ISABEL
Gideon holdsme close in the narrow area near the front of the cavern. His brother’s body is still inside, but at least he’s out of sight.
I suppress a shiver as I consider what almost happened.
I almost died. Gideon almost died.
“You’re alive, little moth,” my mate says. “And so am I.” He caresses my hair and keeps nuzzling his nose to mine, trying his best to comfort me.
My heart aches with love for him.
When he tenses, I know he just heard the thought. He leans back and stares into my eyes.
“I love you too, Isabel. With all that I am.”
I blink back tears, but I don’t respond. My throat is too clogged with emotion for me to speak right now. Besides, he heard my unguarded thoughts. He knows how I feel. He knows I would be devastated if Lachlan had managed to kill him.
Your arm!I say through the bond. I wiggle in his hold, trying to get a look at his arm.
It’s already healing, he replies.As a highborn fae, I heal quite fast. My leather shirt took the brunt of it, however, and the wound wasn’t very deep. Please do not worry for me, little moth.
He was going to kill me.I tremble in Gideon’s arms.He was going to kill me and you just… flashed between us. You did that twice, in fact. Oh, my gods. I didn’t know you could do that.
My mate leans down to kiss my forehead, his winter-cold lips lingering on my skin, prompting a rush of goosebumps that somehow feels comforting.
Yes, I can flash from one location to another, he replies.Though only short distances, and it uses a lot of my power. That is why we are still here. I have not recovered enough to summon wings yet.
Is there anything I can do to help?I ask through the bond.I could run outside and try to find some vines covered in ussha and bring them back here.
No, little moth, you don’t need to do anything. Just stay here in my arms,he says, his voice a reassuring rumble in my head.Just stay with me, my sweet mate.
Okay. I won’t go anywhere. I snuggle deeper in his arms and let my hands drift over his chest. As I gaze up at him, affection passes between us through the bond, endless warmth and devotion. It’s so intense, so honest and raw, that it brings tears to my eyes.
“I love you, Gideon,” I finally whisper aloud.
He smiles. “And I love you, too, little moth.”
The morning sunglints off the snow-covered fields, trees, and frozen lakes as Gideon flies toward the Winter Court army’sencampment. He holds me tightly in his arms, and I revel in the closeness of our bond.
In the end, it was the bond that I once tried so desperately to outrun that saved me. It saved us both.
The encampment finally comes into sight, though it’s nearly disassembled. I spot thousands of soldiers on the ground below, packing the large white canvases, loading boxes onto wagons, and lining up to prepare for the march north. Winged fae fly back and forth over the mountaintops and through the valley below, patrolling the skies.
As soon as Gideon lands in a small clearing near King Theron’s tent, Helena calls my name and rushes toward me. She looks me up and down, then gently draws me in for a hug.
“I’m all right. Just a few bruises, and Commander Ashvale already healed them,” I say, not wanting to mention my broken ribs for fear of causing her worry. “What about you? Are you all right?”
“I am fine,” she assures me. “And it was the same for me. Just a few bruises, and my mate healed them too.”
I glance over my shoulder when I hear deep voices. Gideon and King Theron are speaking in hushed tones. My heart breaks when I realize he’s telling the king about Lachlan.
Leaning closer to Helena, I grasp her hand and share the news, whispering into her ear.
She gasps. “Oh, my gods. How frightening. I’m so glad you survived.” She squeezes my hand.
“I’m thankful you survived as well. That explosion… when Lachlan used his magic to blast past Gideon’s wards around the cabin… well, either one of us could’ve easily died at that moment.”
She pales, then nods briefly. “Yes, you’re right about that. I still can’t believe he managed to lure half of the guards away and then killed the rest.”
