I tug recklessly at the bindings, like now that he’s here, I’m no longer tied to the wall. “Cage! I’m back here!”
As soon as he comes around the corner, long horns spiraling up toward the ceiling and eyes burning so high that they almost completely engulf his face, Cage turns toward me. He seems to find me with his whole body, and then he runs to me. His arms surround me, holding me tight to his chest. I can feel a tremor moving through him, and the heat of his solis burning up the air around us.
“My love,” he says into my ear, and then the flames of his eyes die down to small enough embers that he can lean forward and kiss me. His hands come up to hold my face, and I wince.
He jerks back from me, his eyes immediately flaming high again. “What’s wrong, my love?” In the dark, he tilts my face up until he can see it clearly. The flames erupt so high that the heat of them is almost unbearable. “They hurt you.”
I don’t deny it.
“They are dead now for what they’ve done to you.”
From somewhere in the depths of the room, the woman—who I completely forgot about—whimpers again. Cage stiffens and turns toward her. I can see him directing his anger already. The other people have already been punished for taking me. But now he’s seen the bruises and there’s someone around he can take it out on. Fresh meat, as it were.
He takes a step toward her, but I hold on tight to his arm. “Cage, no.”
He turns to me, and I see the way the anger sparks higher. “They hurt you,” he says in a growl between his teeth.
“She didn’t,” I tell him, nodding toward the woman. “She was trying to help me.” Sort of.
For a long moment, he doesn’t move, and then he turns back to her. “I want you to send a message to the rebellion. They’ll have one chance to leave my kingdom. Tonight, at dusk. Whoever doesn’t take that chance will face consequences.”
The woman, pressed completely to the wall of the cave, nods. “I’ll tell them.”
“Go. Now.”
She runs across the room and down the hallway. I hear her scream, and I can only imagine that she just ran into another fire monster—probably Kale—on her way out of the cave.
Cage easily breaks the rope tying me to the wall. He takes a moment to free me from the knots and then he lifts me into hisarms, and I’m thankful. Now that all the excitement is over, I’m very aware of the throbbing in my head, the way that the room doesn’t quite come into focus.
“My head,” I say, as Cage walks me from the cave.
“Rest now, my love,” he says. “I will make you good as new.”
I press my face into his chest as we descend into the darkness of the cave, and let my eyes fall closed.
Epilogue
Iwake in my bed. The torches on the walls burn bright, and all the pain in my head is gone. I turn my head and find Cage. He stands at the open door of my quarters, speaking quietly to Kale, who stands in the hallway. Kale seems to notice me first, and when he turns his chin in my direction, Cage spins to face me.
“My bride,” he says, coming quickly to the bed. “How are you feeling?”
I take a deep breath. “Good. Much better than I’ve felt in days. What did you do?” I sit up. In fact, the only pain in my body is the hunger pains stinging my stomach.
“I took you to the Healing Waters. You had a very bad head wound.” He hesitates, and when he speaks again, his voice is thick. “You were bleeding.”
I put a hand on his firm jaw. “I’m okay. I’m fine.”
He presses his forehead to mine, his hot breath puffing out across my mouth. “You were gone for two days. I was afraid they had killed you. I thought I would never see you again.”
I don’t know what to say. Not really. I wasn’t ready for this. To feel all of this so soon. To feel it at all. To know that he feels it, too. “I knew you would come for me.”
He sighs. “I’ll always come for you.”
“My king?” Kale says from the doorway.
Cage pulls away from me and looks over at the Captain of the Guard. “I’m coming.” And then he’s lifting himself from the bed, pulling out of my embrace. “I am set to speak with all of Isiriel in a moment. I would like it if you came with me. I’m not ready to let you out of my sight.”
I smile. “Of course. Let me get dressed.”
