Page 200 of A Flame of the Phoenix

Reylan pushed up with a groan of pain. They stared at each other as if they were both reflecting on the same dream, trying to puzzle together what was real of it. Until it didn’t matter.

Faythe sobbed into his shoulder when his arms encircled her, and their bodies met tightly. He pulled her over him and held her like they were one person.

“You shouldn’t have come for me,” he mumbled into her hair.

“There’s no realm that I wouldn’t crack the spaces between to find you.”

His arm tightened a fraction before his body tensed with a hiss.

Faythe pulled away, only to examine the ruin that was still embedded in him. The flesh around it was getting worse. They needed to reach Nerida.

His hand cupped her cheek, eyes filling with an ocean of grief. “I’m so sorry. Everything I did?—”

Faythe shook her head, bringing her mouth to his. She kissed him, needy and desperate, wanting to treasure every feel of him after clawing them out of their worst nightmare together.

“I’m sorry too,” Faythe said against his lips. “But this is the last time we say it.”

Reylan kissed her again. Their lips were almost numb with the cold, but she felt it all in her heart.

A loud boom sounded so distantly below. Faythe shuddered at the reminder nothing was won. Not for the world, but now she had Reylan, Faythe had her strength to conquer it.

“What is happening?” Reylan asked, shifting into a battle focus he was too injured to maintain. “Where are we?”

“Lakelaria. We have to get away from here. You can’t fight like this.”

“Where are the others? Kyleer?”

She helped Reylan stand, but she was close to collapsing again at the devastation his name pummeled into her.

“He…oh, Reylan.”

His attention was immediately fixed on her, cupping her cheek and searching her eyes for the answer she couldn’t speak. Hadn’t accepted was true yet.

“No…” Reylan muttered. She’d never heard such heartbreak in a single word. He looked over at Atherius and started toward the Firebird.

“We have to leave,” Faythe sobbed.

“He’s not gone,” Reylan said firmly.

“He might have survived it.”

Reylan’s head whipped back, but it gave away how weak he was when the sudden movement stumbled his balance. Faythe circled her arms around him again.

“Survived?”

“The Transition.”

His eyes closed, and Faythe bit her lip hard when her own grief threatened to shatter her.

“We have to get you to Nerida or another healer,” Faythe pleaded.

“I have to see for myself. I can’t leave him here.”

“We’ll come back.”

Reylan leaned his forehead to hers.

“I can still move. I can feel your magick and swing a sword. Until I can’t do that, I’ll keep fighting.”

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