Page 53 of Mantle

Wind whipped her hair around her shoulders, but her stance remained rooted, steady, commanding the storm. The funnel moved in perfect sync with her breath and her focus—a celestial vortex entirely under her control.

Until she felt magical interference closing in—my teleportation.

The funnel spun wildly and part of it shot out, coming right for me.

I couldn’t stop it.

I was already in mid-teleportation; it would complete whether I liked it or not now.

“Nyx!” I heard her scream.

And then the might of her power tore into me as I materialized right in front of her, tearing me from that position in the next second, and sending me flying several feet in the air, before I smacked into a tree as my chest burned, blinding pain shooting through me.

Lights out.

“Nyx… thank goodness.”

That sweet and soothing voice infused me as I opened my eyes.

I blinked and lifted my head and it swam, making me drop right back down.

It took me a moment to realize I was sprawled out on Ariana’s pink bed—drenched in cute, fluffy luxury. Fancy cushions surrounded me like a cocoon of warmth and reassurance.

But the chief reassurance and what I latched onto washer.

I found her perched on the edge of the bed, stroking my hand.

“Hey,” I rasped.

“You’re going to be fine. I healed you.”

“Healed me… oh… shit.” I looked down to see that I was shirtless now, just my leather pants on. There was a mark over my abs, like a mixture of a charred black circle and a burn.

“That will fade within the next couple of hours,” she told me. She squeezed my hand. “I’m so sorry.” Emotion welled in her eyes. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you, cutie pie.”

“It wasn’t your fault. I was an idiot. I teleported right in front of you while you were using powerful magics. And, by the way, what I saw was incredible. You’re at another level now, Halo.”

She shook her head at me.

“What?” I asked.

“I can’t believe you’re complimenting me and encouraging me while you’re lying here from being wounded really badly by said power you’re talking about.”

“Hey, credit where credit is due,” I said with a chuckle.

She eased closer. “You’re another level.” She gazed down at me, so much care and adoration bleeding from her. Her breath caught, and then she confessed, “I love you. You know that?”

I stilled.

She’d done it.

She’d put it out there.

I’d felt it from her a while ago, for all of us in turn, but she’d been holding it back.

I smiled up at her. “I do now.” I reached out and slid my hand into her soft, golden hair. “I love you, too, Ariana. So very much.”

She leaned down and brushed her lips over mine, kissing me softly, but with such openness and loving vulnerability that it warmed me down to the bone.

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