Released from the pain that held him in its grip for millennia, disoriented, Reynner shook his head, and tried to shake off the strange stillness stealing through him. No burn in his chest, just an unnatural quiet. Then those thoughts flew right out of his mind as he stumbled to where Eve lay so still on the ground.
“Noooo,” Inanna screamed.
With a thought, he cut off her vocals.
“Eve, what did you do?” He dropped to his knees, his words raw, anguished. He pressed two fingers to her neck and found a heartbeat. Then he took her bloody, mangled hands in his, gently eased open her fingers, and saw pieces of metal and broken lapis embedded in her torn flesh.
“Oh, Eve.” His gaze misted. It was one thing for him to endure pain, but not her. He eased the pieces out of her palms that had suffered so brutally, first at trying to save her parents and now him. Her blood flowed faster, coating his fingers.
He did a psychic scan of her injuries and his stomach constricted. Three fractured ribs, one broken. Her right shoulder dislocated. The blow from Inanna’s fist had split her lip. Blood trailed down her chin.
At her injuries, he couldn’t breathe, felt like a huge vise tightening around his chest. No! He refused to lose her.
The words flew out of him, knowing how much she hated being ordered, “Don’t you dare leave me, Eve. I won't let you go.Youfought with me, for me. Now you bloody well make sure you're here to keep me in line—”
He maneuvered her shoulder. A pop sounded as it slipped back into its socket. Then he called on the healing powers he’d been born with, instead of the useless trickle he’d lived with for so long. Pushed harder. “Come on, damn you…”
Long forgotten warmth coursed through him. A powerful force of pale blue light gushed out from his hand and coalesced over her. Soon, his healing light cloaked her like a shroud.
Her fractured ribs healed, the broken one merged and mended, the bruising around her shoulder faded, along with the swelling on her lip. Finally, the few buried pieces of the lapis popped free from her palm and the skin knitted. He ran his fingers over her sealed flesh and scanned again, needing to reassure himself that she was truly healed.
“Reynner?”
At the faint whisper, his gaze flew to hers. And through his blurred vision he found those beautiful green eyes on him. Unable to speak past the lump in his throat, he pulled her into a fierce hold.
“Can’t breathe—can't breathe.” She squirmed in protest, forcing him to ease back.
“Don’t you ever do that again,” he said, sounding like he’d swallowed gravel. “I thought I’d lost you.”
She reached out and touched his jaw. “I couldn’t let her destroy you, and she was.”
Urias, he’d always thought her fragile, but his mate completely undid him. He turned his face and kissed her bloody palm. Licking the coppery wetness off his lips, he swept her into his arms and rose.
“Reynner, wait, put me down.”
“No.”
“Please, Reynner. I want to see that you’re okay.”
Unable to deny her anything, he let her slide down his body, reveling in the sensation of her living, breathing one. All he wanted was to spend the next few hours, hell the next few years alone with her, far away from any crap this world batted at them, but he had things to take care of first. One of which was still pinned to his dungeon wall, her face mottled red, her screeches stifled.
Eve braced her hands on his chest and eased back, her gaze darting all over him, as if searching for signs of injury. He left her to her investigation and stroked her cheeks, her jaw, then wiped away the blood there. She ran her fingers over his left pec. Confusion wrinkled her smooth brow.
“It’s gone.” Awe filled her voice. “Reynner, it’s gone.”
“What is?”
“That star on your chest.” She smoothed her hand over his left pectoral again.
He glanced down and froze. No cursed scar was branded there. The constant pain, the burn he’d lived with for centuries had disappeared. Just peace remained, and the gentle presence of Eve. She’d taken away his darkness and filled him with her love. She’d done this for him. She’d saved him, and had almost died in the process.
“I saw what she did,” Eve said, shooting Inanna a killing look. “She took your blood after she drugged you, added it to hers, and with the spell of a demon she bound you to her. She wore it in that amulet.” Eve nodded to the broken pieces scattered on the dusty floor, looking ready to tear into Inanna again.
Reynner didn’t even glance at Inanna. He hauled Eve into his arms, unable to get the words past his throat gone tight with emotion. All that came out was a hoarsely whispered, “I love you.”
A muffled screech came from the wall at his declaration.
Eve hugged him and rubbed her cheek against his chest. “I know. It gave me the strength to end this. You held on through the centuries against all odds, I could do no less.”
