Page 88 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

“Because if you do, you will never learn how to lift that Curse Mark,” Varlis said, eyes dropping to the place where the Mark was etched into her skin beneath her tunic.

“That is the reason you have left me alive all this time, is it not?” He frowned in mock sympathy as he took another step towards her, standing almost toe-to-toe with her now.

“Hoping that someday you could convince me to relieve you of that burden?”

Then his eyes went wide in shock. There was a strangled groan and blood bubbled at the corner of his mouth. Slowly he looked down, seeing the flaming dagger she had shoved into his gut.

She’d been wrong.

She did want to use a blade for this.

Making the fire burn hotter, she slowly dragged it up his torso, feeling the Fiera steel slice through muscle while she melted her way through bone.

Varlis tried to stumble away from her, but she gripped his jacket with a burning fist, sinking the dagger in further, just as he’d done with the arrow.

“Let me be very clear,” she hissed in a voice so wicked she could have been a descendant of Arius rather than a Fae of Anala.

“I left you alive all these years because I did not have one single fuck to give about you.” She yanked the dagger higher, reaching his sternum.

“The only time I thought of you was when I was having a shit day. When I would remind myself it could be worse. I could share blood with an actual piece of shit.” She halted the dagger, knowing she was nearing his heart.

“And I would rather live with this Curse Mark the rest of my life and know it was my flames that ended your immortal years than let you take another breath on this side of the Veil.”

She yanked the dagger up, watching as the last of his life left his pale green eyes, before she stepped back and let him fall to the ground. She stood and watched as she burned every last bit of him to nothing.

When the ashes were fluttering away in the wind, she turned to find glowing sapphire eyes pinned on her. He didn’t move other than to blink. She took a few moments to gather herself before she approached him, figuring out her next course of action.

Those bolts needed to come out.

She stopped next to his head. This close, he was …

You’re drooling.

Her eyes snapped to his, and a weak huff came from him.

“Shut up, or I’m leaving those bolts in place,” she snapped, planting her hands on her hips and surveying the damage. His massive body moved some, as if he were trying to …do what? Get up?

“Stop moving,” she chastised, moving closer to the bolt at his chest. She glanced at the one near his wing, studying the end of it. It was barbed, which meant it was going to do even more damage coming out. She’d have to pull the one in his wing all the way through, but this one …

Right. Get these out, then figure out the next steps. She adamantly ignored the stiffness starting to creep into her bones. The tonic was wearing off. She needed to get on with this.

Unclasping her cloak, she tossed it to the side, before pushing back her sleeves. She quickly re-braided her hair to keep it out of her face. She felt his eyes on her the entire time.

“Wing first?” she asked uncertainly, stepping closer to the black wing splayed out on the ground.

It shimmered in the sunlight that was getting closer to dipping behind the mountains.

They couldn’t be out here when night fell.

There were things that prowled these mountains at night that she was in no condition to fight off. They would need to find shelter.

Razik’s massive form tensed again when she reached for the bolt, as if bracing for the pain, and she paused.

“Caves are shit,” she blurted.

Razik blinked his luminous eyes at her.

“I’ve spent the last few days in a cave, and it was awful. How you can possibly prefer that over the comfort of a room in the castle or the estate is beyond me.”

A low rumble came from his throat at the same time she grabbed the bolt and tugged.

The rumble became a roar, and she was grimacing around her own twinge of pain as her shoulder screamed at the movement.

Razik’s head snapped up, his large snout coming close to her shoulder and inhaling sharply. Another growl came from him.

“I’m in better shape than you,” she retorted, shoving his face away from her, briefly marveling at the feel of his scales beneath her fingers.

He huffed again, his lip curling back and baring a row of large, pointed teeth.

“Gods. You throw worse fits than Cyrus,” she barked, tossing the bolt to the side as she moved back to the one at his chest. The thumping of a large-spiked tail had her lips twitching.

Taking a deep breath, that small smile fell. Gripping the bolt, she yanked it out. Fast and efficient.

But the roar that sounded made her chest tight. She didn’t know when she’d moved from his chest to his head, or when she’d dropped to her knees, but a large, diamond-shaped head was in her lap, his breathing hard and heavy as she saw blood pouring out of the wound.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she was murmuring.

There were tears on her face. She slid her hands beneath this massive jaw, forcing him to lift his head so she could look into his eyes.

“I need you to shift, Razik. I need you to shift, and then hopefully the little magic I have left will be enough for you to Travel us somewhere safe.” His eyes fell closed, and she felt his heartbeat stutter.

“No,” she snarled, fingers flexing and nails trying to dig into his scaley hide.

“No, you open your godsdamn eyes, Razik Greybane.”

His eyelids lifted, but only halfway.

“I did not dig shirastone out of my shoulder and sleep in a fucking cave for the last three days to have it end here. Do you hear me?”

Something akin to a low keening whine came from him. She didn’t even know dragons could make that sound.

You …chose …the bond.

His voice was strained and weak, bouncing around in her mind.

“No,” she said, her voice breaking as she felt his heart stutter again. “I chose you , Raz. Please. Just shift. I can do the rest. Please.”

Mai dragocen …

“You drive me mad!” she cried. “You’re so godsdamn infuriating. You’ve ruined me!”

Eliza—

Tears were flowing down her face, dripping onto his scales and glistening in the setting sun.

“I hate that you know I like chocolate cake and that the promise of books can get me to do anything. I hate that you sleep in my bed but won’t touch me because you’re just that godsdamn respectable.

I hate that you make everything with me a competition because you know I won’t back down from you.

I hate that you get two glasses and extra food, even when I tell you I don’t want any, because you know I’m lying before I do.

I hate that you’re tidy and always picking up after me.

I hate that you called me one of Scarlett’s Ladies-in-Wait, even though you knew damn well I wasn’t.

You fuck with me every chance you get. And you have wrecked everything I have made of my life, but in the best way possible.

I hate that I love that you have ruined me. Shift, Raz. Fucking shift.”

The soft black glow was the only warning she got before Razik was before her in his human form.

His wings were still out, smaller and one ruined, but he had shifted.

She swiped the dagger from her boot, slicing the Mark on her arm and then his palm.

His dragon fire took greedily, and she let out a small cry as it sank into the little magic she had left.

He tried to pull his hand back, blinking his eyes open, but she held on.

She pulled a tunic from the pocket realm, pressing the fabric to his chest where the wound was still steadily losing blood. When she had given him all of her fire, she reached for the hidden pocket in her leathers, fishing out the other vial of tonic.

The one she’d saved for him to take away his pain. At least for a little while.

She pulled the cork out with her teeth before bringing it to his lips. “Drink,” she whispered.

He obeyed, and she could tell the moment the tonic took effect because his eyes flew open. Which was good because her tonic had completely worn off, and she was feeling all of it: the slips and slides down the mountainside, the blows from Keres, the leap from the ledge, the strain on her injuries.

Razik was pushing himself onto his knees, pulling her into him. He bent his head, inspecting her shoulder.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, trying to push his hands away from her. “We just need to get somewhere safe.”

They were Traveling in the next breath, Razik holding her tightly to him. They were on the islands outside the Wards, and Razik was pulling a vial of blood from somewhere, dumping it into the sea. Then they were in the warmth of …a cave.

A godsdamn cave.

But this wasn’t like the cave she’d spent the last several days in.

This cave was stunning and warm and …a home.

There were stone steps off to one side that wound up to what she had to assume was the entrance.

It was one large space. A kitchen of sorts was towards a back corner with a dining set nearby.

Sofas and chairs were off to the left with a glass fire pit in the center of them.

At the back there was steam rising from something, and off to the left was a large bed.

Bigger than his bed in the Aimonway Castle.

It was low to the ground and piled with pillows and blankets. It was more of a nest.

And treasure. There was gold and silver, gems and trinkets, paintings and books artfully arranged everywhere.

She twisted in his arms. “You actually have a cave.”

He tried to smile, but it fell flat. There was sweat on his brow. Despite the tonic, he was still losing blood.

“What the fuck happened?”

Eliza twisted again, finding Cethin, Kailia, and Niara standing near the fire pit.

“How did you know—”

“I felt him at the Wards,” Cethin interrupted, stalking forward. “When he didn’t come to the castle, I figured he came here. Kailia suggested bringing Niara. You need to let him go, Eliza.”

“What?”

Kailia reached out, her small hands landing on Eliza’s and gently prying her fingers from Razik’s bloody tunic where she’d been clutching it.

“Niara needs room to work,” the queen said softly. “Come.”

She tried to stay awake, but the weight of everything had her nodding off on the sofa while Niara worked on Razik. It wasn’t until the Healer began unwrapping her wound that she forced her heavy lids open.

“Raz?” she murmured, trying to sit up.

“Wait, General,” Niara said, Kailia holding Eliza down. She was strong for such a petite female.

“He sleeps,” Kailia said. “Cethin is watching over him while Niara tends to you.”

“He’ll be all right?”

“Eventually. If he takes the necessary time to heal,” the Healer said. “You, however …” Niara’s lips pursed. “If you do not take the proper precautions, this wound will not heal a second time.”

“As long as Razik will be all right,” Eliza said, letting herself sink back into the sofa while Niara cleaned and stitched the wound.

When Niara was done, Kailia helped her over to the bed where Razik was indeed sleeping. Looking at Cethin, Eliza said, “Please do not tell the others we are here.”

His brows shot up. “Scarlett might actually kill me if I keep this from her.”

“I know … I …”

“We will tell them in a few days’ time,” Kailia cut in.

“Kailia—” Cethin started.

“They need time to adjust, Cethin. We will stay while they sleep. Niara wants to monitor them anyway. When one wakes, we can discuss this again.”

Cethin didn’t look convinced, but he nodded, and that was all Eliza needed.

She climbed in beside Razik and nestled into his side. Her hand settled on his chest right beside the bandaged wound where she could feel his heart beating steadily, and she let the rhythm lull her to sleep.