Page 179 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

For some reason, Frelina held back, even as she glimpsed shadows and metal reflections moving somewhere out of the corner of her eyes, even as she heard the sounds come closer, voices screaming to get them and birds snapping their beaks.

Kerym stood so still.

Like a statue, only his black hair danced around his face. Even his eyes…

“Wait,” she mumbled as she freed herself from the women’s hold and took the three steps needed to reach the Fae.

Placing a hand on his arm, she jerked.

Then Frelina doubled over.

There was so much pain. It was all around her. In her blood. In her thoughts. In her body.

She released him as if she’d burned herself, and Pellie was instantly by her side, but her blue eyes were on Kerym, her fingers tracing his face.

“Something is wrong,” he mumbled. “It’s… It hurts so much. I?—”

Pellie hushed him, her eyes filling with tears as she swallowed loudly.

“Kerym—” she started, but loud steps drowned her words, and Frelina realized their moment of reprieve was over.

Rebels stormed their small corner, and Amalise turned a white face in their direction before trying to get around them—to get help or get away, Frelina didn’t know, but it was useless.

They were surrounded in seconds.

Six men—two half-Fae, their pointed ears and tall frames betraying them, and the rest shifters, Frelina guessed, based on their strange smells—stalked toward them, low chuckles reverberating against the dark stone on either side of Frelina.

“We knew you’d lose,” one of the half-Fae taunted as his eyes roved over Frelina’s body, his tongue wetting his lips as he followed the blood that still flowed from her wounds. “But we did think you’d put up a better fight.”

“You just wait,” Amalise tried to sneer, but the words hollowed when one of the shifters howled with laughter. “We?—”

“For what? The wyverns who haven’t moved a muscle since the bloodshed began? For the three Fae ships just floating out there, watching you die? No one else is coming.” The shifter transformed his hand into a claw with which he swiped at Amalise, thankfully catching only air as the blonde jumped back.

Frelina pulled her to her left side, while Kerym and Pellie stood on her right.

She allowed herself one glance at the Fae, but he was still staring out over the chaos beneath them, his face twisting with so much pain that Frelina struggled to continue watching him.

“Kerym,” she hissed under her breath. “Kerym!”

Pellie leaned forward to meet her eyes, and Frelina didn’t like the bottomless sorrow deepening her blue ones as she shook her head.

So Kerym would be of no help. Frelina’s mind whirled, her hand moving to press on the deeper wound in her shoulder, trying not to fall into the muddled mess she’d been before.

Thankfully, it seemed more adrenaline began pumping through her body, and when the group neared, more of the shifters following their friend’s example and opting for those claws instead of weapons, she decided to do whatever she could.

“Someone is coming,” Frelina forced out.

The asshole Fae who hadn’t stopped staring at her laughed again, but she raised a bloodied hand.

“Kill us if you wish, but you won’t live much longer either.”

That had them at least halting, shooting glances around.

This was her only chance.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors that your leader is trying to squash, but Rioner is on his way here. Those ships you mocked? They were a warning. A courtesy toour leader, who is trying to stop all of us dying, including you damned rebels!”

“Do you—” one of the younger shifters started, but the Fae snarled so loudly at him he closed his mouth again.