Page 67

He wanted to be thorough. So much time was already lost, he didn’t want to have to backtrack again if he missed them. The not-so-distant belching volcanoes added to his urgency.

My female made it through this. I know she did.As much as he feared for her, he had a deep conviction that Elena made it through the boiling obstacle course.

Payim maneuvered the cruiser beyond the geysers to the edge of the dark, rocky volcanic plain, and started canvasing the perimeter.

“Where are you, my beautiful warrior?” he murmured, panning the landscape.

His gaze froze on a tightly packed herd of winged beasts. The gryphons had something cornered.

Or someone.

Anxiously, he surveyed the brittle rocky ground for a solid place to land. Everywhere he looked, there was red hot magma peeking through cracks and the thermal sensors confirmed just how delicate the surface was. The cruiser would easily break through the cooled crust and he doubted this hunk of junk would survive the molten lava.

“Just pick a spot,” he growled at himself, landing on the coolest section, praying it held.

The cruiser barely touched down and he was already at the hatch shoving open the door. With a quick glance down, he leapt onto a solid black rocky patch then started running, leaping over the glowing cracks. He sprinted up a hill and froze when he reached the top. His heart leapt at the sight that greeted him.

Elena was a vision, and for a moment he thought he was hallucinating. She looked like the goddess herself, calmly striding away from the horde of gryphons while volcanoes sputtered and smoked in the background. Her clothes were ripped and her hair was white with ash, but her head was held high. He didn’t need to see evidence of the vile Jurou Biljana to know she’d been victorious.

“Elena!” He ran toward her, forgetting the treacherous terrain, desperate to reach his beloved.

“Payim!” she cried the second she spotted him.

As he swiftly closed the distance, he noticed her limp. His warrior goddess was injured.

“I thought they killed you!” she sobbed, echoing his thoughts, as he swung her into his arms.

His throat was tight and he couldn’t speak as his hands roved her body, cataloging every scrape and bruise. Finally, his palm came to rest on her cheek as he cradled her against his chest. His whole world existed in the pair of big brown eyes staring up at him. His mouth descended on hers and he poured every ounce of relief, elation and love he was feeling into the kiss.

He was so lost to the moment that he didn’t register the rumble until he was almost knocked off his feet. His grip tightened on Elena as he got his bearings.

“We have to go now!” Elena looked at the volcanoes, horror reflected in her eyes.

His eyes widened as the smaller peak erupted, sending a spray of molten magma shooting into the air. The gryphons took to the sky and that’s what they needed to do, too.

“Hold on!” he bellowed.

Though he had a tight grip on her, the ground was shaking, the crust shifting as the cracks widened. He leapt over the glowing molten rivers that appeared in his path, running harder and faster. Now that he had his beautiful mate back, this is not how things would end. His inner beast growled in agreement, pumping more adrenaline into his bloodstream.

“Torment!” he snarled when they reached the cruiser.

The ground beneath the cruiser had buckled, tipping the vessel to one side on the precarious island. He eyed the glowing magma oozing up around the iceberg of rock. The molten stream standing between them and their way out of here appeared to be growing by the moment. Add that the raining ash had turned to cinders, and there was no time to waste.

He looked down at Elena and opened his mouth.

“You got this,” she said confidently, before he could tell her to brace herself.

For a brief moment he felt ridiculous worrying about a leap over the fiery gap when Elena had just traveled severalmetraover equally treacherous terrain. This was really nothing in comparison, and he did have this; still, her utter confidence made him soar.

“I adore you, my fierce warrior.” He smiled, clasped her tighter and leapt.

He landed in a crouch, his tail whipping to help him balance on the shifting ground, then sprinted to the cruiser. The hatch was quite a bit higher up than when he left it parked here. His tail wrapped around Elena, securing her against his chest, then he jumped, slapped the sensor and quickly grabbed the top of the door frame. The instant the hatch opened, he swung inside.

“I have to put you down,” he said as he raced to the cockpit, the uneven hull making running awkward.

“It’s okay. Just get this thing in the air,” Elena urged as he set her in a seat and quickly pulled a harness over her.

“Yes,marita.” He nodded, swiping the controls while he took his seat.