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But the joy on her face was worth the pain.
I was just in time to see the smile slide off her face, replaced by a look of confusion.
“I…” Anaria’s pale green eyes locked with mine and in them were the beginnings of panic, followed by a glaze of confusion.
“There’s something wrong.” Her hand banded over her belly; her lips went white. “I don’t feel so…”
Anaria slid sideways out of Raziel’s grasp, landing on the ground with a heart wrending thud.
I was off my horse before I even knew I moved, staggering over to her, fresh blood trickling down my side, but I didn’t care. I crouched down, cradling her in my arms. “What the fuck is this?” I snarled at Raz when he dropped to his knees beside us. “I thought you healed her?”
“I did.I fucking did.” His hands skimmed her body in fast, desperate motions, sweat beading on his brow as he paused over the wounds on her legs. They looked worse. A lot worse. “Poison. This has to be the poison.”
He held his shaking hands out over her body, and something inside me tore apart when he opened his eyes. “The poison’s all through her. Not just her blood…but everywhere. This is beyond anything I know how to fix.”
“Two days to Nightcairn Castle,” I hissed. “We’re two fucking days away.”
“My healer’s closer.” Torin sounded so calm I half wondered if she’d planned this from the beginning. “Let me find her, bring her to the Wynter Palace. A few hours, at most, and Anaria will be recovering.”
Was it my imagination, or did she and Adele just trade a look?
I ground my teeth together, but Raz looked at Torin the same way I did. Like he wanted to wrap his hands around her throat and squeeze.
“Could she last two days?” I asked softly, pulling her out of the dirt and into my lap, my heart stumbling in a broken beat. “The healers Lucius knows…they specialize in poisons. And wetrustthem.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so, not with how fast she’s failing. She was fine…fine, just a few minutes ago,” Raz’s low murmur was agonized, his hand shaking as he brushed her cheek, her closed eyes, his magic doing nothing—fucking nothingto help.
Sweat coated her brow, her white lips were flecked with blood.
A bare minute ago she’d been laughing, and now…Now Raz looked like there was no hope.
“Then we head to the Wynter Palace,” he said softly. “And we trust no one.” I nodded subtly toward the seer and Adele, wild anger bubbling up out of me, out of control.Raging.
Anaria had nearly killed herself to save me, and I couldn’t do a godsdamned thing to help her.
I couldn’t lose her.I couldn’t.
I’d waited my entire life for Anaria. A woman equal to me in every way. A queen who would rule this wicked realm with an iron fist and a heart of gold. A queen I would follow, wherever she led.
“We go to the Wynter Palace,” I said loudly enough everyone could hear, then dropped my voice to a husk whisper. “Torin won’t let her die, Raz. She needs Anaria alive. We all do.”
His dark eyes flicked up to the High Seer, then to Adele, his lips thinning. “I know. That’s what I’m afraid of.”
I climbed to my feet, cradling her fragile body in my arms as I headed for my horse, desperation chewing its way through me. “After we get out of here.” I could hardly breathe as I repeated Anria’s words—her own fucking promise—right back to her, daring her to renege.
“When you’re healed and we’re safe, we will start over. Without Julian between us. Without all our combined bullshite stopping us.”
I skimmed my lips down her cheek, not caring who watched, then pressed my lips to her ear.
Because these words…were only for her.
“You can’t leave me here alone. You’re my mate, Anaria. If you die…there’s nothing left in this world for me.”
* * *
