“Einar, wait!” I screamed as he disappeared into the clouds, but the wind snatched my voice away, fettering it to the cold and unfeeling valleys plunging below. My heart sank as the sun crested the horizon, gilding the snowy peaks of the surrounding mountains. But even its tentative warmth could do nothing for the desolate feeling that weighed heavily on my chest.
He’d really, truly left me this time.
“Einar!” I yelled again, stumbling down the mountainside. I called his name again and again, desperately hoping he hadn’t flown too far away, that he was still close enough to hear me. We’d gotten into fights before, but we’d always been able to put aside our differences. He would come back, right? He had to.
And why, exactly, does he have to?A doubting voice in my head asked. There isn’t anything in this quest for him, not really. Yes, Mother will make him the sleeping draught when you rescue her, but she isn’t the only other healer in Ediria. He could find someone else.
“Einar, please!” I shouted again. “I didn’t mean what I said! I do need you. I’m sorry I said those things. You did nothing wrong. Please, come back!”
A shadow passed overhead, eclipsing me, and I jerked my head up, heart leaping as I looked for Einar.
But while the creature hovering above me certainly could fly, she looked absolutely nothing like a dragon.
“Oooh, lookie here,” she said, flashing sharp rows of teeth at me. “Looks like I’ve found breakfast for the eyrie this morning.”
The winged creature uttered a sharp, bird-like call, and two more of them dove from the cloud cover to hover next to her. My stomach sank as I took them in—they were caught halfway between bird and fae, feathered crests sprouting from the tops of their heads in lieu of hair, their arms blending seamlessly into their wings. Their legs were avian, feathers starting from the tops of their hips and ending in clawed feet with talons. Leather armor covered their torsos, and skulls adorned each of their shoulders. Fanged necklaces rested on their bare necks, and they each carried a different weapon.
These females were no fae. They were harpies, and they weren’t joking about having me for breakfast.
19
Einar
“Einar, wait!”
The sound of Adara’s pleading voice tore at my heart as I flew away, making my wings slow their beat for a fraction of a second. Every fiber of my being wanted to turn around, to heed that call and race back to her side.
But I knew that was just the mate bond talking, so I gritted my teeth against the urge and forced my wings to beat faster and push me higher into the sky.
Frigid winds whipped around my face, slapping at my cheeks and tugging harshly at my hair. I knew I would be more comfortable if I was in dragon form, but I couldn’t risk shifting in broad daylight, so I pushed on, heedless of the cold. Tears slipped down my cheeks, and I told myself it was just from the wind, that it had nothing to do with Adara’s harsh words from earlier.
After all, why would I cry over a fae female I didn’t evenlike?
That’s not true,a voice in my head argued, but I shut it down immediately, refusing to entertain the thought. Ididn’tlike Adara. Yes, she was beautiful, and courageous, and she wielded amazing power, but she was also headstrong, stubborn, and a pain in the ass. She’d run headlong into danger several times without a backup plan or consulting with me, and even though I’d saved her life more than once, she wasn’t even remotely grateful.
I swallowed against a sudden lump in my throat, and that’s when I realized there was a foreign taste in my mouth. Lavender and sea salt, with just a hint of sweetness. My lips tingled, and my heart sank as I realized it was Adara’s taste on my tongue.
She hadn’t been lying. Ihadkissed her.
Dammit.I swiped at my mouth, swearing under my breath. I had no recollection of kissing her, and I hated that a part of me wished that I did remember. My inner beast must have been in control at that moment—the raging animal inside me that wanted nothing but to claim her.
It had been stupid of me to let my guard down like that, to fall asleep with her in my arms. If she’d been willing, if she’d given into my primal urges, I would have woken up mated to her. And once a mating bond was sealed, it could not be broken.
Not even by death itself.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the mating bond tugged at my chest, insisting that I return to Adara. I scowled, wanting to ignore it. After all, it was clear that Adara didn’t want me. She’d rebuffed my advances twice now. The best thing to do was tell her about the mating bond now that I was sure she despised me, so she could formally reject me.
Doing so would be agonizing, but at least the bond would be severed, and we could go our separate ways.
But first, I needed to find her.
Sighing, I winged my way back toward the cave, intending to end this once and for all. But as I drew closer, I heard the sounds of fighting—screeching, yelling, scuffling. My heart kicked into a gallop, and I angled myself downward, breaking through the cloud cover so I could see what was going on.
My eyes widened at the sight below—Adara, facing off against three harpies. The winged females were dive-bombing her, and Adara flung ice stakes as she dodged them, trying to keep them at bay. Her stakes were missing their mark, flying past the harpies or losing momentum before they could reach their target, but they were at least keeping the harpies back—for now. Her cornflower-blue eyes were wide with fear, and even from here I could see the beads of sweat gathering on her alabaster forehead. Even with her impressive speed, she wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer, not on her own. Not when she’d spent so much of her own magic last night.
I didn’t have enough power left to shift into my dragon form, so I tucked my wings and dove for the harpy closest to me. Sensing the danger, she twisted midair and flung a throwing knife at me, but I knocked it aside easily with my scale-armored forearm. Turning my body, I slammed into her with the brunt of my shoulder, sending her flying.
“Who is this?” the harpy screeched, drawing the attention of the other two. They halted in their assault on Adara and turned to face me, their eyes narrowing with assessment.
