Page 17

Rion knelt with her. Not knelt, collapsed, his body shivering violently.

Blood coated his teeth when he asked, “Are you okay?”

He was hurt. Gods, what had she done? Arianna only stared a moment before reaching for him. He flinched away, catching her hand, and the movement sent a pang of confusion through her. “Are you okay?” he repeated.

“I—” What just happened? “I think so.”

Her mouth gaped as she took in the scene before her. A thick layer of glassy white covered everything reaching all the way to the tree line where the warriors hiding behind the trees stepped around icicles as long as their arms.

She’d felt the strum of power, but she hadn’t—

The river cracked behind them and giant sheets of ice broke from the bank, carried by the rapid current toward the waterfall. It’d even created a slippery overhand with icicles that stretched beyond her line of sight.

Arianna loosened a breath and it clouded in the chilled air.

“What the hell was that?” Ellie shouted.

Talon struggled to rise, but fell again, cursing to himself. Arianna’s head whipped toward him then. She studied her friend then turned to access Rion. He held his ribs tight, blood dripped from his lip, and his eye had already swelled.

Horrified, Arianna clamped one hand around his wrist and rested the other on his chest, melting the ice not only on his skin, but in his blood. Gods, she’d just done the same thing as her father. She’d almost—

A sob choked her, but Arianna shook it off, forcing her body and magic to concentrate. Ellie was already at Talon’s side, warming him as he also warmed himself.

She sifted through Rion’s internal wounds and an audible crack echoed as his rib slid back into place. She patched a large gash in his side and his breath came easier.

Talon moaned and Arianna turned to find him attempting to stand.

“Sit still for a minute,” Ellie chided. Talon ignored her and Arianna was sure if Ellie had been anyone else, he would have shoved her aside.

Arianna gave her mate a warning look to stay put then ran to Talon’s side.

“Don’t,” Talon growled, stumbling as he tried to step around her.

Her anger and pain and fear bubbled over and she grabbed his arm, forcing the male to look at her. “You’re going to sit,” her voice shook, “and I’m going to fix you and if you have a problem with that, I’ll make sure you can’t move for the next week.”

He eyed her then relented, though his gaze looked in every direction except hers.

She placed her hands on his chest and he winced. Four ribs broken, but— “Some of these are old.” He didn’t respond. Had he been hurt all this time? Why hadn’t he come to her? They cracked back in place and he gasped from the pain. “You should have come to me sooner.”

“Right, because that would have turned out well.” The bite in his tone had her shrinking back, then he clicked his tongue and stood, stumbling before he turned his back on her.

“I’m not done,” she said, but Talon kept walking.

Ellie grabbed her hand. “Let him go, I’ll watch over him.”

Those at the tree line stepped forward and one of the warrior reached for Talon’s arm, but he shoved the male away. Others clutched their weapons and stepped toward her and Rion—

“Leave it,” Talon shouted, his tone clipped and harsh.

Arianna could see their indecision, especially as she looked back toward her mate still sitting on the ground. Catching his breath, she realized, but he was watching the warriors, too, knowing he might have to fight despite his injuries.

Arianna crossed the distance to stand in front of him, shielding his body from their line of sight. Some regarded her with awe, others with fear and uncertainty. Then they turned and disappeared into the trees, following their commander.

Ellie gave her a grimaced smile then chased after Talon, leaving the three of them at the edge of the falls.

Arianna studied the brutalized landscape. The ice and deep scars in the earth. A battlefield. One of so, so many.

She turned back to her mate and found him studying her. He didn’t pull at their bond, didn’t move.