25
No!”
Tariel’s heart leapt into her throat at the sound of Wellion’s anguished scream. “Come on!” she cried to Riann and Yarim, putting on a burst of speed. They raced around the side of the townhouse to see Calrain hurtling to the ground, his arms outstretched as if he had just let go ofsomething.
Pure terror blasted its way through Tariel, obliterating every thought. Reaching for her magic, she instinctively flung out her hands, willing Calrain with all her might to slow hisdescent.
Magic burst from her palms into a million streams, and they darted through the air, crisscrossing beneath Calrain’s back to form a large net. Tariel let out a huge sigh of relief as Calrain landed on it, his body bouncing twice before settling atop the magicalweave.
“Tariel?” he gasped, rolling over to look at her. He moved just in time for Wellion to land on the net next to him. The strands quivered, and Tariel gritted her teeth as she poured more magic in to strengthen it. “What are you doinghere?”
“Rescuing you!” she snapped. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her arms shook as she carefully lowered the net the rest of the way down. The moment their feet touched the ground, she released the magic, then braced her hand on Riann’s arm as a wave of exhaustion hither.
“How did she do that?” a woman exclaimed, and clapping and cheering erupted around them. A crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle—Tariel had been so focused on trying to save Calrain that she hadn’t evennoticed.
Pushing the exhaustion away, she straightened to her full height and confronted the gawking crowd. “No need to be alarmed,” she said coolly. “I know you Carlissians are not used to magic, but feats are commonplace in the MaroyanEmpire.”
“Are you a mage, then?” a man shouted, elbowing his way to the front of the crowd. He had some kind of strange quill and a pad of paper in his hand, and Tariel had a feeling he was a reporter. “Do you know thesemen?”
“They are my friends,” Tariel said, looping her arms through Calrain’s and Wellion’s, who had immediately come to her side after recovering from the shock. “And they were taken captive by these men here! Mercenaries who work for Lord Traize, the banditleader!”
She whirled around to point at the two leather-clad men who worked their way through the crowd. Gasps rippled through the street, and while the mercenaries froze, Tariel lunged forward, dragging her men into thecrowd.
“Come quickly!” she urged the others. “We must losethem!”
She met Riann’s eyes, and in silent agreement, they split up into three groups—Yarim and Riann, Tariel and Calrain, and Wellion alone. Heart pounding, Tariel hurried through a maze of alleyways with Calrain in tow, then emerged onto another main street and slowed her steps, spinning an illusion around them to try to blend in more easily with thecrowd.
“That was far too close,” Calrain said, gripping her hand tightly. “I was certain I was dead. Thank you for savingme.”
Tariel squeezed his hand back, feeling the depth of his gratitude from the bond. “What happened to the two of you?” she asked in a low voice as they walked up the street, heading back toward the inn. “I sensed you were in trouble and came as quickly as I could, but why were you on therooftop?”
“The man we were interviewing, Mostil, is Lord M after all,” Calrain said. “He guessed what we were about and unmasked Wellion’s true identity, then locked us in the attic. If we didn’t escape, he would have come back and killed us.” He shook his head. “I owe Wellion my life, you know. If he hadn’t held on to me as long as he did, you wouldn’t have made it in time to catchme.”
Tariel blew out a breath as her stomach twisted. The thought that she might have arrived just in time to watch Calrain splatter onto the street was almost more than she could bear. “Did you lose yourgrip?”
Calrain shook his head. “I let go. I knew Wellion wouldn’t be able to pull me up, and I didn’t want to take him down withme.”
Tariel laughed softly. “Always thinking of others,” she said, leaning her head against Calrain’s arm. She would have to thank Wellion later. He was proving to be quite theally.
They managed to make it back to the inn without incident—the first ones to arrive. Worried, Tariel reached through the bond, but though she felt anxiety from Yarim and Riann, it seemed no more unusual than what anyone might feel fleeing from pursuers. They were likely still trying to lose theirmen.
“Goddess help me,” she groaned, lying flat on the bed. Now that the rush of danger was past, her limbs grew heavy with exhaustion, and she could barely keep her eyes open. “I just want tosleep.”
“I don’t blame you,” Calrain said as he moved about the room, gathering their things. “Rest for a bit while I take care ofthings.”
“W-we can’t stay,” Tariel said, trying to sit up. But a huge yawn nearly cracked her jaw, and her body refused to budge. “If this Mostil is as formidable as you say, he will come looking forus.”
“I know.” Calrain sat next to her on the bed. “But we can’t go anywhere until Riann and the others come back. Sleep,” he urged. “I’ll wake you when it’stime.”
He brushed a tendril of hair off her cheek, and the warmth of his touch lit a spark inside her. Desire blossomed in her core, and Tariel curled her fingers around his shoulders, pulling himcloser.
“We don’t havetime—”
“We have to make time,” she insisted, pressing her mouth against his. It would take a full night of sleep for her to rejuvenate, and if they had to go on the run again, she didn’t have time for that. The fastest way to banish this lethargy was to make loveagain.
Calrain seemed to sense what she was about, for he relaxed, his hands skimming down the sides of her body as he returned her kiss. “Lie back,” he murmured, his lips trailing down the side of her neck. “I know you’re exhausted, so I’ll do most of thework.”
Tariel sighed in relief as she sank into the mattress, giving herself over to Calrain. Heat built in her as he made his way down the length of her body, untying the laces on the front of her bodice so he could lick and tease at her nipples the way she liked. It took a bit longer than usual, but soon enough, she was wet and aching, and when he finally slid inside her, she moaned out loud, her body arching intohis.
