She threw herself from Sorcha’s back and rolled, popping up onto her feet with only slightly less grace than he’d come to expect from her.
“What is it?”
Hedda speared him with an astonished look, the ghost of a smile on her lips. “It’s Faldir,” she breathed. “I can feel it.”
Then she was off, sprinting up the next hill.
“Oh no,” Luna whispered.
Brand took off after her with a curse, mindful of Luna in his arms as he hit the slope. He was torn between stopping Hedda before she could be wrecked all over again, and letting her see for herself it was nothing more than a group of their brethren—probably sent to check on them at Lyriat’s insistence.
He absolutely refused to acknowledge his own, tiny spark of hope.
Hedda froze on the peak, clutching her chest and desperately searching whoever lay beyond.
Fuck.
Holding her as she’d sobbed, drowning in his own guilt… Doing it once had been bad enough. He wasn’t sure his lesser self would survive it a second time.
Just as he reached her, Hedda fell to her knees and doubled over, clutching her middle. The sounds coming out of her… Stuck somewhere between wails and cackling, she gasped between each manic peal.
He ignored the Demons racing across the meadow to meet them, sending up mixed shouts of greeting and alarm. Facing them would have to fucking wait.
Brand set Luna down and knelt in front of Hedda, engulfing her back with one hand and trying to hide her from their brethren below. They didn’t need to witness their Second Commander in this state. “Hedda?”
Her head jerked up and she clutched his shoulders, a mix of tears and snot on her blotchy face. “Tell me I’m not insane. That it’s really him down there.”
Burning Solyrian. Even his rage couldn’t protect him from a fresh wave of sorrow, like a knife slowly sliding in between his ribs.
A howl sounded behind him, followed by another, and pounding footsteps shook the grass around them as the Demons hit the hill and closed the final distance.
Shite. Hedda would be mortified if they saw her like this. “Stay back,” he called, thrusting out a hand and hoping they heard him. “It’s fine. We’re just?—”
“Brand…” Utter disbelief colored that single syllable, Luna backing into his side.
“What happened? Bloody fuck. Is she actually crying?”
Everything tunneled at the sound of that gritty voice.
Impossible.
A thump and whoosh of air. A knee brushing his own. Scarred hands reaching out.
On a cry, Hedda launched herself away and right into Faldir’s waiting arms.
Faldir.Alive. Raging. Kneeling right fucking beside him.
“How are you here?” Brand rasped. He reached out, swaying, afraid his friend would disappear if he made the mistake of touching him.“How are you here?”
“What the fuck kind of question is that?” Faldir batted his hand away, the sting real enough. “And why are you—oof!”
Brand pulled Faldir into a crushing embrace with something between a laugh and a sob, careful of Hedda between them.
“Your Highness, I will murder you in your sleep if you don’t let go of me right now, the consequences be damned.”
Brand only squeezed harder.
“What the fuck just happened?!”Her shriek echoed through the empty fortress.
