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I don’t want to risk her.
How can I keep her safe?
His mind was spiraling. He was worried and anxious, and I hated that he felt that way, but I didn’t know how to make it better. I came up behind and wrapped my arms around his waist and held him tightly. It was all the comfort I knew how to give in that moment.
I caressed down the bond. “No one will take me from you.”
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Kya
We spent the day in the cave, in our own world, eating and resting in preparation for what was to come. Ryker and I had lay in bed to get a couple hours of sleep. I closed my eyes and quieted my mind until I heard his heavy, even breaths.
I watched him sleep, trailing my eyes over his face, memorizing every part of him in that moment. The way his hair flowed over his forehead, the slight movements of his eyes beneath his lids, the way his mouth was shaped into a straight line as he slept.
His thoughts from earlier came back to me. That he wouldn’t leave me here, that I would resent him for it.
I hoped the same couldn’t be said for him.
But I had lost enough people I loved. I wouldn’t lose anymore. I wouldn’t allow any more of Oryn’s people to die because of that bastard. Not Ryker, not Mavris, not Hakoa. None of them.
I lay there awake while my mate held me in his arms, and his warm embrace made me wish I could stay there forever. Our bond purred with contentment. But I had made my choice. It would fight me, I knew it would. It would pull and thrash against my soul, begging me to stay. It was unnatural, wrong, to be away from one’s mate. I had never imagined that I wouldever find my mate and when I had fantasized about it, I hadn’t imagined that I would have to leave him.
At least at this distance.
Slowly and carefully, I crawled out of his arms, already missing the warmth of his body, and out of the bed. Quietly grabbing my clothes and my weapons, I left the alcove and went into another to dress.
I’d had to make sure that I hadn’t actively thought of any of this while Ryker had been awake.
This is a bad idea. What am I thinking? This will hurt him. He will just come for me anyway. My shadow will always come for me.
No. I need to go. I’m the only one who can do anything against Daegel anyway. There’s no point in putting others at risk. I just need to take care of him then get Nikan.
I knew that Malina would be pissed when she found out that I left her behind too. Nikan was just as much her brother as he was mine. No matter what, no one would be happy. But at least they would be alive. I would rather them hate me than be dead. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to him.
I kept my steps silent as I went back to the alcove where Ryker was asleep. I stood at the side of the bed, watching the rise and fall of his bare chest, and bent down to gently kiss him on his hair, running a loving caress down that swirling tether.
“Beyond the bond,” I mouthed.
I turned to leave but stopped when I noticed Odarum’s feather on the bedside table where I had left it during Nailu. Picking it up, I twirled it in my fingers. Carefully, I removed my jacket, hanging it over my arm, and shifted my wings quickly to pluck a feather from them. Then, I went into the jeweled chamber to pry one of the gems from the cave wall, and left both on the table beside Ryker.
After one last glance at my mate, I left the alcove and headed down the tunnel to the mouth of the cave. My heart ached with every step.
Theron was there at the opening. He had stayed, waiting to take us when we were ready. The setting sun created a silhouette around him, making him look regal and formidable as I approached. I stood beside him, looking out over the snow-covered mountains. I was dressed in my tight black leathers and armed with daggers. My bow and quiver of arrows with the different colored feathers were strung across my back and my braided hair moved up and down over my shoulder with the slow rise and fall of my breaths.
“I need you to do something for me. For Ryker,” I said to the Spirit dragon.
He tilted his head and I turned to face him.
“I need you to take me to the Rip.”
Theron growled with his lips curling up, showing his teeth.
“Just hear me out.” I put up my hands. “You want to protect Ryker. It’s your purpose as his Spirit Guardian. And I want to protect him too. This is how I can do that, howwecan do that. Let me do this.”
Theron rumbled a sound in his chest, like a mix between a purr and a growl.
“Please, Theron. Take me to the Rip. I understand your reservations. If anything happened to me, as Ryker’s mate, it would hurt him. But he would still be safe,” I begged.
