“No,” I whispered. Heat crawled up my neck. “He more… ruined me for a second and then panicked.”
Jet’s jaw clenched like he wanted to break something on Torren’s face. “Heran. What a dumb fuck.”
“Yes.” I knew my worth. I considered his running more of a him problem than anything to do with me.
Oren exhaled once, slowly. “And the bond flared tonight to tell you why.”
I looked down at the fractured crown, faintly glowing. “Maybe, maybe not.” I shrugged. “There are a few things I need to talk to you about. Maybe together we can figure out what it all means.”
Oren nodded, then abruptly straightened, muscles tightening. “He’s leaving.Right now. I can feel it creeping through your connection.”
Nathan moved for the exit instantly, fire licking faintly along his fingers. “Then we’re not waiting.”
Jet grabbed one of his blades. “I’ll bring him back.”
Zeke’s eyes flickered frost-blue. “I can’t guarantee in what condition.”
“Before we go chasing after someone that doesn’t want to be caught—didn’t you say you had something for me?” I looked at Zeke.
I wanted to figure this out with Torren, but Zeke was right here. Always the first to ensure everyone else was taken care of. I wanted him to know that he was just as important to me as anything else happening right now. Being away from these wonderful men for all those months made me appreciate them even more, and I wanted to put them first, just as they always did for me.
He blushed, and I felt my heart melt. “We have more important things to worry about right now. I can give them to you later.”
“Nope. Nothing is more important than you at this moment.” I walked over to him and leaned my head back for a kiss.
Zane slapped him on the back. “Don’t be modest, bro. Show her what you made.”
Zeke kissed me again before walking over to his bag and pulling out two of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.
“Holy shit!” I rushed up to him, barely able to contain myself. “Are those really for me?”
“Who else would they be for?” He grinned at my enthusiasm.
He handed them to me, and I laid them on a natural ledge that jutted out from the wall near me, so I could examine them closely.
They were both about twenty-two inches long, matching the exact length of the blades I’d used in the coliseum, but that was all they had in common. These two blades were far superior. Both were slightly curved, but each looked different from the other.
The first blade appeared to be composed of smoke-colored steel, absorbing the room's light. Pale crimson veins streaked across it, resembling trapped embers within the metal.
The second blade gleamed with a faint silvery shine, resembling a layer of frost. Sharp, irregular patterns similar to ice fractals were carved along its edge.
Zeke cleared his throat, “I call them Ashfang and Frostbane. But you can call them whatever you want.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off them. “That’s perfect.” I reached behind me and took his hand. “Thank you, I love them.”
Zane walked up beside me. “Turn around.”
I turned without hesitation, still overwhelmed by my stunning gift. I felt the cool, supple leather brush against the back of my arm, as if frosted. He raised the piece so I could see, and I gasped. Two smooth sheaths formed a perfect V against the harness of pale, shimmering leather that gleamed softly in the light.
“Zane,” I breathed, reaching back to touch it. The material was smooth but firm, reinforced with subtle inlays that glowed faintly blue. “You made this?”
He snorted softly. “Of course I did. I couldn’t have you only wearing something my brother made.” He leaned in and bit my ear, whispering, “It also has my initials on it. Wait until Nathan finds out.”
I burst out laughing. “Thank you, it’s stunning.”
“I call it the Frostflare Harness,” his tone deliberately casual. “Flare for me. Frost for him.” A faint smirk tugged at his mouth. “The harness is almost too fancy for these blades.”
“The hell you say!” Zeke growled out.
