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“If I can save you, I will. Every time,” I replied, attempting to sit up as my head swam and my muscles burned as though I’d run a marathon. Despite being a determined rule-follower my whole life, there was something incredibly satisfying about hearing that. I’d break the rules a million times over when it came to my soul bonds. “Besides, all I did was use the bond to guide you back, it was already there, waiting for me to grab on to. What could possibly be unnatural about that?”
Bullet met my eyes from across the mattress, his emotions so deeply embedded in me as though they were my own now he’d fully woken up and I could fully appreciate the new depth of the bond between us.
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to repeat what I’d done, not with Bullet. Where before it had felt like there was some slack for me to use as a guide, now our bond felt like two sides of a magnet.
If Bullet returned to that place, that in-between by the river—theStyx—my soul would go with him.
But that wasn’t going to happen.
I’d saved him. There was no Oneiroi curse for him, not anymore.
“You’re hurting, Gracie,” Riot said roughly, the displeasure in his voice clear. I knew he was happy to have Bullet back, despite the distance between them lately, but his fear tended to manifest as anger. He guided my head back so he could look at my face again, and I stared up at him with all the love and adoration I felt, not holding anything back.
Reassuring him that I’d walk through fire for him too.
“I’m okay, I’m just a little hungry and I need water,” I assured him. Both true. My head hurt, but the water would probably fix that too.
Wild’s fear morphed into guilt as he watched me, absently stroking Bullet’s sweat-soaked hair off his forehead. I sent him an exasperated look. “Stop that. You would have done the same thing in my shoes. It was a good idea, and I’m glad you suggested it.”
Wild nodded once, his guilt not abating in the slightest, while Riot made a grumbling sound of discontent.
“Go on, go snuggle with them,” Riot sighed, shifting me gently off him. “I’ll go warm up some canned stuff. Dare and I were talking last night about heating up water so we could all wash a bit too.”
He shot me a wry smile, picking up the excitement I wasn’t quite able to stifle at the idea of getting even a little bit clean. The salt from our freezing ocean excursion to get here clung to my skin and some of Bullet’s blood had dried on my hands, and I wanted nothing more than to wash both off.
I all but army crawled along the mattress to get to Bullet and Wild, attempting to snuggle in next to them without crowding them. Neither of them were having that—Bullet grabbed me under my arms and hauled me over his body until we were both lying in Wild’s lap.
“You saved me, Amazing Grace,” Bullet murmured. “You’ve saved me every single day just be existing and giving me hope when I felt like there was none, but this time, youliterallysaved my life. How can I repay—”
“Don’t even finish that sentence,” I cut in, affronted. Carefully, I propped myself up with my forearms on his chest, glaring down at him. “Iloveyou.”
“I love you too.”
I twisted to glance up at Wild, who was watching us with unguarded affection on his face, though his emotions were a lot more chaotic.
“I love you too, Wild,” I said softly, smiling at his jolt of surprise. “You don’t need to say it back, I know that’s a lot for you and maybe you’re not there yet. I just wanted you to know.”
Our strong, silent protector nodded, swallowing thickly before gently turning my head back to face Bullet. I didn’t take it personally—I could feel through the bond loud and clear that Wild needed a moment to compose himself, and I wanted to respect the wishes he couldn’t vocalize.
Bullet stroked the side of my face, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his purple eyes contemplative. Even in the shadowy lighting of the cabin, it was clear how much brighter his eyes were than they had been recently. His complexion had lost the grayish tinge it’d had, though he still looked a little gaunt in the cheeks.I’ll make sure he eats more, I promised myself.
I’d feed him and love him and encourage him, and Bullet would be just fine. He’d grow old and gray with the rest of us.
“No more trying to visit Nyx in the dreamscape,” I instructed him, doing my best stern voice. “I should have told you that when you suggested it—that it had a slim chance of success and a huge chance of causing you harm. I got too caught up in trying to fix theworldthat I didn’t think of what the consequences might be at home. I’m sorry, Bullet. You deserve better than that.”
He gave me a bemused smile, but I felt his flutter of panicked confusion like it was my own.
“Right. No visiting Nyx in the dreamscape,” he repeated solemnly. There was only a faint sense of relief from Wild at Bullet’s words—he hadn’t picked up the brief panic Bullet had hidden so well.
“Promise?” I pressed. What was he worried about? Was the idea of not visiting Nyx any longer that concerning? Surely not, when it had almost killed him.
“Promise. Can I have a kiss now?” Bullet asked, shooting me his most charming smile. His eyes twinkled with mischief, and he lookedsolike the Bullet of my dream memories, the Bullet I’d met back at his home before the weight of the world had come crashing down on us, that I couldn’t answer with words. I immediately dipped my head, fusing our lips together, sinking into the incredible sensation of his desire and love and relief combining with mine, our emotions too close to separate.
It was heady and addictive, the most potent arousal, ramped up several notches.Dangerously good.
Wild fidgeted beneath us, not so discreetly adjusting himself, and I acted on the impulse of Bullet’s mischief as it flashed through me, breaking the kiss and twisting to press my lips against Wild’s instead, while Bullet teasingly ran his fingers over Wild’s chest, playfully biting his bicep through the fabric of Wild’s shirt.
There was a lack of inhibition between them that hadn’t been there before, a gratitude that we were all still here, an appreciation that no day was promised to us.
