Anger strong enough to overshadow doing what she needed to do.
Following his dragon’s lead, Tor glanced around the spacious cave until he spied yet another tunnel going upward. One he sensed was the perfect size and rocky enough to seal behind them with stones.
“Ja, that way!”he repeated. He met Raven’s eyes before she spun and attacked another.“We need to go now, Raven. If not, your sister and her mate will very likely meet their end here.”Then just for good measure.“Not to mention Cian and I won’t make it if they don’t.”
While he knew she was aggravated with herself for being hesitant in the first place, mentioning his potential death did just what he knew it would because theyweredestined mates. She nodded that she would follow. While he found it difficult and knew it frustrated Vicar and Trinity, Raven took up ranks beside Cian and became the first line of defense as they made their way toward the tunnel.
“If push comes to shove, Cian and I are the better option if it comes down to using magic,”Raven reminded them telepathically.“Not to mention, you now know I can actually fight, and I’m not half bad. Neither is Cian.”
Though Tor didn’t like it, she was right. This was the best way of going about things. As her little dragon had said at the beginning, he should lead her, and his inner dragon agreed. So as much as it went against his grain leaving a woman, his mate at that, to protect him, he made his way up the tunnel.
“It won’t be long,”he relayed to everyone, making sure Cian heard as well.“We need not go too far.”
This time they didn’t have the benefit of Raven’s little fireballs to light the way, but it didn’t matter. Their dragon sight made things easy enough to navigate. Blades clanged, echoing through the tunnel along with the roar of far too many warriors. Trinity cursed from right behind him in the darkness, clearly not liking leaving her sister in the lurch.
“Nothing will happen to your sister, Trinity,”he said.“She fights very well.”
“Yet I can feel your inner dragon’s fear,”she reminded. “If I don’t sense her and Cian clearing the entrance of the tunnel soon, Vicar and I will be using magic, be damned the consequences. We didn’t gain all this power just to—”
“We’re in far enough.”Raven’s inner voice was breathless, her adrenaline rush from fighting evident.“Cian’s closing the way behind us.”Tor went to turn back, but she stopped him.“Keep going, Tor. Get us where we need to go next.”
Without checking on her? Figure the odds. It was too much to ask. So he turned back only for Trinity to block him.
“She’s okay,” she assured, far less concerned now. “We both feel it.” She rested her hand on his forearm and shook her head. “You need to keep going. You need to....”
Her words trailed off, and her gaze dropped to his arm. His new tattoo was covered by a long-sleeved tunic, but she sensed it there anyway.
“You shouldn’t cover this,” she whispered, pushing up his sleeve until the whole dragon showed. “Protecting the body with arm guards is fine but never the head.” She teared up a little, her gaze off for a moment. “Never the head.”
Vicar peered over her shoulder at the tattoo, his expression different for a moment too. “She’s right.” His eyes met Tor’s. “It should always be able to see, brother.”
“It’s just a tattoo that will eventually bond Raven and me as mates.” Wasn't it? “Nothing more.”
Vicar’s brows arched, and a strange light entered his eyes before the ground shook and the sound of rocks falling preceded a sharp gust of dusty wind.
“Raven?”Despite still sensing her heartbeat, Tor tried not to panic.“Are you all right, woman?”He tried to pass Destiny and Vicar, but they shook their heads.“Tell me you’re well.”
No response. Had she been cut down before the rocks fell? Had the stones somehow landed on her? His heart slammed into his throat. Breathing became impossible.
“Raven?”he repeated.“Respond now or—”
“I’m fine,”she finally replied.“We’re both okay.”
He realized then and there when he had to clench the hilt of Loki’s Dagger to keep his hand from shaking just how crucial she’d already become to him. Had always been, for that matter. The idea of Raven being harmed, never mind dying, physically hurt him. Considering he had only started remembering her over the past few days, he was shocked by how much he needed her.
How much she was, literally, his other half.
This time when he tried to pass, Trinity and Vicar let him go. Good thing because he probably would have cut them down otherwise. It didn’t matter how well Raven fought or how powerful she was. His job, his very soul, demanded he protect her. It had from the moment he had peeked over a boulder and locked eyes with her in a place he couldn’t remember.
She was his, and he was hers.
They would protect each other life after life if it was the last thing they did.
“I’m okay,” Raven managed to get out moments before he found her dusting herself off and yanked her into his arms. Hard, too. He couldn’t be gentle if he tried. He needed to feel her heartbeat against him. Feel her lungs fill with air. Know she was real. Here. Alive and well.
“I am,” she whispered, not pulling away like she might have a day ago. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him as well. Cuddled close as though she had done it dozens of times before. “But thanks for caring.”
She was more than thankful, and he knew it. Seeing and feeling how much he cared about her well-being mattered. It was yet another bridge between her hurt over Revna and where they needed to be.
