Pivoting and hooking her foot behind my ankle before driving her shoulder into my middle with just enough force to tear my balance out from under me before I can properly brace.
Shit.
Grunting, my foot skids across the dirt as my weight shifts off-centre, but before the fall can fully take me, instinct snaps back in. Bracing every muscle in my core, I drive my back foot into the ground with a hiss, catching myself before I fully go down.
“This is what you thought would be more productive? Instead of having the meeting about moving the camp?”Cal claws through the crack in my control.“You cannot keep avoiding it—keep it, keep Sierra, hidden forever.”Irritation bleeds down the bond.“He does not have much time left. It is time we return and claim what is rightfully ours.”
“This isn’t about her. Or him.”I bite back.“We have a fucking mole. And I’ve told Merrin and Luc countless times that until we know who’s leaking information and why, I’m not risking moving the camp to theonesafe place we have left?—”
Lyra moves again.
Exhaling forcefully, she grabs my wrist and uses my distraction to yank me forward before driving her elbow straight toward my ribs.
I catch it midair, barely a second before she makes contact.
“Did Reya tell you I was here?” she pants, twisting against my hold, strong enough to make the muscles in her arm shake, but I don’t let go as I try to shut Cal out.
“No,” I reply, watching the quick rise and fall of her chest as she struggles to catch her breath. “You forget I can talk with the dragons...” Releasing her elbow, I push myself back and preparefor her next strike. “Shanwyn told me. Now talk. Why are you angry at me?”
Her jaw tightens. So does mine. God, she's infuriating. Would rather beat the shit out of me than actually talk through her emotions.
“And you are the expert on emotions now?”Cal mocks.
My fists ball at my side.
Oh fuck off.
In front of me, Lyra raises an arm, wiping at the sweat gathering along her hairline from the heat of my fire raging around us. The motion drags my attention before I can stop it, and I watch as a bead of moisture slips from the soft line of her jaw, trailing down the curve of her throat before disappearing lower.
The instant my attention slips, she moves.
I throw my arm up to block the strike I’m expecting, but it never lands and instead of committing she slips under the block, pivoting around my side before I can square up properly.
“Shit—”
Wrenching back, I turn to track her, but she’s already stepping into my blindside, her foot hooking briefly against the outside of my leg as she tries to knock my balance out from under me again. At the last second, I rip my leg free before she can knock it out from under me properly. The failed sweep carries her a step past me, her boots skidding against the dirt before she catches herself and spins back to face me.
“You didn’t tell me about Blood Moon!” Her voice comes out strained, fury threaded through every word as she braces her hands on her knees. “That I could die...”
“I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you, I should have told you, but you’d just woken up— and after everything else I dumped on you—I didn’t think it was the right time.” I lift a brow, but her mouth stays set in a hard line as she stares at me. “Ahriawillbondwith you. I don’t doubt that for a second. When your Threads open and she finally sees you—the real you—she’ll bond in a heartbeat. She’s just being stubborn right now...” Shaking my head, the wordslike younearly slip out, but I bite them back. I need Lyra to talk, not bloody kill me. “But I know that’s not why you’ve been avoiding me.” Inhaling, I take a cautious step closer. “So come on. What is it?”
With an irritated huff, she pushes herself upright and brushes back the loose red curls that have fallen free around her face, tucking them behind her ear.
“What I wouldn’t give to have my fingers in that hair...”Cal growls.
No, wait. That was me... Right?
Flexing my fingers, I try to lessen the rising tension racing through me.
I’m so distracted I can’t even separate my thoughts from his anymore, and suddenly looking at her for too long feels too dangerous.
Pivoting away from her, I fill my lungs and try to pull myself back together, try to scrape together even an ounce of self-control before I do something reckless.
The brief pause helps, and this time when she steps in, one hand catching the back of my neck as she tries to force me down into a knee aimed at my stomach, I’m ready for it. Pivoting fast, I catch her thigh before the hit can land properly, stopping her with one leg still lifted between us.
Cursing, she jolts back, but I keep going and step into her space, forcing her weight onto the foot she barely has planted. Her balance breaks, and for one second we both tip with it, but before either of us can hit the ground I release her thigh, catching her around the waist, and pull her flush against my chest.
Throwing her hands against me, she shoves, trying to break free, but I hold her firm and repeat the question, stressing each word.
