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“Raziel. Can you hear me?”
When I opened my eyes, I was beneath a canopy of silver hair, staring up into the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.
“I love you.” Her words echoed through me, words I never believed I’d hear, much less from a princess. “I’m sorry I took the scroll and that you’re involved in this mess. And I never should have used you to claim the magic.”
“Working backwards on your apologies?” I mumbled; the words barely coherent.
Her cool fingertips traced my face, and I leaned into her touch, my entire body settling, just being close to her.
“You’re going to be all right.” She murmured, her touch pausing on my cheek, before resuming her cautious exploration, her tears falling unchecked now, as if something had upset her anew. “I had to use my magic to help heal you, Raz. I’m sorry…but I had to.”
“I love you, too. I’m fucking glad you took the scroll, and being involved in this has been the best part of my very long, very fucked up life.” I wished I had the strength to wipe those tears off her cheeks, but I didn’t. “And if you’d used anyone else to claim the magic, but me…”
My words trailed off because talking was hard, and because I didn’t know what I’d do if she’d chosen someone else. It would have involved me beating someone into a pulp, that was for sure.
“You and me, Raz.”
“You and me.” I wasn’t even sure I said the words aloud, but she smiled, and it was like the sun came out. Then I noticed her cut nose, the dried blood crusting her face.
“What happened?” I struggled to rise, but could barely move. “Who hurt you, Anaria?” The overwhelming need to go kill someone pushed away the pain and exhaustion weighting me down, everything in me focusing on the fact that Anaria was hurt.
“I’m okay.” She smoothed her palm down the side of my face, as if I was the one who needed taken care of. “It’s just a scratch, from Tristan’s arrow. But I’m okay.” Tears dripped down her face as if she couldn’t stop them. “We’re okay, Raz, it’s all going to be okay.”
Tristan’s arrow? What in Hades had I missed?
“She’ll be fine.” Tavion muttered, “Solok’s dead, if you’re wondering.” That was when I realized he was sitting right next to her. Not only that...his hand was on her back. Rage bubbled up inside me, rage I couldn’t follow through on,because I couldn’t fucking lift my arm.
“You’re next with the healer, Anaria. Time to let Raz go.” Zor stared down at us and she scooted out from beneath me, settling my head gently onto the soft ground, then planted a kiss on my forehead. Tavion Fucking Montgomery followed her, while I laid there like a wanker.
Zor squatted down, his nose twisted to one side, dark bruising beneath his eyes. “Welcome back from the dead, my friend.” His gaze drifted past me and I managed to lift myself up onto my elbow.
My heart lurched into my throat.
The healer held out her hands, Anaria whimpering as magic swept over her body. She was splattered in blood, her thigh soaked, her face and neck streaked with it, her throat covered in deep cuts from Solok’s claws.
Tavion, the two-faced fucker, sat beside her, my vision turning red when his hand swept down her spine, his lips moving as he murmured to her.
He’d abandoned her, left her to rot in Solok’s prison, and he thought he couldfucking touch her? He didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her. A low growl built in my throat as the bastard leaned closer, his lips nearly touching her...
“Settle the fuck down, Raz.” Zor didn’t like this, either, gleaming eyes fixed on the two of them. “She would have traded her life to bring you back. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Tell that to Montgomery. He looks like he’s got different fucking ideas.” But I took a breath and forced myself to calm down. “Fill me in on what I missed.”
“Anaria used her magic.” Zor lowered his voice. “Turned Solok into a monster before we took his head. Tristan burned what was left. He won’t be getting word back to the king and for now, our secret’s safe enough.”
Fuck. Our secret.
It all rushed back. We were to be the Shadow King’s weapons to end this war and wipe Caladrius—and Carex Centraia—from the map.
My head was hazy, fogged, but a warning niggled on the very edge of my memories, though I couldn’t remember what I should be worried about.
“Tristan, huh? I managed to sit up, the forest spinning before I got my bearings. “I thought he was holed up in his castle, playing High Lord?”
“Apparently he’s been keeping an eye on us.” Zor muttered, though he didn’t sound happy about it. “Or he got one of his visions. It’s not like we’ve had time to catch up.” Zor’s dark gaze settled on my face, his lips thinning out even more.
“But once we’re back on our feet, we go about our business. Do exactly what you’d normally do, don’t deviate from your usual schedule. Tonight, we regroup and…decide what comes next.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off Anaria. Or shake this feeling we were somehow bound together, more tightly than ever.
