“It’s okay,” she said. “I’ll go with you willingly.” The words caused the knife to scrape over her throat, hinting toward a quick death, without drawing blood. Emmeric’s gaze was pinned on the weapon, his expression promising murder.
“Astalle…” Altair pleaded with her, his expression open. “Please.” Altair didn’t ask much of her, and he rarely begged. Iyana desperately wanted to comfort him, and she felt her heart breaking alongside his.
It’s okay,she mouthed to him. He shook his head. Talon and Emmeric still had swords in their hands, blood dripping off the points. Iyana swore she heard the plop of the viscous fluid hitting the dirt, the sound threatening to bring her back to her dank cell in the dungeons. But this was not the time to panic. Iyana focused on the warmth of the fire within her to steady her frazzled nerves.
Emmeric was weighing the blade in his right hand, and she instinctively knew he was mentally calculating how fast he could throw it at her attacker versus how swiftly the knife would end her life.
“Emmeric,” she said, catching those beautiful blue eyes, “I’ll be okay.” As he looked at her, she reached towards their bond, her magic close to the surface. The connection came easily, a small gasp escaping her lips which she tried to pass off as a sob. Emmeric’s mouth parted slightly, but it was the only indication he felt anything amiss, other than his eyes sharpening with the knowledge of what she was going to do.Be careful, she could almost hear his words in her head.
Although she wasn’t exactly sure what she was doing, she called to the woman of fire for her assistance yet again as the man dragged her back towards the tree line. The same motherly comfort wrapped around her in a warm hug. Tapping into the feeling and Emmeric’s power thrumming in her chest, shepushed.
Silver light flared outwards from her, and because she couldn’t control the magic yet it exploded in every direction. While she willed her friends to be unharmed, she wasn’t sure if wishing would be enough to make the magic cooperate. The blast flung the man off of her, but a burning, stinging pain on her neck told her his knife had still made its mark. Blood trickled down into her shirt, but the man wasn’t dead and therefore still a threat. Iyana turned to dosomethingwith her magic, she wasn’t quite sure what, only to find Emmeric plunging a sword through the bounty hunter’s chest.
Extracting his sword from the body, Emmeric sheathed it, stalking towards Iyana with an intensity in his expression she hadn’t seen before. He looked like Otho reborn—pure victory and vengeance. He bit into the pad of his thumb, blood welling instantly. Her focus was riveted to Emmeric prowling towards her. Howcould it not be when this absolutely gorgeous man was staring at her like he wanted to claim her, right there in front of everyone. Emmeric brushed his bloody thumb across the cut on her neck, his other hand hot at her waist, magic rushing to where their blood co-mingled. Touching her neck once he pulled away, Iyana realized she’d healed. Emmeric’s thumb had as well.
“Thank you.” The words came out in a whisper.
“Any time,” Emmeric replied casually, but his tone belied the intensity of his gaze. Iyana felt the promise of those words in her soul. He would always fight for her.Always.
The moment snapped, Altair rushing to her, touching her face, her neck, checking for any lingering injuries.
“I’m fine,” she said, stilling his hands with hers. He rested his brow on her forehead, eyes closed.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he said, voice rasping with pain. When he opened his eyes, fear lurked in their depths, and unshed tears lined his lashes.
“I’ll try,” she whispered, running a thumb over his cheekbone. Promises couldn’t be made, not with what they had set out to do and the unknowns of it all.
The sound of retching returned her focus back to the surrounding scene. Emmeric had left her side; she hadn’t even heard him go. Seven bodies were strewn about the clearing, all five of Team Save Arinem were covered in blood, and Talon was vomiting in a nearby shrub.
“Are you okay?” Iyana asked, concerned. There may be something in her medical kit to help, but she wasn’t sure what had caused the vomiting to begin with.
“Don’t like…blood,” Tal gasped, retching again.
Kaz laughed at him, back in her human body, blood still around her mouth. “You’ve been a soldier for a decade, and you can’t stand the sight of blood?”
“He does this every time,” Emmeric said, cleaning his sword. “Any time we’re in a battle where blood is spilled, you can find Talon retching afterwards. Still great in a crisis, though.” Emmeric grinned, and Iyana was shocked. She’d never seen his true smile—he had fantastic teeth, which was a weird thought—she didn’t usually appreciate a man’s teeth—but his joy illuminated his face. He was beautiful.
“Thanks, old man,” Talon said, wiping his mouth with part of his shirt that remained clean.
“Why did you join in the first place?” Iyana asked.
“To keep this one out of trouble,” he replied, waving in Emmeric’s direction. “Didn’t seem to keep trouble from finding both of us, though.”
“Come on,” Altair said, with a warm hand on Iyana’s lower back. “We should find a new campsite.”
Chapter 32
Emmeric
Seeing Iyana wrapped in that disgusting man’s arms had made him feral. He’d wanted to throw his sword through the bandit’s skull, but Emmeric refused to endanger her life by being reckless. The swells and dips of the rapid-fire emotions he’d experienced within such a short time span threatened to make him seasick. Ferocious anger seeing a knife at Iyana’s lovely, smooth throat. Deep despair when he thought she was going to give herself over. Rising hope when he felt their magic connect, and then again a savage anger as he noticed the shallow slice on her neck. The burst from Iyana had sent everyone tumbling but him, allowing Emmeric to rush to the bandit and swiftly end his life before he ever had the chance to recover. Although he wished he had the opportunity to hurt him a little more for marring Iyana’s skin.
Who are you?he asked himself. He’d never been one for senseless violence, abhorring the raids and missions Uther sent them on. Emmeric and Talon always strived to cause as little damage as possible.
People he cared for weren’t hurt often, other than his parents, but he didn’t know who was responsible for their accident. However, with Iyana, heknewAzazel and this bounty hunter were the ones hurting her. He’d like to think he would react the same if it was Talon in danger instead of a woman he had known only a short time.I’d definitely react the same,he reassured himself.
Any time. When she thanked him, he had told herany time. Those two incongruous words rose from the depths of his soul. It was a promise. An oath. To follow this through with her, and to see what lay on the other side. Emmeric was in deepnow and vowed he would be Iyana’s sword and shield for however long she wanted him.
In the days following the bandits’ attack, they continued on their journey to the ancient library, allowing Emmeric and Iyana to train together with her magic. It seemed the shock and adrenaline of her life-or-death situation had switched something within her. Their connection was now more automatic; effortless. The sensation of pleasure coursing through his body was still there, but it was easier to tamp down and ignore. It had been the same in the clearing; he had felt her connect to him, the thrum in his chest and the warmth in his blood, but he knew he couldn’t react—couldn’t give the bandit any reason to think something was about to happen. So now it was becoming second nature to bottle the sensations in order to focus on his surroundings.
