Page 41 of Ashen Wings

“You are reckless, human. Reckless!” Tenebris sighs. Another set of hands, smoother and firmer, wrap around me as I’m passed from one man to the other. My arms fall loosely toward the ground, swaying with the rise and fall of Tenebris’s chest as he tucks me into him. His scent is ancient and crisp like the skies and stars. Somehow, that’s comforting amidst the fear blasting its way through me.

“I’m going to try to remove it,” Jace whispers. I feel Tenebris’s muscular shoulders huff a protest, but his palm wraps over my brow. The touch is colder than Jace's and far more furious. Far more ruthless. “Just keep her still.”

“I do not condone this, Jace Ashborne,” Tenebris says, and the words are muffled as my ear presses into the swell of his chest.

“And I do not care.”

Then a cool warmth licks over my skin, landing on the tender part of my neck. Lips curl around the wound, still oozing blood trails from my veins.

My body fucking ignites. Every nerve sparks. Every muscle clenches. The world pinholes. Jace’s lips move against me with each pull of blood.

Yes, I’m paralyzed. Yes, I’m most likely about to die. But all I feel is an all-encompassing thrill running rampant through my body. His hands wrap around my neck, steadying me while holding me captive all at once. I’m burning from the inside out, yet I’m hungry for the flames. Sweet, delicious heat thrums in my veins, settling between my legs.

Jace’s lips pull back, leaving my skin desperate for more. My fingers twitch. Then my wrists. Then my arms. Reality sharpens and the air thins. I attempt words, but only a groan escapes.

“Nova…” Jace whispers. His touch brushes down my cheek, cooling the blazing inferno wreaking havoc over my skin. “Open your eyes for me.”

My eyelids flutter, responding to his voice like a lost puppy. Light seeps in and the world pours into existence.

Jace’s eyes meet mine, but something feels off. The midnight coloring is tainted with a shade of crimson, like the blood he’s taken has gone straight to his irises.

“Your eyes…” I whisper, but not loud enough for him to hear, it seems.

Concern furrows over his brow and he squeezes his eyes shut. Then, it’s gone, leaving only the star-flecked black color behind.

“That’s it. Come back to us now.”

I slip out a murmur, refusing to acknowledge the writhing, coiling tension that tightens my belly. The man just saved my damn life. I was moments from death. Actively dying. And yet, I’m squeezing my thighs together for any sliver of relief I can manage.

What is wrong with me?

“Your eyes,” I try again, but Jace’s index finger brushes over my lips, stopping the words.

“Don’t waste your energy. You’re safe. The lurkers are gone,” he says. The waterfall blur over my vision fades, and I truly take in the clearing. Jace’s tunic, ripped and bloody, reveals a deep gash down the left side of his chest. A handful of creatures lay limp and decaying around us, but the earth is still.

“We’ve got to keep moving, Tenebris’s magic will only hold them off for so long,” he says, wiping the blood—my blood—from his full, swollen lips. He watches me for a moment with ragged breaths. “We should go back and get you looked at by a medic.”

“No.” We’re closer to finding the guardian rider now, which means one step closer to my freedom. I’m not turning back.

“Nova…” Jace starts, but I throw my hand up.

“I’m fine,” I manage to say, but the crack in my voice falls on unconvinced ears. Jace glances at Tenebris, who simply arches a brow in response.

“Little thing, you just survived a confrontation with the deadliest of creatures on this continent. If that venom flowed to your chest, you would no longer breathe. Your heart would no longer beat. Do you understand?”

I suck in a breath and attempt to formulate a meaningful sentence.

“I’ve been closer to death than this, Tenebris. I’m fine. Really.” I raise a palm to my flushed cheek. The limb is heavier than it should be, but I stifle the grimace before my companions notice.

“Do not mistake idiocy for bravery, Nova Lindwen.” Jace’s voice darkens. “We’re going back.”

“No!” I cry, and it comes out far more desperate than I intended. “I have to do this, Jace. Okay? I’ll get checked out when we arrive in Storm, I promise.”

The King of Shadow washes his blazing eyes over me, and gods it takes every shred of strength not to squirm. He draws in a long breath and closes the distance between us. My heart sputters at the realization that I’m now wedged between the two most lethal creatures on the continent. Lurkers be damned.

“And you’re absolutely certain you’re alright?” he whispers.

“I’m fine.”