Page 263 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

“Walk me through it,” he rumbled as he knelt, footsteps cracking through the hallway behind him.

“We were talking,” Aren said, frantic eyes scouring me from top to bottom. “I was examining the flower on the mantle and pricked my finger on a thorn.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

“It wasn’t intentional, smart-ass.”

“Right. Carry on.”

“The passageway opened as if in response, and then Mags started swaying—looked liable to faint.”

“It appears she collapsed.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted, sucking in air like a woman deprived.

“You look like shit.” Oh, good. Lana was back. At Aren and Jason’s glares, she only shrugged. “What? She’s pale as fuck.”

To my relief, Brody and Rika were right behind her. Brody was nearly as adept at defusing her temper as Jason and Aren, so maybe he could keep her contained while my vision swam.

“Breathe, baby,” Aren urged softly, his hands still tracing my arms. I wanted to capture that touch and hoard it like a dragon—collect the moments he forgot we were supposed to be nothing into a treasure trove of bright spots in a world of gray. Pull one from my collection when I lacked the strength to keep going. When he was gone again.

I did as I was told, if only because if the spinning continued, I might puke.

“She didn’t touch the plant?” Rika asked, kneeling beside Aren, hands already hovering. My magic should’ve been enough—should’ve already located the problem, given me some sense of it—but… nothing. The unease that planted in my stomach only worsened when Rika scowled and sent cool, tingling healer’s magic rushing over me.

“Mags, you’re not bleeding?” she asked, but it didn’t sound like a question. “No cycle? No injuries?” When Aren and I both shook our heads, she pursed her lips in clear displeasure.

“It’s the Bond.” Aren’s jaw flexed as one of those broad, capable hands swept my hair off my face. Every eye snapped to him.

“The Blood Bond?” Rika asked so softly I might’ve thought she’d seen a ghost. Aren was already nodding. “How do you know?”

“Because she bound herself to him to save his life. Intentional or not, she dictated the nature of the Bond right then. Most of the time, a Guardian Bond flows one way—from the Guardian into their Bonder. But that night…” He shook his head, agony flashing through those winter blues I wanted to fall into.

“She saved him. Funneled her life into his.” The realization in Rika’s voice landed like a slap.

“Out of love, not hunger for power,” Aren added as Jason fell back on his ass, shoulders slumping beneath the weight of this new reality.

“Which means he can draw off of her when he’s in trouble.”

“It doesn’t feel like a siphon or reaper,” Rika noted.

“Worse,” Lana groaned, razor-sharp eyes still evaluating me. “He’s tethered to her life force. Stupid. So fucking stupid.”

“Thanks for that,” I muttered, shutting my eyes and praying the spinning stopped before I vomited all over Rhiannon’s perfectly preserved tapestries.

“We all do stupid shit when we’re young,” Brody offered helpfully, coaxing a smile out of me despite myself. It died just as quickly when reality snapped into place⁠—

“He’s dying,” I deduced.

“Or close to it,” Aren confirmed solemnly. The understanding in his eyes—the echo of the conflict in my own heart—would’ve buckled my knees if I’d still been standing. As it was, Lana could’ve slapped me and delivered less pain.

Because Bell was dying. No—Adrastos was dying. Or, at the very least, gravely injured.

I shouldn’t care.

I should probably celebrate. I could mimic that reaction, at least, lifting my chin. But the nod came too jerky, too tight to fool anyone, much less seasoned warriors and one of my sisters.

“It’s okay,” Aren soothed, his hands picking up tempo. “You’re okay.”