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His instincts came alive in the next heartbeat, growling out a warning.
Everything in him wanted to lock away the outside world but even his need to focus on Gia wouldn’t let him ignore a child.
“Sorin!”
Gia went rigid, her eyes widening. She spun to the door as he sprinted past her. They both arrived at the same time, her Fae reflexes surfacing in a startling display of speed.
“Your spell?” he asked. He hadn’t felt anything even suggest there might be an attack, but a Fae’s magic could be subtle and nothing else would have allowed the boy to slip past Gia’s abilities. Well, a dragon, perhaps. But dragons weren’t subtle—and they were quite rare.
“Holding.” She sucked in a gasp at the sight of the boy hurtling toward them through the downpour. His pale hair was all but colorless, plastered to his head by the rain and his eyes were nearly black in the darkness. “How did he get past my spell?”
Sorin had lived long enough to recognize a rhetorical question, so he didn’t answer.
Wyn came rushing up to Sorin and caught him by the hand. “You have to stop her.”
“Who, boy?” he asked, crouching in front of the boy. “Your mother? What is she doing?”
Gia didn’t bother with questions. She was already striding through the rain toward the cabin. “I’ve had enough of this.”
But Wyn threw away Sorin’s hand and rushed after Gia.
“No. Not you!” He caught onto her arm and held tight, digging his small feet into the wet earth. “She’ll hurt you if she has to.”
Gia started to make soothing sounds but Wyn shook his head furiously.
Sorin felt uneasy, the solemn boy’s vehemence driving home a sense of urgency. Moving to stand by the child, he put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Wyn, how do you think your mother could hurt Gia. She’s Fae.”
Wyn gave them both a nervous look and then dropped his gaze. “She’s done it before. I’ve seen her.”
Gia stroked a hand down winds head and then cut his cheek, gently nudging until the boy looked up at her. Whatever she saw on his face made her gaze cloud.
Sorin did not want to counter his lover in front of a child, particularly when his lover was a Fae as powerful as Gia. She had done her time in battle and she had earned his respect in the short time since they had found each other.
Could anything turn her from him quicker than feeling as if he disregarded her skill?
He’d been so sure he’d already lost her...again, but she made it clear to him that wasn’t the case. He wouldn’t damage that.
Yet the way the boy watched him, that look in his eyes...it demanded attention—commanded it, even.
More, his instincts were taut and awake, singing to him that something wasn’t right. Moving closer, he dipped his head, pitching his voice so only Gia could hear as he said, “The boy speaks truly. I feel it. Do you?”
Gia sighed, the sound heavy with frustration. Instead of a direct answer, she met his gaze. “Do not kill her. Not yet.” Then she scooped Wyn into her arms. “Alright, young sir. You and I are going into that shelter there and you will tell me just what is going on while the dragon looks in to things in on your mother. You can also tell me how you slid past my magic, hmmm?”
Sorin had no doubt she had only agreed to go along so easily because of the child. She wouldn’t want to upset Wyn any more than he already was.
For Gia’s sake, and for the trust she had given him, albeit unwillingly, Sorin would do his best to keep the fool human alive. For a little while longer.
He wasted no more time getting into the house, reaching up to test the weight of the magic left by Gia’s spell. It hummed against his skin, then nipped at him as he powered through. It gave up almost too easily and he suspected his witchling had broken the spell once she felt the touch of his own magic.
Once it was gone, he smashed down the door, sending the remains of it flying through the small cabin, along with furniture that had been used to barricade the entry.
Wood splintered from the frame, shards spraying into the room and Amy whirled around to gape at him.
He growled out a warning when he saw what was behind her.
Gia’s shade.
“Honor is a forgotten thing in these times. Even though she saved your life, you do this.” He curled his lip in disgust. “Why am I not surprised?”
