Page 44 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

"Showoff!" I shouted back, smirking, holding the jostling body at my front with one arm while the other held the reins.

Raina was still unconscious, her breaths shallow against my chest. The coppery tang of blood stung my nostrils, but I kept my eyes ahead. If I saw the extent of her injuries ... no, it was best to focus ahead.

"Almost out," Saxon yelled, signaling the approaching city limits.

The relief was short. We still had a long way to go, and there was no telling how far they'd be willing to chase us.

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the barren landscape. We'd been riding since last night, all through the day, pushing ourselves and our steeds to the limit.

We continued riding hard, our horses' hooves pounding against the earth in a desperate rhythm. I could hear the shouts of our pursuers, growing closer and louder as the sky turned to twilight.

"Damn it," Saxon muttered under his breath, glancing back at the approaching enemies. "They just don't know when to quit, do they?"

"Apparently not."

Raina's body was still limp, her head resting on my shoulder. The scent of her blood still filled my nostrils, a constant reminder of the horrors she'd been subjected to.

As darkness enveloped us, Raina finally stirred in my arms. She gasped in pain, trying to move, and I instinctively tightened my hold on her.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, cursing myself for causing her more discomfort. "I promise, we'll get you to Sage as soon as we cross the border."

Raina clung to me, her fingers weakly digging into my arm.

"Thank you," she breathed, her voice barely audible.

"Stay with me, Raina," I urged. "Try to stay awake."

If our pursuers reached us before we got to the border, she'd need to be alert enough to handle the horse while Saxon and I fought.

"Damn it, they're closing in!" Saxon shouted.

I could feel the strain in every muscle of my body as we pushed forward, the border tantalizingly close but still too far away for comfort. Each hoofbeat felt like an eternity, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we might not make it out of this alive.

But just as I was beginning to lose hope, I spotted it, a faint flare of light in the distance, marking the magicked edge of Antara's territory.

"Almost there," I told her. "Just a little further."

The wind screamed in my ears as we charged toward the border. I glanced over at Saxon, his face a mask of determination. Beside him, Fermac ran effortlessly, his massive form easily keeping pace with the horses.

"Are you ready?" Saxon yelled, his voice barely audible over the cacophony.

"Yes!" I shouted, wrapping both arms around Raina and pulling back on the reins.

"Now!" Saxon commanded, and without hesitation, we activated our portal magic.

Space bent, yanking us through the shadowy space. We emerged on the other side, in Thornewood's courtyard, gasping for breath.

"Damn, that was close," I said, finally allowing myself to relax just a little.

Saxon nodded, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of pursuit or anything amiss. "Don't let your guard down. I don't trust this is over."

I knew he was right, but all I could focus on was the fragile figure in my arms, her once-vibrant energy now reduced to a mere flicker.

"I'm taking her to Sage," I told him.

"Go on, I'll see to the horses. They're about to fall over."

Tired, but full of enough energy to get us to the infirmary, I spirited Raina straight into Sage's domain, where I found difficulty letting go of her.

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