It strangled me, making me fumble over my own feet to get to the front door. I opened the many locks, and the thick wood swung open in time for Ezra to stumble in, holding an unrecognizable Kaiden with half his body painted in blood. A ruby puddle formed on the floor around their feet after only seconds of being here.
One of Kaiden’s arms was wrapped around Ezra’s neck as he used all his strength to drag his cousin the rest of the way inside. I slammed the door shut, reactivating the wards in case there was more of whatever hurt them out there. I followed, helpless, as Ezra dragged Kaiden to the bedroom, careful to not split him open more. Gods. Vomit burned the back of my throat at the sight.
I’d never seen the inside of a person like that.
Things moved too quickly to track. Ezra shouted orders at me that I didn’t fully understand. I followed them anyway—grab this crystal or that vial of herbs. Their large stash of potions under the sink vanished at an alarming rate as Ezra did what he could to keep his cousin alive and I was sent to task—boiling water and following the detailed instructions in a potion book to restock whatever didn’t require rare ingredients or a spell.
“Sage, stop arguing with me and send the fucking physician! I’ll keep him breathing until then.”
The mirror shimmered in the corner of my vision, an image of Kaiden’s sister blurry from where I sat beside him on the bed.A healer was necessary for injuries this severe. Half of Kaiden’s torso was a tangled mess; shredded skin and muscle; exposed bone; and. So. Much. Blood. I did all I could, maintaining skin contact wherever it was safe to touch to lend my strength, and pouring potions past lax lips.
The bond in my chest was a constant heat—like it was working overtime to hold on. If he survived this, we’d be wound even tighter together. That didn’t bother me as much as the thought that he might not make it. My eyes didn’t leave him for a second, as if just watching him could keep him anchored here with me. I internally kept watch on that growing bond, so tender and new, ready to tug on it if he started to slip away.
Ezra moved like I’d never seen him move before—swift and controlled. Everything happened too fast. He froze the parts of Kaiden’s body that splayed open, but the warm blood melted the ice after a few minutes. His cousin’s life force was a sputtering candle, and each time that flame wavered, it threatened to take me with it.
I refused to give up. Every ounce of energy in me went to keeping Kaiden alive. Tense hours later, the physician made it and depleted the majority of his power keeping his faction heir from certain death. Muscles knitted together, blood replenished, and skin closed. There would be faint scars, but considering Kaiden’sorganshad been punctured, scarring was the least of his worries.
Twenty-four hours. It took an entire day of multiple healings, which the physician had to recover from before beginning again, until he was finally satisfied. When he departed, leaving behind strict instructions for rest, Ezra and I sat in a silence born from exhaustion and disbelief. Part of me wasn’t sure our efforts would work. By all reason, Kaiden should have died. We were so, so lucky.
“What happened out there?” I asked. I wasn’t sure when Ezraleft the condo, and hadn’t even known Kaiden was on his way back until I felt the flare of power.
He shook his head—like it would make any of this easier to understand. “Scent hounds,” was his whispered reply. “The djinn sent them after you, and Kol, their heir, taunted Kaiden at the meeting about it. He barely got here in time.”
The blood rushed from my head, leaving me shaky and even more unsteady.Scent hounds? How had the tribunal approved that? I was a faction heir’s bond! Technically, a faction heir in my own right now that we’d been granted clemency. Yet they would just send thosethingsafter me? And for what reason?
“I thought it took a unanimous vote to release the hounds for a hunt?” My voice shook as I realized how close to death I’d actually come without knowing it.
Ezra shook his head. “We think the djinn have an unsanctioned breeding pair.” His lip curled in disgust. “Kol Von Bauer is the one pulling the strings, with or without his father’s knowledge. He was behind your attacks, the illusions, and the hunters still trying to collect an illegal bounty. If Kaiden hadn’t called ahead with a warning and raced like hell to get here, I’m not sure I could have kept you safe on my own.”
I didn’t blame him. Not against fucking scent hounds. The fact that they both survived was miracle enough and not an easy feat.
“Thank you,” I told him, holding his gaze. “I’ve been beyond selfish and made your life difficult, both of you, but…thank you.”
He nodded, a rare moment of severity for him, before leaving to find his own bed, exhaustion causing him to stumble across the hall. The fact that he was willing to go at all told me he thought his cousin was in the clear. I glanced down at the man I’d fought so hard to resist. The better part of this year was spent thinking the worst of him and fighting every attempt he made to get to know me. Despite my actions, he’d protected metime and time again. He almostdiedfor me, and that realization was only just sinking in.
Time blurred as we all recovered. Physically, I was in perfect health, but the amount of energy Kaiden needed was enough to exhaust me. I threw everything I had at him. He could have it all if it meant he’d wake again. I fell in and out of fitful sleep. Each time I woke, I’d check in on that bond in my chest. It hummed softly.
He’s okay.I had to remind myself. Despite him being right there, the thought of him slipping away…Pure unfiltered terror gripped me. There it was. The true feelings I hadn’t allowed myself to linger over. Somehow, Kaiden snuck himself past my defenses and burrowed into my heart. He rooted himself in there, digging deep.
My heart skipped and froze, sluggishly pumping through the fear that now encompassed my every thought. Every molecule in my body shuddered with it.
If I lost him now…
Beside me, Kaiden shot straight up, and his uninjured arm reached under the pillow to grab a sharp dagger. He held it out in front of him; eyes clear and scanning the room for danger. His healed chest rose and fell in heavy breaths as he completed his search, ending on me sitting beside him.
“Where is it?” he asked, worry clouding the blue in his eyes. “Where’s the threat?”
I stared at him, checking every inch of skin I could see to make sure no wounds reopened. Not that there should be anything left to open, not after the healing he had. I quickly peered down at his pillow, still dented with the impression of his head.
“How long has that knife been under there?”
Kaiden lowered said knife and twisted to face me. Concernstill creased his face as he cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him once more.
“You’re terrified,” he said, thumb gently brushing my skin. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”
My eyes widened. He’d woken from a bone-deep healing sleep because he’d felt my fear? Barely off death’s door, and his first thought was to protect me. To make sure I was all right. That bond between us pulsed, and my chest clenched. I was sure my face was stuck in shock. Seeing him speak—seeing him move like he hadn’t been torn to pieces only hours ago…And now he wanted tofight, again? Because I wasscared?
“Eryn,” he murmured, eyes capturing mine. His beautiful blue, very alive eyes.
