Frankie
Alow, rough growl rumbles against my back, jerking me awake. I try sitting up, wondering what my mate’s about to rip apart, but his arm locks around my waist, holding me down. What the hell? I blink the sleep away, registering the slender wrist trapped in his grip.
I focus on the intruder and groan. Is it morning already? Kara grins at me, completely unfazed by Zarreth’s claws digging against her skin. I’m surprised she’s still alive. I silently thank Theia for watching over her this morning.
“Well,” she says, yanking her arm away, “good morning to you too, firefly. You always greet guests this warmly?”
Zarreth’s voice comes out in a deep rasp. “You're lucky your head’s still on your shoulders. You should probably think twice before sneaking up on a demon and his mate while they’re sleeping.”
The falkyrie winks at me. “Brynn’s orders. I’m only the messenger. Dawn’s the perfect time for the caves, so we should get out there before anyone else does.”
I push myself up on one elbow, and rub the sleep from my eyes. What are they up to now? “The caves?” I ask, not sure if I want to hear the answer.
She beams, way too cheerful considering everything that happened last night. “It’s a little tradition of ours. Think of it as a jump-start for people who need to get their head and magic on the same page. Come on, it’s better before sunrise.”
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, yawning while I stretch. “Fine,” I mutter. “But if this is just another way to get me to spar before breakfast, I’m going back to bed.”
Then it hits me, a scent so pungent it makes my stomach roll. “What is that awful smell?”
Kara gives me a sheepish grin as she stands. “That would be me. I was wounded by one of those creatures last night. The healer tried burning out the infection, but it’s still festering.”
My eyes fall to the dark patch along her arm. The skin around the bite looks raw and cracked, the center oozing with some sort of rot. Whatever the healer did, it doesn’t seem to be working. “It looks awful. Aren’t you worried?”
Kara holds out her arm, looking at the wound. “Nah, I’ve had worse. It’ll be gone in no time.”
Zarreth finally raises his head to look at the wound. “You might want to see another healer before it spreads.”
A grin stretches over her face. “Aww, look at the demon. He’s starting to like me. I must be growing on him.”
Zarreth shakes his head. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he says, acting like he doesn’t care, as his head finds the pillow again. But I know better. He’scome to respect the strange little falkyrie, at least Brynn and Kara, even if he’ll never admit it.
She waits for us outside while I shove my feet into my boots, the demon’s dying rasps from the night before playing in my head.The beast…freed Dante…The words make me nauseous—unless it’s morning sickness. Either way, I push them aside, trying to forget who was responsible for the bastard’s escape.
Zarreth is at the basin, splashing water on his face. He glances back while he dries his hands, eyes narrowing. Of course he sees it. He always sees it. “You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Pulling away.” He crosses the room. “You don’t have to hide it. You’re not alone, you know. I’m here for you.”
My fingers fumble, tightening the boot. “I know. I just feel so stuck. I want to go after him, not go to some stupid caves.”
His hand finds the back of my neck, his thumb pressing against a knot. “We will, but we need to focus on one thing at a time. As soon as we’re done with the portal, Dante’s dead.”
The sunrise spills across the crystal peaks before us, turning the entire mountainside into a blaze of shimmering silver. The cave’s entrance glows like the sun is rising inside of it, its rays reflecting off the long, translucent prisms lining the opening.
Zarreth stands beside me, his gaze fixed on the light shining from the entrance. His wings give a faint, restless twitch. “Stay next to me. It may look inviting, but things are rarely asthey appear.”
Kara moves past us, her boots crunching over the frost-pale crystals. She glances at Zarreth. “She needs to go in alone.”
He shoots her a look that would make anyone tremble. “She’s not going in there by herself.”Here we go again.
Kara lifts a brow, clearly not intimidated, as she speaks. “That’s the whole point. It won’t open itself to her if you follow.”
He’s about to snap back, so I press my hand to his cheek before he can get it out. “It’s okay. I can do this.” It’s only a cave, right? I’ve faced worse.
He studies me, letting out a long exhale, and steps back. The look he gives Kara is sharp enough to cut through the crystal mountains, but he doesn't argue.
Kara’s gaze finds mine. “Be open. That’s all the cave asks.”
