Her held breath escaped in a whoosh. “Oh, good. She was rather dreadful?—”
Her eyes widened as she took in the blood on the side of his face and streaks of crimson in his silver hair, the fading bruises on his face. “What happened to you?”
He glanced at himself, exhaled. “The aftermath. Bastard had a spell in place for his depraved chamber to disintegrate.”
“Oh, God?—”
“I’m fine. We…we were digging ourselves out of the rubble when I heard your cry…” A vein pulsed on his brow. “But that can wait. I’m already healed.” He rubbed her knee. “Right now, you just focus on getting better.”
Ash frowned, staring at her mended hands; only her ragged nails bore testimony to clinging to a mountain ledge. “How am I healing this fast?”
He grasped her hand. “When I marked you, it seemed my venom gave you a part of me—my quick healing abilities, though not in full. It means minor wounds will heal within minutes. Major injuries, such as broken bones, will take a few days, not weeks.”
“Oh, that’s good to know.” With a weary smile, she rested against her pillows again. Then she frowned, rubbing her chest. “I can’t feel you…”
A tic worked his jaw. It took a moment before he answered her. “You broke our mate bond when you fell.” His voice roughened. “There’s still a thread of it left, if you dig hard enough to feel it.Neverdo that again. You hear me?”
“What?” She blinked, then remembered what she had done. Right. She lifted her chin. “If it means saving you, I will.”
His grip tightened slightly. “Ash?—”
“Don’t youAshme,” she grumbled. “Wouldn’t you do the same ifyouwere dying?”
“Dammit.” His eyes blazed for a second. “Fine. Then we both go together. Promise?”
“What a morbid conversation to have with someone who just survived a near-death experience, but all right.” She smiled at his dark scowl and patted his hand. Late afternoon sunlight gilded the hard planes of his beautiful face—sunlight? Her gazedarted to the window, and her jaw nearly dropped. “We have sunlight now?”
“It seems with Malcarion’s death, the cursed pall over the lands is lifting,” he murmured. “All thanks to you.”
“Us,” she corrected.
His lips twitched. “Aye, to us. But once you’ve healed, we’re leaving for Earth.”
“So, back home, then? Is that what you want?” she asked, lacing their fingers. “You know I will support whatever you decide. But what about Lemuria? These people need a ruler to show them happier days ahead after millennia of suffering.”
He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his unshaven jaw. “I already have a duty, Ash. One I swore my fealty to.”
“I understand, but Race, this is your birthright.” She grasped both his hands. “Yourisked your life, fought so fiercely to save these people when no one else could?—”
A sharp knock cut through the moment, breaking the tension.
“Enter,” Race called out.
Attor stepped inside, his armor streaked with soot, one arm wrapped in a crude bandage spotted with blood. He bowed low, a gesture of his deep loyalty, not mere formality.
“Sire,” he greeted, his voice rougher than usual. Then, to her, he gave another low bow. “My Lady, my deepest apologies.” Guilt shadowed his tight features. “Had I remained at your side, none of this would have happened. The sire may bestow whatever punishments?—”
“Oh, no, no punishment,” Ash quickly reassured him. “And don’t kill yourself with blame, Attor. I’m fine, honestly. Besides, I would have provoked that she-dragon, anyway. She set off all my alarm bells, ones I couldn’t ignore. But justice was done. So, we are all happier now, right?”
Race pressed his lips together, clearly fighting a smile.
“You are far too kind, my lady,” Attor said gravely. “I am eternally grateful you are safe now. You will always have my sword.”
Heat crept up her cheeks. “Thank you.”
With another brief bow, he turned to Race. “The people are gathering in the square, Sire. I know tomorrow would have been better, but they’ve seen the dragons circling above, burning buildings and killing soldiers. Word is spreading that Malcarion has fallen, and they fear another coup is underway since the royal line is no more.Youmust speak to them.”
Race pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled deeply. “A day, Attor, is all I ask. Ash barely survived?—”
