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Alex.
She stumbled back. Wait. This wasn’t right. What was he doing here? He didn’t belong here. She had to help him. Even if she tried, she wouldn’t be able to open the portcullis in time to let him in.
He looked at her—sharp and true. Turned to face the onslaught. Freda had to try. With Nora’s help, they worked the winch that pulled the chains and raised the portcullis. Freda dashed through, and Nora released the winch, dropping the portcullis as planned. With the metal grill of the gate at her back, Freda stepped next to Alex, who’d been prepared to face the raiders alone.
“What are you doing? You’ll be killed.”
“I can’t let you do this alone.”
“Then you’ll have to use your majuk, or we’ll both be slaughtered.”
What majuk?
“I don’t know of what you speak!”
“You have to use it. Now!”
He gripped and shook her. Those piercing eyes, now pleading, held her captive even as the marauders bore down on them.
She jerked awake and gasped, her heartbeat racing much too fast. A man stood over her, gripping her arms.
Mackenzie screamed and fought.
“It’s me, Mackenzie. It’s me ... Alex...” He loosened his grip on her arms as she relaxed.
Dim light spilled through the door and revealed his twisted, concerned features. “You had a bad dream. Or a nightmare.”
He still gripped her but finally slowly released her, and she immediately missed the warm touch of his hands. Her breathing still erratic, she pushed to sit against the pillow and tried to calm her racing pulse.
“You want to talk about it?”
Rubbing her eyes, she realized her palms were sweaty. Not just her palms. Her forehead. Her entire body. Alex had been in that dream with her, and he was going to die, was prepared to die, to save her. Only, he wanted her to ... what was it? She couldn’t remember.
“No. It was nonsensical. I can’t remember most of it.” She stared up at him—emotion building in her chest.
In the shadows, she couldn’t see the gray of his eyes, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze on her. His musky scent wrapped around her.
“Are you going to be okay?” The tenderness in his voice curled around her heart.
No.“Yes.” The word came out breathy.
He remained by her side for a few more heartbeats, then eased away and stood as he scraped a hand through his hair. “I’ll leave you to get back to sleep then.”
At the doorway, he hung his head and hesitated as if he wanted to say something else or return to her side, but then he simply walked out and pulled the door shut behind him.
She fluffed her pillow and laid down again, doubting sleep would find her. That dream had left her troubled and with a rising sense of doom.
