“The guild members aren’t your people,” I said firmly.
“Of course they are! I was born into it. The guild’s ways run in my blood.”
I shook my head. The bloody elf was more stubborn than I was.
Heavy droplets of rain tore through the canopy. A few landed on my arms, and pain lashed through me. Cursing beneath my breath, I leaned into the trunk and wound my arms around Frida’s body. Then, despite knowing how much she would hate me for this, I tossed her over my shoulder.
A cry of alarm tore from her throat, but I ignored it. With her body tucked tightly against mine, I took off down the path, swatting stray branches aside. Wind and rain beat against me. The moments felt agonizingly long, like we’d been trapped fleeing this storm for hours. Eventually, the pale light from my cottage shone through the darkness. I stumbled toward it, clenching my jaw against the pain.
Just a little further. A few more steps, and we’d be out of the rain. But as I thundered toward my cottage, a numbness filled my head. It was too much. Far too much. I’d only been caught out like this a handful of times, but each one had brought me to my knees.
The world around me seemed to blur, my vision darkening at the edges.
We reached the door, and I kicked it open, stumbling into the safety of my cottage. Angry heat tore through me. Streaks of yellow filled my eyes, transforming the room into nothing more than a meaningless blob of light.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to be gentle when I lowered Frida, but my knees buckled. My leg thundered into the floor, jolting me. Frida’s weight vanished from my shoulder. And then everything went black.
17
FRIDA
Rune was burning up. Sprawled across the timber floor of his cottage, he was completely unconscious. I leaned over him, examining his body. His trousers and his cloak seemed to be crafted from leather that had been treated with copious amounts of oil, which made them pretty water resistant. The material had taken the brunt of the rain, but enough had broken through the front of the cloak to drench his tunic.
Moira raced over, meowing furiously. Strands of her black hair littered the floor. She weaved back and forth, her ferocious little gaze locked on Rune’s prone form.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “This is my fault. He wouldn’t be like this if he hadn’t come looking for me.”
Whyhad he come for me? It was completely nonsensical. If he had any wits about him, he would have left me to ride out the storm. I’d told him I planned to return to the guild and lie about his existence. If he’d left me alone, he could have rid his troubled mind of Erik once and for all.
But that could still happen. There was nothing stopping me from walking away now and finding a better hiding place. Nothing but my instinct to help him.
And the Elding.
I glanced at the door. Wind rattled the wood against the hinges, and the sound of the rain had built to a roar. Going outside now would be foolish, but even if the storm let up, I couldn’t leave him like this.
Gently, I unhooked the front of his cloak and tugged it off his body. Then I sat back on my heels, wringing my hands. Through the thin, wet material of his tunic, I could already see his skin turning red. Really, I needed to remove the shirt. It was the best thing for him.
Heart pounding in my ears, I leaned over him and quickly unbuttoned the tunic before sliding the front of it off his shoulders. His muscular torso gleamed in the flickering hearth-light, and angry red welts marred his oak moss skin. Swallowing, I leapt to my feet, dashed into my bedroom, and grabbed one of the towels he’d provided for me.
When I returned to his side, Rune had awakened, though his eyes were slitted in pain. I patted his skin with the towel, trying my best to avoid pressing the welts too hard.
“Can you sit up?” I asked him.
“You don’t need to fuss like this.”
“I can try to pull the shirt out from under you, but I don’t know how I’ll manage with all your weight on it.”
A strange smile curled his lips. “This might be the most ironic moment of my life. My assassin is trying to get me naked so she can save me from more pain.”
“Don’t get so excited,” I scolded him. “I only want to get you topless. Now can you sit up or not?”
“All right. But I apologize ahead of time for the words that might come out of my mouth.”
“I’ve lived in a guild-hall with a bunch of assassins for an entire year,” I said dryly. “Nothing you can say would be worse than what they spouted on a daily basis.”
That smile appeared again, and a flush of satisfaction warmed my chest. “Careful, I might take that as a challenge.”
Rune palmed the floor beside him, and I slid my hands along the curves of his shoulders to help keep him steady. With a pain-filled grunt, he shoved against the timber, conjuring a small gap. Quickly, I peeled the material out from under his body, and he thunked back onto the floor.
