He rushed to my aid, boots sinking into the unstable soil that threatened to swallow me. I reached out, and he seized my hand without hesitation. Jaw clenched, he anchored himself and pulled, muscles rippling with the strain. A sickening pop cracked through my shoulder as I was yanked upward. But the grip on my legs tightened. Pain knifed through my limbs as my joints screamed.
“They’re tearing me in half!”
Thorne released my hand. Did he intend to let them take me?
“Cover your face.”
“What?” I peered back at him. “You can’t mean to use your fire on me.” While Thorne was immune to his own flames, I was not.
His blue eyes peered deep into mine. “Do you trust me?”
“No,” I squawked. “I do not trust you. Not at all.” In fact, I trusted no one. Nobody but Speck.
“Fine. Then don’t,” he grated. “Just cover your face.”
“Damn you, Thorne.” I tucked my nose into the crook of my elbow.
The moment I did so, heat seared the side of my body. A sound like the rushing of wind gusted in my ears. Smoke seared my nostrils. Was that the smell of my flesh burning? Goddess, save me. It was my worst nightmare. Being burned alive.
Before I could scream in terror, inhuman squeals of pain and fury rang out. The grip on my ankles vanished. Around me, the soil hardened, and the rushing of flames ceased.
I dared to peek over my arm as Thorne’s fist flew past my face. “Ack!” I flinched as the earth shattered. Thorne’s hands slipped under my shoulders and pulled. Thankfully, this time my body broke free. Instead of the ground, I landed on something warm and solid.
I lifted my head to find myself sprawled atop a broad male chest. Not a flame in sight. For a moment, I couldn’t summon the strength to move. Beneath me, Thorne lay still, eyes closed, his chest rising and falling in deep, steady breaths. Dirt streaked his face, and a single dark curl rested across his brow.
Before I knew what I was doing, my fingers reached out and brushed the lock aside. “You…didn’t leave me. You could have. But you didn’t.” His eyes snapped open. Blue and glittering with some strange light, they locked onto mine.
“You believed I would?”
Everyone else in my life had abandoned me when I needed them. Why not Thorne?
My own curls had escaped their ribbon, cascading around my face. My fire-breathing savior tucked a strand behind my ear, returning the gesture.
His brow furrowed, and the spell between us shattered. He rolled me off his chest and sat up. I followed, heart thudding.
“Are you alright?”
“I think so.” I examined the state of my filthy body. Bloody scratches marred my calf where one of the creatures had its hold on me. Scorched fabric hung off my frame in ragged strips. Except when I examined the skin beneath, I found it healthy and unmarked. Last I checked, I wasn’t fireproof.
I turned to Thorne, baffled. “How… What did you… Why didn’t your flame burn me?”
His expression gave nothing away. “Man of mystery, remember?You have your secrets, I have mine. Now let’s go before more of them show up.”
He rose in one swift motion and offered his hand. I set my palm in his heated grip, and he hauled me up off the ground, then quickly released me. Without a backward glance, he strode to our horses.
I glared at his back. Man of mystery, indeed.
Chapter Twelve
SERAFINA
“This may sting a bit,so try not to set me on fire,” I said to Alaric, stirring the poultice I’d mixed in a large bowl. “I was unable to collect enough herbs to treat all your wounds, so I’ll do as much as I can.”
“Very well. Proceed,”he commanded with a regal nod.
“Wing back,” I said, and he obeyed my request, partially unfurling his powerful wing, raising it over me.
I stood in the shadow of the leathery canopy and loaded my palm with a generous helping of the pasty mixture. “Steady now. Here we go.”
