“No magical harm either, and I will choose the method of execution,” Avery replied, her voice steadier than she thought possible.
“No one within my kingdom will harm you, and the two others, physically or magically, as long as you are a cooperative captive. And no, I will choose the form of execution,” Rylo countered. He sneered at her with a half smile and his amber eyes twinkled. “This is my final offer before they all die.”
Chapter forty-three
Savine
Savine leaned against the trunk of a giant cedar tree as he chewed on a tough strip of bison jerky. The moss under his backside gave him some cushion for his weary body. Low clouds shrouded the forest, blocking Savine’s view of the Jewel Mountains. Cool streams of rain pelted Savine. It had been lightly raining throughout the night and had carried into the misty morning light. Savine did not mind the rain. He wore his thick-hooded oilcloth cape and had placed some of his essence into the fabric to keep him warm and dry.
What haunted his thoughts was not the cold and wet that he faced, or the weariness that he pushed on himself, Jay, and Raikin. No, his thoughts were cursed with images of Avery cold and unprotected on the back of an eagan. Those giant birds would provide little protection from this bitter rain as they soared through the air.
Savine couldn’t help but think back to the first time he and Avery rode Jari together. Her insistence on wearing her human rain clothing. The technical gear, as Avery had called it, and how after hours sitting on the back of the elk, she was leaning into him for warmth and comfort. She didn’t even have that ridiculously bright and thin clothing with her now.
“Worrying over her won’t help us.” Raikin frowned at Savine. He was also gnawing on a tough piece of bison meat. His pale skin glistened with the droplets of rain across his face.
“You are right. But that Abyss-damned Rylo has her.”
“We will get her back. However, we should planhowthat is going to happen. It will be easy for me to infiltrate the space. But you. You’re going to be much more challenging to disguise,” Raikin commented.
“And me? What do you think I am going to do?” Jay asked.
“Jay, I would rather send myself to the Abyss than endanger you with the Tower of Teeth,” Raikin replied. “I’m still not sure why Savine brought you along.”
“Jay is one of my best warriors. We’ll need him at our side,” Savine said, taking another bite of the jerky. Jay leaned his body closer to his soulmate’s. At least they could keep each other warmer.
“I believe I can glamour myself enough to mask the obvious signs of being a Latian. I may not blend into walls, but I can at least create a disguise. No doubt Jay can do the same,” Savine said.
Raikin shook his head. “If you can’t, you will find yourself back in the Tower of Teeth.”
Savine flashed Raikin a look. He stepped too far. Reminded Savine too much of what he had to face in returning to this place. Raikin did not know what it meant to be trapped in those towers. And Goddess help him, Savine hoped he never would.
“You best be praying to our merciful Goddess that you never experience what the Tower of Teeth is capable of,” Savine muttered.
He returned to chewing his bison jerky. His attention drifted across the forest. Savine did not always care for Raikin’s company. He was already growing tired of listening to his opinions and wry comments. But he was a master of disguises, of blending into places and infiltrating an area without being seen. Savine would be lost without him.
“Why did you ever leave Orofine with me?” Savine asked. “The real reason.”
“Twenty-five years of living as an outlaw with you, and you still question me?” Annoyed that his loyalty was not trusted, Raikin raised an eyebrow at Savine.
Savine gritted his teeth. Once, Raikin had been his father’s closest advisor. Savine had always been unsure of his loyalty when he’d once been so close to Jasper. “You never gave me a clear answer.”
Raikin rolled his eyes. “Abyss, swallow me! If sneaking you into Nephel and stealing back a human witch doesn’t prove my loyalty, nothing will. As I already know from previous experience.”
Jay, always ready to smooth his mate’s rough edges, spoke up. “You know we have always been loyal to you, Savine. Don’t test him. Now, tell us about your mating bond. Is it in place? Iknewthat little witch was your mate! Avery will be good to you.”
Savine thought back to when he shouted to the battlefield that Avery was his soulmate. No keeping that a secret now. It was cruel that the world should know before she acknowledged the bond.
Savine shook his head. “When I finally understood that our connection was more than just my essence responding to her magic, I couldn’t tell her. I… After what happened in the Tower of Teeth, I never thought I could have a soulmate. And now she may be there. Suffering what I suffered. I don’t deserve her.” The words felt choked as he said them. It was the truth. She was too good for him.
Raikin nodded. “You will never understand how you got a good one. Over one hundred years together, and I still don’t know how the Goddess gave me such a good soulmate.” That right there was the closest Raikin had been to bearing his true feelings to Savine.
Jay took Raikin’s hand and squeezed it. His soft smile as he looked at his soulmate’s face made Savine turn away. He couldn’t stand to see their love intact. “I see you, Raikin. And I love every part of you.Althea knew exactly what she was doing when she knit our souls together.”
Savine couldn’t help but think about Avery. He’d missed his opportunity to be with her. This was his curse. He blurted out, “She doesn’t even know. What if she rejects the bond? What if she doesn’t survive for us to have that connection?”
Jay sighed and turned to Savine, placing a hand on his shoulder. Savine couldn’t help but flinch at the touch. He felt too on edge to find comfort in another’s touch. Jay pulled back, like he remembered Savine’s disgust for others touching his body.
“It will happen. When it does, when you both accept the bonding, it will be etched in your soul for eternity. Avery is here for a purpose, and that purpose is to be your soulmate. Sure, she can kill the Latian King. But that is not why she was sent to our realm. Look at what she’s already done for you. You were losing faith in the rebellion. You were becoming more disillusioned with each day, and honestly, the lack of physical contact was taking its toll on you. We all saw how you’d nearly rip someone’s limbs off for accidentally touching you. Avery is good for you. She is a Goddess-given blessing.”
