I scooted my cot until it pressed against hers, the frames scraping softly against the stone floor. Then I lay down beside her, draping my arm across her body, pulling her close until I could feel her heartbeat against my ribs.
She fit against me like she'd been made for this. For me.
I buried my face in her hair and breathed her in.
I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone—let alone a woman from another world. The Elder Dimension had beaten the softness out of me centuries ago. I'd become hard. Cold. A weapon with no purpose except survival.
Then she'd crashed into my darkness like a ray of sunlight, stubborn and scared and so damn brave it made my chest ache.
She'd unlocked pieces of me I thought were gone forever.
I couldn't lose her. The thought alone made it hard to breathe.
But would she ever truly be safe here?
The queen would hear about what happened in that forest. Ari had already seen Alice stop time—and now she'd reversed death itself. Word would spread. It always did.
They would come for her. Alanna would want that power for herself, and she wouldn't ask nicely. She'd capture Alice, break her, twist her into a weapon—just like she'd done to Joy.
My arm tightened around her. My jaw clenched until my teeth ached.
I couldn't let that happen.
Maybe... maybe I had to find a way to send her back. Back to her world. Back to Tinker Bell and the coven who didn't deserve her.
Away from me.
My chest hollowed out at the thought. But if it was the only way to keep her safe—if staying here meant losing her to something far worse than distance?—
I'd do it.
Even if it destroyed me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Alice
I woke to strong arms wrapped around me, holding me like I was something precious. Something worth protecting.
I glanced over my shoulder. Darius slept peacefully beside me, his face relaxed in a way I’d never seen when he was awake. Long dark lashes fanned across his cheekbones—the kind any woman would envy. His black hair spread across the pillow, and his breath came slow and steady.
The years seemed to slip off him. Making him softer. Less like a warrior and more like the man he might have been before this world broke him.
I stirred, thinking I should get up. But my body felt stiff and heavy, like someone had filled my bones with lead. Every muscle ached. My head throbbed. Whatever I’d done to save the harpy had drained me down to the marrow. But she was safe—and knowing that settled something deep inside me.
The pain was worth it.
Across the grotto, Grump and the others moved around, their voices low murmurs. The smell of coffee—or maybe tea—drifted through the cavern, warm and inviting.
I tried to sit up.
Darius’ arms tightened around me, pulling me back against his chest.
“Where are you going?” His voice was rough with sleep, but there was something else beneath it. Something fierce.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t.” His fingers brushed the hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. The tenderness of it made my throat tight. “Lie still.”
