“Put your depraved mind at ease, Sir Pervert. I can only hear what you want me to hear.”She paused.“Mostly. Sort of.”
Cedric gave her a pointed look.“Very reassuring.”
She smirked at him. “So, what now then? As much fun as I’ve had waiting out here with you,” she said with a wink, “I don’t think we can just hang about forever in the hopes that Ollie, Joss, Shep, and Thraigg will wander right back out when they’re done.” She cast her gaze in a wide arc around them, a flicker of worry tightening her brow.
“What is it?”
“Do you think Sid’s all right? This is the longest we’ve gone without seeing her, and?—”
“I’m sure she is just fine. You would feel it if she wasn’t, wouldn’t you?” He paused, frowning, his hand rubbing at his chest, and it was Elyria’s turn to ask what was wrong.
“Nothing iswrong, so to speak,” he said. “I just... I suddenly feel very much as though I, too, would sense if something had happened to her. It’s almost like I can feel the tiniest wisp of shadow winding around my ribs. Is that normal too, do you think?”
“Hells if I know.” Elyria shook her head, an exasperated breath firing from her lungs. “Fucking soul-bonds,” she muttered. “Remind me whenever we get back to literally any place with a decent library to dosome serious digging. I really do not enjoy being in the dark here.”
Cedric grinned. “Apt choice of words there, Trouble.”
“Oh, you be quiet. It’s not as though?—”
She hadn’t meant to get close to the archway, given its rather nasty reception of her before. But Elyria gesticulated just a little too broadly, her arms swinging just a hair too wide...and the vines reacted.
She stiffened, half-expecting another surge of white light, another magical strike against her.
Nothing came.
The vines simply started unweaving themselves, slithering back to the trees that comprised the gate as easily as if Elyria was using her wild magic to send them away.
She wasn’t.
Cedric stilled beside her, one hand resting on Ashrender’s hilt, as they watched the gate open, the silver trunks on either side shimmering slightly.
Beckoning.
Inviting.
“What the fuck,” she said under her breath, searching for Cedric’s hand, her rapid heartbeat slowing when she found it.
Their fingers interlocked as they stared at the open archway, the muffled hums of conversation drifting through from somewhere very far away.
Elyria turned her head, looking up at the knight beside her.
He was looking right back.
He dipped his chin.
She squared her shoulders.
And together, they stepped through the gate.
PART IV
SEVER
45
BLOOD TO BLOOD
KIT
