It ended in a choking sob as Andvari drew his sword. “I will remove your head from your body.”
And he would have if Saeward hadn’t stepped forward. “No.”
Andvari controlled himself, barely. Saeward always had a cooler head. Sawyer trusted this new guardian, but Andvari did not. He’d not earned it, hiding in the woods like a coward.
“Now you,” the stranger demanded.
“Excuse me?”
“You know what to do.”
Andvari’s hand tightened on his sword. One swing and this would be over.
“Do it!”
And suddenly Andvari knew what to do. He removed the gifted dagger from his boot with shaking hands. It hadn’t left his side since he’d received it from Gamayun. He’d know when to use it, she said. And now was the time.
“Do it,” Sawyer said weakly.
Andvari knelt and pinned Sawyer’s other wrist to the ground. Before he could second guess himself, he stabbed it through Sawyer’s palm.
Sawyer cried out again, more weakly. Andvari could barely breathe. The stranger leaned over Sawyer, his eyes glowing. “Reach for it,” he demanded. “Pull your strength to you. Your earth guardians have grounded you. Do it.”
The pain had been too much for Sawyer’s already weakened body, though, and he could barely hold his eyes open. His breaths were barely there now, not able to get enough oxygen into his body.
“Do it,” yellow eyes commanded, his voice deep and angry.
Andvari shoved him aside and took his place in Sawyer’s field of vision.
“Sawyer, love. Focus for me. Breathe. Pull it in.”
Andvari had no idea exactly whatitwas. The new guardian might know more than they did, but he didn’t know Sawyer. Sawyer didn’t respond to anger and commands and yells. Sawyer responded to the love of his mates.
“That’s it. Focus and breathe. Reach for it. You’re grounded now. Remember your lessons. Deep. Find your center.”
He heard a snarl behind him, and then the thud of a body hitting the ground. He didn’t pull his attention away from Sawyer, though. His mates would follow his lead. He’d pushed yellow eyes away, and they’d keep him away until Andvari told them otherwise.
“He must pull it to him,” yellow eyes snarled.
Andvari glanced over his shoulder and found Saeward sitting on yellow-eyes chest. Their gentle giant of a mate looked furious. Draco had his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes focused on Sawyer, barely holding it together.
Andvari looked at Sawyer again. His eyes swirled with all the colors Andvari loved. “Come on, Sawyer. You heard him. Pull it to you. Breathe in, and out. Now pull.”
The earth rumbled beneath them.
“That’s it. More,” Yellow eyes yelled.
“Shut him up,” Andvari said.
Sawyer whimpered.
“I know it hurts. But you’ve got to do this. You know you do. You felt that, right? Do it again for me. Show me what you can do, Sawyer. Show us all.”
Sawyer’s eyes began to glow and instead of the magical swirl of colors, they became a molten steel. The earth rumbled again and Andvari swore the ground beneath them began to heat.
“Andi,” Sawyer gasped.
“You’re doing great.”
