Heavy mist drifted between the cottages and trees, swallowing the night.
“Bria?” he called out.
No answer came.
His pulse quickened as he called out again, “Bria!”
Still nothing.
He stepped farther from the cottage, his gaze sweeping the area. He sniffed the air trying to pick up her scent, but the heavy mist made that impossible. Then he heard it. A strange sound. He hurried to follow it, worried it might be his wife moaning, hurt from a fall.
Thankfully, the mist shifted around him as he crossed the clearing. Gradually, it began to thin, the moonlight filtering through in pale ribbons. It allowed him to follow the sound more easily and he soon came upon Fiora passed out and snoring louder than he expected from one so tiny.
She was covered in leaves and pine needles, and his first thought was his wife. Only Bria would stop in the middle of the night to make certain a drunken fairy did not freeze.
But where was Bria? He grew more worried, not spotting her as his gaze swept the clearing.
He sniffed the air again and thought he caught a whiff of her.
The mist continued to dissipate and that was when he saw her. His heart nearly stopped.
“Bria!”
She lay motionless several yards away. Kaelan reached her in moments. He dropped to one knee beside her and glanced over her. No wounds, no blood, and no other scent on her. And she was breathing. Relief struck first, but fear remained.
He gathered her in his arms. “Bria.”
He got no response.
Without another thought, he lifted her, keeping her tight against his chest to chase the chill from her and carried her swiftly back toward the cottage.
The door burst open beneath the force of his shoulder, and he crossed the room in three strides after he kicked the door closed. He laid her gently on the bed, then pulled her boots off, tossing them aside.
His heart pounded as his hands moved over her quickly, searching for an injury he may have missed. Finding none, only deepened his concern, and he hurried the warm blankets over her, then sat on the bed beside her.
“Bria, wake up,” he ordered sharply as if it were enough to wake her.
It wasn’t.
He tapped her cheek with the flat of his hand. “Wake up, wife.”
She did not respond.
“Bloody hell, Bria, wake up!” he all but shouted, but it did no good.
She did not wake nor move.
He couldn’t lose her, he couldn’t. He could not live a life without her.
He took her limp, cool hand between his two and began rubbing it. “You will not leave me. I will not permit it. You will wake up or else.”
He had no idea of what or else might be.
Kaelan never felt so helpless as he did now, then he recalled where he was… Driochmor, the place of magic. He would go for help, though he did not want to leave her alone, but he had no choice.
“Help, Bria. I am going for help.”
He was about to stand when he thought he felt something brush his hand and was never so relieved to see her fingers reaching out to him.
