Which had to mean that Quinn was close, too.
Faster than I could process, Ezra shrugged off the two shadow wielders,attemptingto run ahead out of the edges of the forest on his own. Hedidn’tmake it more than three steps before he stumbled, but Rayven and Matea were instantly there tocatch himbefore he could fall. Together, the three of them broke out into a run—slow enough so Ezra could keep up—bursting out of the edges of Wittuck Woods after having spent what felt like weeks inside of it.
Before I could processwhatI was doing, I was tumbling forward, my feet moving faster than my thoughts as I, too, came bursting out of Wittuck Woods to stand outside ofCairnyl.
I nearly ran right into my companions as I crossed over into the harsh sunlight, now unobstructed by the lack of trees overhead. Coming to stand next to them, I paused.
Ezra and I were simplyfeeling.
Sensing.
The bonds we shared with our spouses went deeper than the ink in our flesh.
They were soul bonds.
One that proved not to fail us then as suddenly, from one of the dirt roads leading out ofCairnyl, came two figures.
Two fae who were running like their very lives depended on it.
As the first came into view, I knewI’drecognize her bright ginger locks anywhere.
Quinn, who despite beingsubstantially shorterthan the second figure, was multiple yards ahead of them, her legs carrying her faster than a thrown dagger.
Ezra stumbled forward at the sight of his wife, out of the reach of the two shadow wielders, doing his best to meet Quinn halfway.
I wanted to watch the reunion, to help Ezra reach her, but my eyes caught sight of something I wanted more than anything else in this realm.
The second figure.
Robyn Thorntier.
My husband.
My love.
My very heart which beat outside of my chest.
And when I saw him, I couldn’t help it.
Iran.
It didn’t matter that it had been less than two weeks—I ran.
I cursed the Stars for the pain in my wing stoppingme from flying to him, but running would have to do.
Before I realized what I was doing, an air current was there, pushing me forward,fasterand faster until Byn’s features became clear—exactly as I had memorized them to be.
It all came bubbling up swiftly—everythingI’dbeen trying to push down. The physical pain, the emotional wreckage, the mental fractures of what I thought I knew to betrue. Itwasn’tuntil thenthat I realized in doingthat,I’dbeen blocking Byn out to a degree, too.
And now he was back, full force.
His anxiety, love, concern, hope, and relief all flooded into me in a wave of forest green as he grew nearer.
And then, like an eclipse of the sun and moon, wecollided.
His arms were around me, and mine around him, and he was close, but never close enough.I’dleaped, my legs locking around his waist as he held me so tight it felt like he was trying to merge our very beings into one.
I would have let him.
