Page 47

Evander

T he edge of the forest breaks before us and Quinn slows his pace.

I follow suit, keeping my eyes peeled and my hand on the hilt of my sword.

We are too exposed out here at night, crossing through an area we both know is prone to threats of all kinds.

The patchy spots of high grasses and thick shrubbery that stud the fields allow for predators to lie in wait—both animals and humans alike.

I focus on the sounds, trying to detect anything that might reveal someone hidden.

Or something hidden. Soft rustling and chattering of small animals are the only noises my ears identify, until sharp cries ring out from the open field.

Darting my eyes toward Quinn, we both pause, pulling back on the reins. The horses stall as we listen.

Men. The cries are from men. I take a shaky breath, realizing that those screams are not from Bria.

But whatever is making them scream like that cannot be good news. That animal or creature, or whatever it is, is not something I want to come across tonight. The horses stamp in place, clearly uncomfortable with the sounds, what they scent on the wind that whips toward us.

Pushing them forward, we continue slowly, treading carefully through the shrubbery.

I keep my ears tuned into the surroundings for any clue as to what may be occurring up ahead, not wanting to fall prey to an ambush.

But another scream comes quick on the heels of the last and this scream makes my stomach drop nearly out of my body and my blood run cold as ice.

My eyes flare open as I look at Quinn. And I know he sees the wide-eyed fury, the rage within me, when I hear that noise.

“Bria!” I shout her name and slam my heels into the horse, taking off without a glance back to see if Quinn is following.

Even though I wish I didn’t, I know that scream. I’ve heard it tear from her lips when she had the visions of Nimai. Only this time, it sounds so much worse. This is her pain, not her sister’s, and the grip she has on my heart twists, nearly sucking the breath right out of me with the thought.

My earlier comment to Quinn echoes in my ears. You have no idea how truly untouchable she is . I’ll kill them. Whoever this is—whoever dared lay a hand on her—they won’t live to see the sun rise.

I jam my heels again, forcing the horse to thunder across the field.

Clumps of grass come up to meet my shins as I scan the area for any sign of her.

The thick shrubbery conceals much of the ground, but I spot a hulking figure a little way off the path.

The man stands in a small open area, his head cast down toward the ground.

Bria.

Yanking on the reins, I point myself toward him, closing in.

His face looms closer with every hoofbeat.

The sword in his grasp is raised and when I near, I launch myself from the horse, rolling into the grass toward the man.

The sharp impact barely stuns me, rage keeping my body moving.

Landing the roll in a crouch, I pull myself up to full height and draw the swords on either side of my hips.

He spins, shock rippling across his haggard face.

He clearly was not expecting a trained soldier to come up on him in the middle of the night.

Bria’s crumpled form is beneath him, his boot still resting on her hand.

An arrow is lodged in her shoulder, mere inches from her heart, and I thank the gods she has on her armor, or it would be even deeper.

My own heart wrenches so hard in my chest at the sight, I worry I may fall to the ground beside her.

Blinding rage engulfs my body. Teeth and jaw clenched so tight they might crack, my hands grip the swords with such effort the leather is bruising.

A guttural growl, more animal than man, erupts from my lungs before I slam the swords into him, piercing either side of his neck.

He wears no armor that high up and blood pours from his mouth almost instantly.

I wrench the swords, digging them in further and watch as his mouth goes slack, gasps turning to gurgling as blood floods his mouth and lungs.

I kick a booted foot into him, yanking both my swords free with a repulsive and satisfying rip of flesh, shoving his body away so it lands with a loud thud on the ground.

My knees hit the grass beside her, hands trembling, searching her body for a pulse.

Grasping her neck, I work to regulate my heavy breathing so I can feel her skin.

Her body is warm, and after a moment, the steady beating of her pulse registers strong beneath the pads of my fingers where they lay on her neck.

I breathe out a long and ragged exhalation, moving my hands to touch her blood-spattered face. She’s alive.

Scrambling myself behind her, I tug Bria’s body into my own, cradling her small form in my lap. I make sure to move her gently, careful of the injured shoulder and wrist. Her wrist looks horrid, and her fingers are mangled. The bones must be shattered from the way it hangs limply from her body.

I press my mouth into her forehead, kissing her hair.

Quinn moves in front of me then, hand on the hilt of his sword. He’s looking down at me, staring at Bria’s lax body resting in my lap. His mouth sets in a hard line and muscles flick along his tensed jaw, his eyes narrowing on her.

“Is she—?”

“She’s alive,” I choke out. “She passed out. I’m going to guess it’s from the pain. She’s been shot with an arrow and her wrist is broken, maybe her fingers too. He had his fucking boot on her, crushing her.”

Quinn curses and kneels beside me to gingerly examine her wrist and fingers.

“We need to bind it for now, until we can find a healer to set her bones and make sure she can actually use the thing. There’s no way she’ll wield a weapon right now. Not like this.” He’s shaking his head as he uses a dagger to tear away the hem of his tunic.

Quinn begins wrapping it around her lifeless hand, through the space between her thumb and fingers and up her forearm before tying it off. He works quickly, stealing glances at her, fearing she may wake up while he jostles her injuries.

“It’s going to have to do for now,” he says when he finishes, and I nod in agreement. Bria’s eyes flutter but she remains unconscious.

“Did you see the others?” Quinn asks, his face shrouded in shadow. Something like fear lurks behind those hazel eyes.

I shake my head. “No. What others?”

Quinn slides his hand down his face, leaning back on his heels. “The other men, the ones we heard screaming. She tore them to pieces before this happened. Shit, Ev. You weren’t kidding.” He finally saw her power, and I know how eye-opening and frightening it must be for him.

But I peer down at her and there’s no fear in me.

I’ve witnessed the shadows she possesses, the dark magic that lies within her blood and bones.

And all it did was strengthen the admiration I have for her, strengthen the love I feel, the connection to her.

She’s brave and strong and fierce as all hell, something to admire, not something to fear.

Her face is peaceful. For now. It’s funny what shock does to your body. She will hurt when she wakes, but I will be here for her. I’m not leaving her side again.

“Ev.” I’ve been sitting here, staring at her in the moonlight, unable to break my gaze away when I hear Quinn’s voice. “We need to get the arrow out before she wakes. It will be easier on her.”

My body tenses, knowing the suffering it will cause her already wrecked body.

“I know,” I acquiesce before pressing another kiss into her hair. I don’t care anymore what Quinn says about it, or anyone else for that matter. I will kiss her if I damn well please.

Gripping Bria tightly against my chest, I lean back to allow Quinn access to the arrow, watching as my friend places one hand on her armored chest and grasps the remainder of the arrow with the other.

Our eyes lock for a fleeting second before he yanks his hand back, ripping the arrow and the tip out with it.

Bria’s eyes fly open, and another scream tears from her lungs.

I hold her closer against me, her head on my shoulder and press my hand firmly into her wound to staunch the blood.

Resting my cheek against hers, I whisper to her, trying my best to calm her rapidly beating heart and her gasping breath.

“It’s okay, Bria, you’re okay. I’m here,” I repeat the words, letting it sink in that she’s not alone, that she’s safe and alive, hoping I can wash away her fears as the shock fades and she comes back to the present.

I stay there, pressed against her for a few minutes as her body tenses and the pain floods her system.

The warm wet of her tears pool against my cheek and I bring my lips to kiss them away, each and every one, letting the salt seep into my lips and tongue and wishing I could kiss the agony away.

Bria tilts her head back, looking up at me with gleaming eyes. No fire now, just her beautiful cobalt blue eyes sparkling with moonlight.

“Ev.” Her breathing is ragged, and sobs are catching in her throat.

She goes to move her hand, to reach up to me, but a hiss escapes her lips instead.

Pain is likely lancing through the shoulder where she was shot.

My heart sinks when I notice she doesn’t even try to move the other hand, still wrapped in the hem of Quinn’s tunic.

She was awake for that torture then, knows exactly how broken and battered that hand is.

Moving her gently to the side, I cradle her back in my arm so I can see her face. I wipe the remaining tears from her dirt-stained face with my thumb.

“My hand?” she questions, not looking down at the lifeless limb.

I swallow before speaking. “We’ll find you a healer.”

When I stroke my thumb over her cheek again, she smiles, though it doesn’t fully reach her eyes. Instead, it twists her beautiful face into more of a grimace, misery radiating through her features.

“I got two of them. Two out of three,” she says wistfully, her eyes brightening just a bit.

The corner of my mouth tugs up. “I got the third,” I respond, lowering my face to hers and placing a gentle kiss across her lips. Despite her suffering, she kisses me back, letting her lips linger softly on mine.

“I hate to interrupt,” Quinn’s voice breaks the moment of peace between us. Bria pulls back when she hears him. Her eyes leave me for the first time since she’s woken, and I think she’s just now realizing he’s also here.

“But we need to get the hell out of here before there are more. I can’t imagine all the screaming hasn’t attracted attention.” He rises to his feet, moving to gather the horses.

Quinn returns a moment later with our two, Bria’s nowhere to be found. It must have taken off when she summoned the shadows. I say as much to Quinn, who agrees. Though, there’s not much we can do about it now.

I adjust Bria in my grip, holding her tight and keeping her cradled in my arms when I stand before depositing her gently on the ground in front of me to adjust the saddle and bags.

As much as I want to hold her all night, she has no injuries to her legs or feet and is perfectly capable of standing. I just don’t want to let her.

There’s no horse for her to ride and I am unwilling to be separated from her for even a moment.

She’s riding with me. Before she can stretch her wounded arms up to the horse and try to mount it herself, I wrap my arms around her once more and lift her from the ground effortlessly.

When I hold her in my arms it makes it seem impossible that such a dainty little thing could usher forth such menacing and gruesome magic.

“Thank you,” she says quietly, before grabbing the pommel with her left hand and cradling her shattered wrist in the crook of her arm.

I glance at Quinn before I hop up into the saddle behind her, impressed that he didn’t argue for Bria to ride with him instead. I know Quinn witnessed each one of the kisses I laid upon her, and he was keeping silent about it. For now, at least.

My arm slides gently around her waist and I hold her close, backing her body up into mine.

The lavender smell is faint on her hair, mixed with the earthy scent of the dirt she had been lying in and the copper tang of her blood.

I breathe deeply, letting her smell ease the fear inside I had when I thought I lost her.

She was here. She is here. And when she lays her head back on my chest, I rest my cheek to hers again before kicking the horse to get moving.

“You killed him.” A soft affirmation of my actions as the horse begins to trot away.

I move to kiss the side of her neck.

“As I will anyone who lays a hand on you,” I promise, and we set off into the night.