Backing out, Elex held a hand out to steady me. I stepped out and found my center as both my feet hit the ground.
“Are you all right, Lady Raven?”
Snapping my head to the right, I found Dorian standing there. I swept my gaze back and forth a few times, taking in both him and Elex. They looked winded and worried, and their clothes were in shambles.
I finally settled on Elex. “What went on out here?”
Tossing a glance at Dorian, Elex narrated the story. “We both saw you getting tossed closer and closer to the other exit and tried to stop them from taking you. It became clear we weren’t going to be able to do that, and Master Dorian and I made a beeline for the horses outside.
“When we rounded the corner, we saw the horses take off across the lawns, pulling the carriage. The guards were picking off the others who were with them as they left the building, so Dorian and I were free to go after you. We gave chase and pulled alongside.”
I stared at him, hard, shocked. “Youjumpedon to the moving carriage?”
“Your suitor is quite the athlete,” Dorian offered.
“Are you kidding me? You jumped from your horse to the roof of my carriage?”
“I’m not. How else was I was supposed to save you?”
“Gods and stars! Are you insane?”
“Dorian helped.”
My eyebrows arched up, shocked. “MasterDorian? You jumped on to the carriage?”
A nonchalant shrug betrayed nothing of what he was thinking. “Lord Everettson needed assistance.”
“So you leapt from yourhorse.”
I was utterly astonished. This man was almost as old as the mountains, and he was leaping from a horse—
—to save me.
I stared at Elex. “He really jumped?”
“He yanked the driver out. I got the kidnapper from the passenger side.” Elex cocked his head, and I could see him with an astonished smile playing on his lips.
“Master Dorian, thank you. Thank you and thank you, Elex.”
“Does the hero get a kiss?” Elex flashed his cheekiest grin at me.
Well, two could play.
I leaned in to give him a kiss on the lips and swerved at the last moment to land it on his cheek. “Brave hero.”
I turned to walk to Dorian, and he held his hand out. “I don’t need a kiss.”
But something flashed in his eyes as he folded his arms. A touch of jealousy? A hint of anger? There was no mistaking the gold of the flash.
“Are you all right?” Elex asked again.
“I am. I am just a little sore and shocked. I think I need to learn more about my own magic and more about physical self-defense.” My eyes landed on Dorian. “A lot is going on here you haven’t shared yet, isn’t there?”
He unfolded his arms. “You were the one who wanted to rush blindly into the Breaking Time. I tried to stop you. You’ll pay the price now.”
“You had best not threaten me, Dorian. You already have the other masters angry with you, and threatening me will cause a schism.”
“You are achild, Lady Raven.” Scorn and derision dripped from his words. “You have no idea what the masters are like, not from your few weeks of interaction with us. Thousands of years separate us from the infant you are in our eyes. You pushed the Breaking Times. You are not ready for any of this.”
