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Throwinghimself down on the floor, he reached down into the trench and grabbed for her.Hemissed at first, his fingertips skating off her tight-fitting warm suit and he could feel his fingers going numb at once.Heknew hehadto get her on the next try or they would be too cold to grip her!
“Goddess, help me!” he muttered desperately and tried again.
Hereached further, bending recklessly far over the swirling river.Plunginghis hands to the elbow into the icy water, he finally succeeded in grippingCelia’sarm.Butas he started to pull her up and out of the river’s channel, he felt himself beginning to slip forward over the icy side and towards the water.
Holdcursed again.Ifthey both fell in—
Butthen two strong hands grabbed him and began pulling.
“Fierce?”Holdturned his head, surprised to see that his brother was up and gripping him by the ankles.Aftergetting a death hug from aV’ranna,all his ribs should be broken! “Yourribs—” he began.
“Yougot her?”Fiercedemanded, his eyes blazing.Holdcould see pain twisting his face, but he wasn’t letting go.
“I’vegot her.”Holdnodded.
“Thenfuck my ribs.Holdher tight—I’llpull you both up.”
AndFiercedid it somehow, hauling bothHoldandCeliaup and out of the river’s channel.
Whenthey were clear of the water’s edge, theDarkTwincollapsed, panting and clutching his sides.Holdwas afraid that if he had internal injuries, he might have made them worse.
Buthe had no time to examine his brother at the moment.Celiawas lying on the floor, cold and blue and soaking wet.
Ifthey didn’t get her warm—and quickly—they were going to lose her.
19
FIERCE
Fiercefelt like all theSevenHellsput together.Hisribs ached fiercely, both from theV’ranna’sdeath hug and from hauling his brother and their bride out of the fucking river.Buthe couldn’t relax.
Beforehe knew it,Holdwas shaking him by the shoulder and demanding that he help.
“Stripher!” he was saying, his eyes wide and serious. “Now,Fierce—help me!Wehave to get this suit off her before she freezes solid!”
Strugglingto sit up again,Fiercegrabbed for the warm suit—which had now become as cold as ice—and began pulling and tugging on it.Butdespite his efforts, he couldn’t peel it away fromCelia’schilled body.
“Howthe fuck does this fucking thingcome off?”he growled, frustration boiling inside him and about to blow.
“Theremustbe a way it opens—look!Ifound it!”Holdwas fumbling with something near her neck. “Myfingers are numb—you do it.It’sone of those human clothing closures that go up and down!” he exclaimed.
Fiercefelt where his brother was pointing and found a small metal tab just underCelia’schin.Grippingit, he pulled downward.Therewas a soft purring sound likezzzzzipand finally the warm suit parted.
Theyworked together to peel it off her arms and legs—no easy task since the stretchy material seemed to want to cling to her.Atlast they had her down to her bra and panties—a lacy black set that looked gorgeous against her warm brown skin,Fiercenoted distractedly.ButHoldwas already tugging at the bra.
“Off—get it all off!” he demanded. “Shecan’t have any wet fabric on her body—it will freeze to her skin!Here—you strip her whileIset up a warming tent!”
Hepulled off his backpack and began digging through it madly, leavingFierceto wrestle with their bride’s undergarments.Hejust hoped she didn’t wake up while he was doing this—she already disliked him and if she thought he was stripping her for his own personal enjoyment…
ButCeliadidn’twake up.Shemade no protest at all, just a soft moan as he finally got her bra unhooked and slipped it off, baring her full breasts.Ashe pulled her panties down her generous, full hips,Fiercewas getting more and more worried.Herskin was cold as ice—what if they had been too late getting that damn warm suit off her?
“Hold—she’s freezing!” he shouted to his brother, who was still digging in the pack. “Andshe’s not moving—I’mfucking worried!”
“Takeoff your coat and shirt and put her against your chest!”Holdordered, without looking up.Heseemed to find what he was looking for, because he pulled a cube the size of his hand out of the pack and paced forward to place it on the floor.
“What?”Fiercedemanded, but he was already doing as his brother said.Holdwas a healer—what the humans called a doctor—and he knew his business.
“Giveher your body heat!”Holdpressed a button on the cube and the warming tent began to unfold itself.Notfast enough though, becauseFiercecould hear theLightTwincursing it, which was very unlikeHold.
