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With Lorelei in his arms, the force of the blast thrust him through the trees toward the snow-covered ground below. He protected Lorelei as best he could from the branches that struck them both.
At the same time, he felt her struggle to stay in her wraith-form and to hold her enthrallment shield tight around them both.
Lorelei was only half-conscious as he finally landed in the snow at the base of a tree. As quickly as he could, he pulled his Guard uniform on, but he was already blistering something fierce. His spine and head rocked with pain from being exposed to the last rays of sunlight.
He sat down against the tree and drew Lorelei into his arms. He shook now, but he was fully aware that she’d just saved his life.
As he worked at healing his burns, he watched Margetta, and the gold glow of the powerful shield she bore, make several passes over the tree tops. He smelled his now burning treehouse, obliterated in one single attack. The ancient fae had tremendous power.
Seth? Are you okay? Lorelei had come to.
He looked down at worried brown eyes.
I’m fine.
She lifted her arm. I’m still in my wraith form. I’ll shift now.
Probably a good idea.
Still holding her, she transformed quickly, another sign of her latent power.
He was grateful to have her back in her fae form. He knew that not all wraiths were bad, or dangerous, or even inclined to take on the heinous Invictus bonding of which all wraiths were capable. But he breathed a little easier holding a fae in his arms. She wore her jeans and fur boots, a warm shirt and coat. Her hat was long gone, probably left somewhere at Big Timber.
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sp; He petted her head and kissed her. How did you know she was coming for us?
She met his gaze and touched his cheek with the backs of her fingers. I was out patrolling in my wraith form. I don’t need sleep as a wraith, not sure why. I just don’t.
You mean all this time, while I slept, you’ve been flying over the mountains?
She nodded.
But, why?
She seemed surprised. To protect you, of course. That’s my job. That’s why Rosamunde sent me to you, remember?
He stared down at her in amazement. You truly are my bodyguard, because I’d be dead right now if it weren’t for you.
Yes, you would. But she smiled.
Seth realized there was a host of reasons why she might have chosen not to return to the treehouse once she saw that Margetta had targeted the place. Instead, she’d gotten to him first, risking her own life in order to save his.
He was astonished by her all over again, by her loyalty to him and by her Guardsman-like sense of duty. She was as much a warrior as any of the vampires or shifters who served in his Guard or in the Shifter Brigade.
She glanced up. The ancient fae is still here. In a few minutes, she’ll realize she’s not smelling burning flesh, so she’ll know that we’re not dead and she’ll start hunting for us.
I thought of that as well.
Lorelei leaned back and once more met his gaze, but this time frowned. Seth, I think she’s gearing up her energy to burn the forest in hopes of finding us by accident. She did this two months ago, when Quinlan and Batya were helping me get to Ferrenden Peace. Though Margetta couldn’t see me or the brigade that protected me because of Batya’s enthrallment shield, she torched the forest anyway. In the process some of the troll warriors died. I think we need to get out of here. Now.
Seth took her at her word, scooped her up and held her close, then flew through the dense forest straight down the ridge, despite the fact that the sun hadn’t yet set.
He felt the first blast, which meant Margetta could track them, no doubt the result of how his flight disturbed the snow-laden branches as he whipped by. Margetta would be able to see their path without ever actually catching sight of them.
But he raced along anyway, Lorelei clinging to him and silent. She held her layered shields tight as he worked to stay out of the remaining sunlight.
The blasts kept coming as Margetta’s battle energy struck tree after tree.
