“He wasn’t hurting me.”
“Wasn’t he?” He gestures to my arm. “Why is it that I am constantly needing to prove myself to you?” He slides his necklace off as he settles next to me. “It wasn’t enough that you left me in Wickersham, but now this?” He tsks, running a finger down my cheek. “I went through a great deal of trouble looking for you, the least you could do is be thankful.”
I turn my head, doing my best to remove myself from his touch. “Where are the guards?”
“The Dyrjsjel you freed killed them all.” He grips the amulet until it begins to glow.
“How did you manage to get away?”
He laughs, making me flinch. “The same way you should have.” He gestures to the necklace but my eyes land on the claw marks around his throat.
“You could have saved the men.”
He sighs, throwing his head back. “I didn’t have time to think of it.” He bites his lower lip. “Unfortunately my mind was elsewhere.” He cups my face in his hands. “I only needed to find you. The men can be replaced, but you—” He kisses my knuckles.
I slide my hand away. “Did you hurt her?” My stomach churns, distracting me for a moment from the pain in my arm. I flick the amulet in his fingers. “With this?”
“No.” He pushes my sweaty hair away from my face. His fingers lingering on my skin. “I could have, but she’s too valuable.” He cocks his head to the side, studying me. “How many more times must I tell you, Ro, that for you, I will let the world burn so long as you’re safe. The men knew the risks of coming here, and there are plenty more of them in Valebridge eager to have their shot at finding her.”
His lips press against my forehead again and the urge to lie down makes my head spin. “I needed to find you. When you left me in Wickersham, you broke my heart.” He pulls away, wrapping his fingers around the wound on my arm.
“I—”
My chest tightens and suddenly my arm doesn’t feel so bad. He wraps his fingers tighter around my wound, and a moment later, Healer magick emerges stitching my arm back together.
Good as new.
“Now let's go, I want to make it to Wickersham as soon as possible, there is still work to be done.” He pulls me to my feet and keeps his hand clasped in mine as we make our way down the hill. His thumb rubs against my skin, heat blooming where our skin connects.
Only this time, that heat is not passion. Not lust.
But anger.
Hot and heady. As I follow Galen back to Wickersham, my brother’s words ring true in my ears.
“Galen will end either by your hand, or by mine.”
Forty-Three
Samaria
Surprisingly,the ride to the Onyx Guild moves swiftly and with ease. As we pull into the Onyx Keep, the horses slow, their hooves crunching under the ice and snow. I wrap my arms around myself to keep warm. The black stone walls of the keep are stark against the snowy backdrop of the Kirsgard Mountains. A drawbridge lowers, granting us access and moving the horses forward.
Jarek sits across from me, his eyes fixated out the window. In the days it took to arrive, we’ve hardly spoken of what happened to Sorin and Elora.
Have hardly spoken at all.
I run my fingers over the Awakening Stones in my lap before securely placing them in a bag on my hip.
The door to the caravan swings open and to my surprise, Ulric stands on the other side. He holds up a hand and I take it before stepping out into the frigid mountain air. “You made it,” Ulric says. “I’m so relieved!”
His eyes dart past Jarek and I, so I recline out of the way, and when he sees Agnes, he lets out a long breath.
Jarek steps out next, and while I’m shivering against the harsh wind, he looks comfortable among the cold. His eyes roam the mountains in the distance before landing back on me. There’s a moment of silence between the four of us before Jarek slams the caravan doors shut and the driver leads the horses away. Ulric grabs my arm, then my mothers.
“Everyone’s waiting for you, Sam.” He smiles, Agnes nestling into his side, stealing some of his warmth.
After changing and scarfing down a quick meal of boiled eggs and fruit, Jarek and I find our way to the meeting room.
