Page 65 of All's Fair in Lion and War
“Lorelei.” He reached for her, but Rivian’s warriors grabbed his arms before he could touch her tear-stained face. Before he could wipe the blood from her mouth. Before he could tell her again how sorry he was for failing her too.
He was pinned to the ground.
They wrenched his arms back until they were straining against the joints.
One popped out. Then the other.
White hot pain seared his brain.
Every nerve ending fired and it was everything he could do not to scream, but he wouldn’t give Rivian or his thugs the satisfaction. He would take anything if it meant Rivian would leave Lorelei alone. Give her magick time to heal her.
She was staring at him, her eyes glassy with tears. Her skin still glowing so beautifully. It calmed his beast even through the pain.
He was glad they weren’t bonded yet. He couldn’t imagine her having to live through the death of another mate and the loss of anothersoul call.
Her mouth was moving, but he couldn’t hear her. He focused, desperately blocking out the pain, to try andseewhat she was saying. The men who’d bound his arms were now taking turns kicking him in the ribs. Each newsnapbrought another rush of adrenaline and overwhelm.
“Stop. I want this to last.” The warriors backed off a step or two. Rivian approached, grabbed Saul’s face and lifted his chin, forcing eye contact. “I want it to last as long as possible for both of you.”
“Leave her be.” Saul’s words came out hurried and angry. He’d been foolish to come forward alone. But he’d scented her blood. Felt her pain through the beginning of the bond they did have. It was too much. He’d just charged in and now it was going to cost them everything.
Rivian wasn’t going to let Lorelei survive either. He was going to kill them both. Maybe not right away, but that was his plan. And it was going to be messy.
The grating sound of a blade against a sheath made Saul open his eyes wider.
Then Rivian dropped Saul’s face back into the snow and grabbed a handful of his hair instead.
Dalmeck. The asshole is cutting my hair.
It was an insult to cut a warrior’s hair and braids. They were badges of honor like his tattoos.
One fistful of hair after another disappeared until Saul could feel the cold of the winter wind snaking along his almost bare scalp.
Fucking bastard.
“Better, now I can see your face much clearer for this next part.”
A warrior approached out of the shadows into the torchlight with a tall dark-haired woman. He shoved her into the snow next to Lorelei.
She rose to her hands and knees, but didn’t look up. “Rivian, I can’t heal her again so quickly. I gave her everything I had minutes ago. I don’t have anything left.” Her cheeks were shiny with frozen tears.
A magick bender.Saul wondered if this was Novik’s mate, but mostly he was devastated that she couldn’t help Lorelei.
“She’s going to die.” He ground out his words through the pain.
Rivian turned and looked over at Lorelei and then back down at him. “Oh, yes. She will.”
“No.” Saul dug his feet into the snow and pushed forward, but a heavy foot on his back ended his lunge prematurely. “Help her, please. Do something.” He met the woman’s gaze, the magick-bender.
She shook her head. Fresh tears rolled down her glistening cheeks. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
Saul turned his focus back to his mate. “Lorelei. You hear me. You fight.” He hated the tremor of fear in his voice.
Lorelei’s eyes blinked open. She mouthed something again and this time he could see it.
Thank you.
Thank you? Thank you for what? He hadn’t done anything? He’d failed her at the bar. He’d failed her when he caught up with Rivian.
