Dom glared down at me.
“You’ll ride with me,” he commanded, his body now blocking my path forward.
Stubbornness clamped down along with the desire to rile.
“We may not have time when we return to update your second-in-command. Now’s your best chance, and we need to get going.” I pushed past him, my hips confidently swinging.
A shadow grasped my wrist, spinning me around. Dom was beside me in an instant. “Such a menace.” His fingers grazed my arm, lingering. It effectively disarmed me. “I would prefer if you would ride with me, Liora. Please.” His voice rumbled like velvet gravel, meant only for me.
“If you reached the point of begging, then I suppose I can make an exception.” I smirked.
His eyes turned molten. “Begging is nothing. For you, I would crawl. You’ve had me on my knees for a while.”
His words lingered in the air, a sultry smoke curling around us. He brought my hand to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss to my knuckles. I allowed him to lead me to our horse. Mounting first, he pulled me up to sit in front of him. His thighs caged myown. It was cramped and constricted, but his firm arm around my waist eased the discomfort.
Finn took the lead for our group, retracing the path he and Xuri had just arrived from. Plenty of daylight stretched before us to lead us back toward Lyrae.
We had traveled a few hours when a flock of vultures circled. Several dove down without returning to the skies.
We slowed our approach as we drew near. Finn, being the only one with a horse to himself, dismounted first and entered the grove of trees. We followed swiftly behind him, stopping short at the scene.
Several bodies were partially buried, the exposed flesh getting picked clean by the winged scavengers. What skin still remained was mottled and bruised. Dark, swollen veins stressed against ashen skin. I turned away, swallowing bile.
Finn pulled a smooth rock from his pocket, holding it tight. He and Dom exchanged a knowing look.
“You’ve seen this before.” Not a question.
Finn waited for Dom’s cue before responding. “Yes. At a Berine mining location. We believe there are experiments taking place. Though the aftereffects suggest they haven’t been successful. We hope.”
I forced myself to look at the bodies. They were too decayed and mangled to recognize identifying features. One appeared abysmally young. I squinted closer at its shoulder where the golden shimmer of Glint stole my breath. Frost crackled at my fingertips. This had to end.
“We need to move on. We don’t know what might be hovering nearby, and I don’t want to find out,” Xuri stated. In silence, we returned to our horses.
The plan was to push through and make a quick stop in Aphellion for supplies and a true rest. Dom, Bowen, and I wereworking under significant exhaustion. From there, we would head straight to the Perellian Forest and the Nymphian Library.
The compass continued to strengthen in color and brightness the further south we drew, the closer we came to the library. I was confident his cure would be there. I sank into Dom’s chest, enjoying what few moments I would have with him. He deserved so much more than his enemy’s discarded puppet-weapon. But I would make it up to him.
The whisper of warm shadows caressed my body. And I didn’t stop them.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
THE GENERAL
The air grew warmer and more humid as we neared the city of waterways. We had stopped again for a brief break and to water the horses. I grabbed my horse’s reins to lead it toward a gurgling stream.
Liora had moved up as a top priority, my duty to her rivaling my duty to the realms. The thought of distancing myself from her brought out an unsolicited, feral snarl to my lips. If she was fire, then I’d burn for her. I didn’t care if I was left destroyed in the wake of her carnage, as long as I got to taste her in the process.
Then there was the issue of my bargain with Liora, and how I couldn’t let her leave when it was done. And of course the fact that I was dying. I needed the cure to this curse. I could feel my blood thinning and time running through my fingers.
I knelt down at the water’s edge, listlessly swirling the cool liquid with my fingers. One thing at a time. I had taken the correct tonic before leaving Vorkut so my blood wasn’t actively poisoning me. It was happening more frequently, though, and I couldn’t be sure how long I had between doses.
Xuri burst through the brush, her eyes searching wildly for me. “Dom. We have a problem.”
I surged to my feet, assessing her for wounds, my senses heightened to incoming danger. My shadows sharpened into blades at my side. Xuri’s stern tone caught the others’ attention and they strode toward us.
She gave Liora a pained look before turning back to me. “One of the apprenticing oracles reached out to me.” She tapped her temple. “Haluma sent a message.”
Liora lost all color in her face. “What did it say?” she asked, dread infusing her delicate features.
