Would his sacrifice be in vain?
Would Sophia be dragged back to Riyel anyway?
He was growing tired. Somehow, he’d managed to keep them from striking him again, but his responses were growing slower, and he could sense the anticipation in their eyes.
These men wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.
There were screams and his stomach lurched.
Sophia.
But then, with screams and shouts, his brother arrived.
Men ran through the woods, lit only by the moon, and he recognized their faces. As the men fighting him turned to face their new foes, he sagged against the tree, keeping his guard up until Kellan found him and pulled him into a hug.
It took a moment to realize the hug was only a farce and Kellan was actually searching his torso for blood.
“It’s just my arm,” he said, and his brother let out a relieved laugh.
“You scared us,” he said.
“Did you find her?” Caspian demanded.
“We have her,” his brother responded, and relief hit him so hard he sank toward the ground, his legs suddenly shaking. “Whoa, whoa,” Kellan said, wrapping his arm around him and pulling him back up. “Come on, let’s get you bandaged up. I see you tried to make yourself a martyr so I’d have to listen to Mother sing your praises for the rest of my life, but I’d rather not have you bleed to death on me.”
Caspian laughed as his brother helped him through the edge of the forest and onto the moonlit grasslands.
And there she was. His Sophia.
She sat on his horse, with two men and a slew of horses surrounding her. When she saw him, she threw herself off his horse, and he somehow found the energy to run to her.
They met in the middle, and she threw her arms around him and burst into tears.
“Don’t you ever do that again, do you hear me?” she demanded, beautiful even as she sobbed into his chest.
“I don’t plan on it,” he said with a quiet chuckle as he pressed a kiss into her hair. “You getting kidnapped once is more than enough for me.”
Sophia let out a muffled sob and he held her tightly.
“Find the woman,” Caspian told his brother. “I’ve got Sophia.”
“But does she have you?” Kellan asked. “You need your arm bandaged before it bleeds too much.”
“I’ll see to it,” Sophia said, looking over at his brother and nodding.
Kellan disappeared, leaving the two of them alone in the moonlight.
“Your arm,” she began, but he shook his head.
“It can wait a moment. I’m so sorry I left you alone at the festival, Sophia.” Her name felt right on his lips.
“I don’t blame you,” she said softly. “I should have known better than to wander off, even if I never imagined that she would find me. I just wanted to talk to Thea.”
“And I had no idea that you wouldn’t be safe in our own town,” Caspian said. “Clearly, we need more protection."
Sophia shook her head. “It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. Neither of us could have known what would happen. All that matters is that you found me, and we’re both alive, and—”
“And if she ever tries to touch you again, she dies,” Caspian said, his jaw clenching.
