I had to trust that was true. I believed that was true. When I reached out for the book of ballads, the world disappeared beneath me. I snatched it, though, and everything was going to be fine. Ward’s inarticulate sound was not the last thing I would hear before my messy death. I would float into his arms like a dream, or slam into him so hard all the air left my lungs. And Ward’s lungs. A spray of snow drove up around us and floated back down more gracefully than I had as I gasped to suck in air. Ward moved, so he was alive. I was alive despite what my body told me.
Unable to speak human words.I got you this.
I flopped the book in his general direction. My hands weren’t working their best, either.
Did you hear anything I said, viper?His gasps were almost as big as mine, his lungs working overtime to suck in air.
I heard you. But Jerry deserved better than to be someone’s lunch, and I thought you might want this to remember him by.
Ward moved beneath me, finally able to sit up and drape me across his lap. Thankfully, the relics hadn’t turned me completely human again because I would never have survived that fall. That I already breathed again felt like a miracle. My leg remained unwalkable, but I believed Ward when he said my feet wouldn’t be touching the ground any time soon.
He reverently took the book in his hands and brushed the snow off it.Thank you, Evie.
I might not have had enough breath in my lungs to say it out loud, but the warmth on Ward’s face was enough.You’re welcome, mate.
The walk down the mountain was subdued. Everyone survived our encounter with the worm, but the snow remained deep until we got to the other side. The last of the sun did its best to look cheery, and the brood spread out again, checking on each other. As the realization that we still had our fingers and toes sunk in, the mood grew lighter.
It even got downright rowdy when a few bottles of mead passed around. I grabbed a swig before Ward poured the rest over my calf. True to his word, he didn’t leave my side even when we stopped for the night on a perfectly safe plain with a clear line of sight for miles. Goddess help us, we were still alive. All of us.
Everyone worked in harmony for once and built the fires a little bigger. The group circled up closer. Noora produced a tiny set of cymbals and the mead turned into grog. That was when Ward, with a wink in my direction, sang from the ballad book.
The honeycake queen was thick and sweet
With flour in her hair, and honey on her cheek,
She baked from dusk; she baked till dawn
And oh, how the bear came lumbering on
Condemn me no longer to starve and to weep
Hie, let down your drawbridge, I’ll enter your keep
Enter your keep, bonnie girl, enter your keep, bonnie girl
Let down your drawbridge, I’ll enter your keep
My man could sing. His rich baritone drifted over all of us as he continued and massaged magic into my calf. I couldn’t help but think it might also be a personal plea to my drawbridge as Ward looked into my eyes. He was right. Jerry wrote ballads sly and fun in a way that made me wish I knew him. The fitting tribute made for a raucous end to the night—the brood chanting their favorite verses long into the night.
Declan snuck me the first drink—to take my mind off the pain—as he took up position to guard my other side. Noora brought me the next one and dragged Toad over. He looked completely drunk, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to see him in his human form. Eventually, everyone passed me enough drinks that I slipped into my snake form without a thought. No one blinked. Or called me a monster. No one walked away, or Godds forbid, tried to murder me. Ward continued to massage my calf, even if it was a bit stumpier. Declan handed me some juicy meat and a round of bread. Ward fed it to me like a gentleman.
Though we didn’t talk about it, the wall between us crumbled softer. Maybe all couples needed to do the life and death thing. Because it was getting hard to see Ward as anything other than my Mate. I fell asleep in Ward’s warmth and arms. What a perfect ending to a terrible day. Too bad there were still two relics left to go.
Chapter17
Evie
Iwoke up unpleasantly cold. Sunrise came too early and my personal man-blanket was gone. I cracked an eye open and stretched. Somehow, my body wasn’t as sore as last night and my head wasn’t pounding after drinking a mind-numbing amount of alcohol. There were benefits to being a shifter.
Declan yipped in his sleep, legs twitching like he ran through his dreams, giant tail thumping. Beyond him, Ward packed the horses. He must have set breakfast to simmer because the wheaty smell of porridge filled the air. Since I didn't get shot in the hand, maybe Ward would unbend his protective streak enough to let me feed myself this morning. I sighed at the thought… because I was a strong, independent woman who absolutely did not want to sit on his lap like last night.
I didn’t even have a pillow to groan into. Going back to sleep was the better option.
Declan barked himself awake, rolling closer and dragging a fur over himself as he shifted. I minded the shifter nakedness less and less, but it was probably a good idea. Ward looked more murdery than usual after I got shot with the arrow. I was feeling a little feral myself. Maybe near-death did that to you.
“Good dream?” I asked Declan.
“Always.” He smiled at me with sadness sheening his eyes.
