“You're immortal,” Cyn said. “You will heal. You just need to hold on long enough for the physician to help the healing along.”
“I'm not your kind of immortal,” I said breathlessly. “Fuck, I'm cold.”
“I've got you,” Cyn's voice broke. “I've got you, Ru. Hold on.”
Cyn's hot tears fell onto my face, merging with mine. I wished I could touch him, but my arms were too weak to lift. All I could do was speak, and that wouldn't last long. So I had to get it all out now.
“I love you, Cyn,” I said. “You're the most amazing person I've ever met. And you're strong. You can survive this. I want you to live. You're going to be happy again. You'll find someone else.”
“No,” Cyn bawled and rocked me. “No, Ru. Please, don't go. I will die without you. Don't leave me, Mate.”
“You will not die. You're going to live for both of us.” I swallowed roughly, then said. “Kiss me one last time.”
Weeping, my mate pressed his lips to mine. It was the most horrible kiss we'd ever shared, with both of us gushing tears and most of my body numb, but I was grateful for it. I could have died instantly. Instead, I got to say goodbye.
A shriek came, and a dark form barreled into us. My body flopped to the bed as a charred, bloody, monstrous thing that shouldn't have been able to stand, much less attack my mate, knocked Cyn to the floor. Elisa screamed again, Cyn roared, and Sir Kren launched into the fray. With two Dragons against her, one of them mated to the man she had just fatally wounded, Elisa didn't stand a chance. It all ended in seconds. But they were important seconds. Seconds in which my life drained away.
“Ru!” Cyn came rushing back and carefully lifted me into his arms. “Oh, fuck. There's so much blood.”
Overhead lights came on suddenly.
“Hurry!” Cyn shouted.
They lay me flat, then a stranger bent over me. His wasn't the face I wanted to see as I died, but I couldn't speak to protest. I had seconds at most. Anxiously, I searched for my mate. Cyn's face came into view as his hand took mine.
“Dear Gods,” the stranger whispered.
“No! You fucking fix him!” Cyn roared.
It was the last thing I heard.
Chapter Forty-One
I was dead. I had to be. And yet, I felt something. Tingling. My whole body was tingling. Sounds slowly returned, filling the hollowness in my head. They were not good sounds.
Roaring, then weeping, then roaring. I heard my name over and over. My body was being jostled.
“Stop, Sire!” someone shouted. “He's bleeding again!”
The movement stilled. The roaring stopped. “What?” Cyn whispered.
“Dead bodies don't bleed, Your Majesty.” Urgent hands moved me. “He's healing! Quick, hand me my bag.”
I groaned as pain lashed up my body.
“Ru!” Cyn shouted.
“Lay him on his belly.”
They gently rolled me onto my front, but even that gentle movement made me whimper. Then something cold and liquid ran over my back, bringing even more pain. I screamed.
“What are you doing to him?!” Cyn snarled.
“Cleansing the wound before it closes,” the man said sharply. A healer, that's what he was. Cyn's physician. “Now the salve!”
I heard movement, then something thick coated my wound, and the pain eased a little. Pressure came. Fabric against my skin. The pain faded into a dull ache.
“Ru, can you hear me?” Cyn asked as he stroked my cheek. “You're going to live, Mate. You just have to hold on.” His hand took mine. “Together, then. Hold on to me. Take my strength.”
