“Yes. Always.”
Heath lifted her into his arms and raced toward the door. He prayed the runes would fade and wouldn’t hold her there. And if she became a Fury, he’d bring her back. She tensed as they reached the boundary.
“Close your eyes and trust me.”
She did as instructed, and he streaked them past the runes.
Nothing happened.
Asherah stayed tucked against him, clenching a fist, but no rage overtook her. She took a deep breath, proof she was still alive. “We are free.”
Heath slammed out of the room, and Eiravel and Cynes roared a battle cry as her water expanded to take them. They struggled, swinging their hands in panic.
“I never want any of you to mention my wet dreams again. I just watched you fuckers dry drown.”
“How?”
“What?”
Eiravel and Cynes blinked, breathing under the water.
“My Foraltae is controlling the waters. It’ll protect us until we can get to Kallan and Teague.”
Cynes grunted, his face going red where the water brushed by too hard. “Fuck, that hurt.”
“I cannot make it painless for you,” Asherah said. “I’m sorry.”
Cynes crossed a fist over his heart and bowed. “It is fine, um … what do I call you?”
“Asherah Danaan of the Sea.”
Eiravel blinked. “Did you just fucking say–”
“I did,” Heath affirmed.
The men dropped to their knees. “Princess.”
“Don’t do that,” Heath ordered. “We can save that shit for later.”
Eiravel and Cynes looked to each other and then spoke in unison. “As we are bound to Kieran of the Shadow, as too are we bound to Asherah Danaan of the Sea, by heart and mind. May the link be unbroken and the tie binding.”
Heath blinked, completely wowed when two thin, gold ties extended from Eiravel and Cynes’s hearts and seeped into Asherah’s.
“What the fuck?” His two closest men had Heart Tethered to her.
“She’s yours, and we will protect her as we do you,” Eiravel promised. “Let’s go. Kallan is probably cursing us to all sorts of hell.”
They raced back down the tower, sliding by the ravaged bodies of the Hollows they’d faced.
Skuld had much to answer for.
When they reached the bottom, Kallan and Teague stood on either side of a woman who looked just like Skuld, except her hair was blond and the horns around her ears were black.
“Who the fuck are you?” Heath lifted his sword, prepared to fight.
“I have answered this, Kieran of the Shadow. I am no one and everyone.”
That voice. She had brought him to the In Between. “I know you.”
