while in the hold of his Drega, then, by Nihl, he could carry her and be just fine.

"Let me carry you, Aly."

She looked back at him with her round eyes. Then, slowly, a smile grew on her face. "Okay, thank you."

He stepped closer to her, their bodies almost touching, even then. He took a deep breath then scooped her up and brought her to him. He waited for a reaction and was both astounded and relieved when there was very little. His receptors did hum slightly, and there was a stirring in his lower belly, but his Drega merely lifted its head and nothing more. It did not rise up as quickly or as violently as before, and Ryziel was able to push it back down with ease. He tensed slightly when she put an arm around his neck, but he felt in control enough to continue on with her cradled to him.

He turned, ready to start up the stairs, when he noticed Xilya watching him. She gave him a curious stare, one that said, "Are you sure that's safe?" and his return glare was to answer, "It's fine." She nodded, turned from him, and continued on. Ryziel followed behind her.

With Aly in his arms, they climbed fast, able to make the travel in half the time. When they finally broke from the tunnel leading into the bottom of the mine, Ryziel told Xilya to go on ahead back to the lair and he would meet her there shortly. She went as asked, and Ryziel began moving in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" Aly asked.

Ryziel glanced down at her then straight ahead. "To the elevator."