“That’s all you have to say?” She tangles her fingers in my tunic.
“No. But I’m more worried about getting you out of this hole at the moment. Once we’re back in the winter realm, we can have this discussion.”
She kicks my thigh with her heel. “What if I want to have it now?”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” She huffs. “I was almost eaten by that monster with the teeth, then almost eaten by spiders, and now I’m one wrong step away from plummeting to my death, so I’m feeling a little bit like my life is going to be snuffed out, and I’m not immortal. So even if I survived, I wouldn’t live as long as—”
She squeaks as I grab her ass with one arm and pull her around to my front.
“Wrap your legs around me.”
Clasping her hands behind my neck, she does as I say.
“I want to say this to you face-to-face.” I also want to kiss the worry right out of her, but that will have to wait. The light ahead is growing stronger.
“Okay.” She nibbles her bottom lip.
“Your life is mine. My life is yours. If you go to the Ancestors before me, rest assured that I will not be far behind.”
“Hmmph.” She wrinkles her nose.
“What?”
“Seems kind of dark, is all.”
“It’s not dark. I’m bound to you and only you. Why would I want to be anywhere you aren’t?”
“Because maybe you should live your life and find another or—”
“Never.” I accidentally snarl at the thought.
She marries her lips together and leans back.
“Sorry.” I shift her so we’re almost nose-to-nose. “What I mean is, wherever you go, I go. I’m aware you’re mortal. That you’ll age. That you’ll die. But there are ways to deal with that.”
“You mean the dark ways?” She shakes her head. “I don’t want to deal in any sort of blood magic if that means—”
“Not blood magic. But I know of one person in particular who has a rather powerful hold over life and death.” As the light grows, so does the warmth in her brown eyes. I send my thanks to the Ancestors yet again for giving me my mate, for giving me Beth, who is far more than I ever dreamed possible.
“Who?” She says the word, but something catches my ear underneath it.
I slow and squeeze her ass. “Shh,” I whisper and send a warning down the bond.
She freezes and buries her face in my neck.
The trust in that movement threatens to overwhelm me, but I can’t let my guard down. Not when my mate is in my arms.
I ease forward as the road veers off at an angle. Following the line of the rock wall, I can hear scuffling and a metallic clang, but I can’t make out what is causing the sound.
Holding Beth with one hand, I draw my sword with the other and creep closer. Ahead, the road converges with several others, all of them disappearing into the dark from the haphazard hub. Lichen glows on the ceiling, and I catch movement near the center of the rock crossroads.
When I get a full view of what it is, I rush forward with a vile curse on my lips and blood on my mind.
4
Beth
