His lips landed on my hair as I clutched his bare arms and lay my head back against his shoulder.
“We should rejoin our guests,” Torin whispered, peppering kisses against my braids and down the side of my face.
I hummed in agreement, eyes fluttering closed.
“How much does my hair scream ‘just had sex with my new husband?’” I teased, much to Torin’s amusement.
“It doesn’t. That’s why this round had to be quick like that, wife. Later tonight, though? When everyone is gone, and it’s just you and me? I’ll be sure to thoroughly ruin your hair then,” he growled into my ear, his warm breath skated over my exposed neck and caused the hairs there to stand on end.
“I think I’m—” I started, but paused, growing still in Torin’s arms as what sounded like screaming floated through our open window.
“What is that?” I whispered. Torin’s arms flexed around my chest as we stood frozen, listening to the sounds from outside.
“It’s probably just the par?—”
A resounding boom shook the manor’s walls. I lost my footing as the floors trembled and was only saved from falling by Torin’s stabling presence.
“Fuck!” he yelled, pulling me by the hand toward the open window.
My heart pounded, pulse racing for completely different reasons than minutes before, as we gazed out the opened glass pane.
The scene before us resembled nothing of the party we’d left not even a half hour earlier. The tiny Mage Orbs that were strung above the courtyard were smashed against the stone below, their lights flickering sporadically to illuminate the terrifying scene.
Flicker.
A body fell to the ground, singed beyond recognition.
Flicker.
A child no older than five, screaming, with tears running down her face, pigtails disheveled and eyes wide as she searched for her mother.
Flicker.
That same child lay dead, eyes unseeing, tears still wet on her cheeks.
The acrid smell of smoke and the chilling screams of the terrified and dying wafted through the window, propelling Torin and I into action.
“We’re under attack,” he stated, almost detached and in disbelief at the possibility. “How did they know?—”
I jerked my hand in his grasp, pulling him toward me in an effort to jolt him from his spiraling thoughts.
“Not now, Torin. We will worry about how later. Now, we need to get down there andhelp them.They are here for us and they are dying . . . because of us,” I stammered, unable to get the picture of the little girl out of my mind.
Torin squeezed my hand in reassurance, gratefulness washing over his stoic features as he pulled me toward the door.
“Come, wife. Let us protect our people.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Torin
It was a blood bath in the darkness of the courtyard; the slowly dying Mage Orbs did nothing to illuminate our way, but the blasts of orange and blue from Mages unknown cast a fiery pallor over what was our wedding party.
Fuck. How did they know?
There had to be a rat.
Though, I had to reluctantly admit that Ellowyn was correct. Right now was not the time to think about revenge and betrayal; there would be time for that after we saw our people to safety.
