The boy ran a hand through short, thick hair, distress pouring off of him. “I woke up when they grabbed Brenna a while ago.” His hand shook as he clutched the metal bar of the cell, his head dropping in defeat. “It was my turn to sleep. Brenna was on guard. I should have stayed awake.”
Rodric grasped his hand through the bars. “You survived until help arrived. That’s all that matters. We are not leaving without them, I swear.”
The boy blinked and swallowed hard, nodding to Rodric.
“What’s your name?”
“Gavin,” he breathed out. “That’s Holt, he’s new. I haven’t seen Veda or Opal all day, but Marin is probably in the cellar. I don’t know what happened to the lady they brought in; she might still be there. You’re rescuing her too?”
Rodric fought the urge to ask about Celina. They’d seen her taken to the keep earlier in the day, so he’d have her back in his arms soon. “Yes, she’s with us. Hang tight, Gavin. I’m going to go down below, but I’ll be right back or one of my team will be down to get you out.”
“Go, help them.” Gavin nodded and stepped toward Holt.
Blade ready, Rodric carefully descended the steep, nearly vertical stairway down to the cellars, emerging into a tight walkway. A fine layer of ice crunched under his boots as he crossed the space to a narrow, waist-high table that mimicked the work area upstairs. Blanching at the sight of various nasty implements atop, he tried to control his breathing.
Focus. Just get them out.
Fur blankets were piled haphazardly underneath the table. Grabbing one, Rodric turned away from the twisted table and quickly slid back the bar keeping the first of two wooden doors secured.
Huge blocks of ice were stacked around the space, leaving an open area in the center. The ice was clearly old, the combination of the mountain altitude and deep underground fostering chilled temperatures year-round. Whatever else could be said of the group of mercenaries, they had chosen their holding site well. Dismissing the empty cellar, he opened the second doorway.
Shallow breathing came from a teenage girl in the back corner, draped halfway over a block of ice. A short length of chain attached her bound wrists to a metal ring that had been hammered into the ice. Her red collar matched the blood streaks staining the surrounding ice.
Rodric froze at the sight, one thought taking precedence over all others.
Where was his mate?
A roar of energy moved through him, and he immediately reached for Celina in full force, invading her soul with his essence without conscious direction of his magic. Instinct to find and connect to his mate overrode everything else.
Her sweet, peaceful presence was a balm to his soul and tempered some of his fearful rage. She was alive and nearby, just not in the cellar.
Collecting himself, Rodric focused on the unconscious girl in front of him. Ice cracked loudly as he walked over to her, the freezing temperature already seeping through his layers of clothing. By contrast, she was covered by a short, thin dress, the shredded material sticking to her open wounds. He quickly released all her restraints, checking the circulation in her hands to find she was nearly frozen. Laying the thick fur blanket over her, he scooped her up into his arms. She flinched, crying out softly, and tried to shift away from his arm under her back.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I wish I could help you more.” His naturally murmured response stopped him in his tracks, as he realized something miraculous.
Hecouldhelp her.
Sitting down on a block of ice, he set her in his lap and freed one of his arms. He gently set his hand on her head and closed his eyes, freeing Avery’s opalescent magic. It rushed in a soothing stream into the girl, racing through her to find the worst of her injuries. Trying to see through the magic, he pushed the healing light toward the seeping wounds on her back. Her raspy breathing eased to a more natural sound.
Stopping the flow of magic proved difficult, as her body was ravaged and soaking up the healing waves like a sponge. Celina had been right; the pull to heal everything all at once was strong.
Dizziness made his head light, but not enough to hinder his ability to continue the rescue. Opening his eyes, he met the girl’s clear gaze. Pain still marred her face, but she was conscious and not in immediate danger.
“I’m Rodric. I’m with the rescue team. You’re going to be fine, but we need to get you to safety before I try to heal you anymore. What’s your name, sweetheart?” He knew but needed to assess her mental state.
“Marin.” Her voice broke with a dry sob.
“Let’s get you out of here, Marin.”
She kept her eyes on his as he stood and cradled her once more. Strength lapsing, her head dropped trustingly to his chest. She was much too light in his arms, and his magic flared in a steady pulse to continue healing her wounds. He carefully moved out of the room and up the stairs, holding her tightly. The little he’d done would have to suffice until they were out of danger. He couldn’t risk weakening himself until everyone was safely accounted for.
The dungeon was empty, so Rodric continued to the hall above. The boys had been moved to the large central dining table and were sitting with a girl around Brenna’s age who Connor must have found. Cass and Sev were across the room near their prisoners. He nodded to Connor as he settled Marin in a large chair near the other children. His pulse began to pound, adrenaline soaring.
Marin’s hand latched onto his arm with surprising force as he turned to leave. He looked down to see panic welling in her eyes. Urgency beat at him, but he couldn’t leave her terrified without a word.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. This is the rest of the rescue team.” He shifted so she could see across the room. “You see that woman over there? She’s a Wolflumen. A protector. She won’t let anything happen to you.”
Her gaze shifted to Cass, but her fingers maintained their grip even as they began to shake with fatigue.
