“Fuck. Where is he?” I hiss, more to myself.
“As I said, you have no loyalty to him,” Ludis cuts in.
“This is not the time.”
“You know, I can do the body heat thing with her. I am her brother, after all,” he offers.
“Ludis, respectfully, go fuck yourself.” I carry Sabina into the tent, lay her gently on the pile of blankets that were prepared for her and begin to peel off her wet clothes.
Before I let myself imagine the consequences, I strip my shirt, but leave my trousers, then lay beside her. Once I get another blanket over us, I pull her close to me. Her skin against mine sends chills though me. She’s so cold. I weave my fingers into her hair and pull her face against my neck. “Please, please wake up. I can’t do this without you.”
There’s breath against my collarbone, faint, but it’s something. I feel for her pulse again and find it quickly. It’s stronger. The back of my throat stings. What if she never wakes? What if this is it?
I kiss the top of her head, then smooth her hair away from her face. “Taylan, you can’t leave me. Please. Please, stay with me. I love you.”
I pull her in closer, pressing my chest against hers, moving my hands to her back. She’s feeling warmer, then she begins to shiver. It’s violent and full body, her teeth chattering. Her eyes flutter open.
“Taylan?”
“Am I d-dead?”
“No.”
“H-h-how. Am. I. H-here?”
I stroke her hair. “You were in the woods. Nearly frozen. Just rest. You need to get warm.”
She nuzzles her face into my chest, then curls her arms against herself before burrowing closer to me. My heart swells while sorrow and joy fight for dominance. I didn’t think I’d get to hold her ever again but how did I think I’d be able to let her go?
After a few minutes, her shivering eases, and she’s breathing more regularly. I remove one of my arms from around her waist. “I should probably go.”
“Alright.” She closes her eyes and a tear streaks down her cheek.
I wipe it away. “I’ll send for something warm for you to drink.”
“Thank you.”
As I unwrap myself from her, she turns away from me, pulling herself into a little ball, then dipping her head under the blanket.
I pull my tunic over my head, then take one last look at her. She’s hidden away, but the blanket rises and falls so I know she’s breathing.
I hate myself right now. I hate Caiden. And Pendralia. My hands are balled into fists as I approach the tent flap. I’m fighting myself. All I want to do is turn back and take her away from here.
But we’d be signing the death warrant of others we love and neither of us would do that.
Ludis is waiting for me when I step outside. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Is she alive?” he asks.
“Yes. So your plan can continue as you hoped.”
“Good.” He shoves his hands into his pockets, then takes a couple of steps before turning back. “Brevan?”
“What?” I round on him, hands balled into fists. It might be worth it to let my frustration out on him.
“What if I could save your sister? Do you think I could earn your loyalty with that?”
Fourteen
