Battle shook the stone around us. Fire lit up the night, bright enough to make shadows writhe across the cave walls. They fought to defend us. Shrieks of dying creatures and the cries of our friends ricocheted through the narrow space until I wanted to scream.
Pherin growled at the entrance, blasting creatures when they came near. She created a wall of fur and muscle and barely leashed violence that challenged every beast out there.
Guard,Pherin said in my mind.Nothing pass me.
Another roar rang outside. Closer this time.
“Lakast just incinerated three,” Derren called back to us. “Levar’s got the last two pinned.”
I flinched at every sound, torn between my need to stay with Trew and join the fight. Our friends and companions were out there risking their lives while I remained in relative safety inside a cave. Trew would’ve been out there with them if he was conscious, leading the charge like always.
Helplessness crashed over me. This must be what he felt watching me fight an infection in the Rite. Seeing me in danger and being unable to do much about it.
Kerralyn thrust a waterskin and wrapped food into my hands. “Eat. Drink. You can’t help him if you collapse.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I don’t care.” Her voice came out hard. “You’re no good to him dead.”
I forced myself to drink, to chew the dried meat even though it tasted like the bile that kept creeping up my throat. Trew would’ve made sure I was fed and had water before he even thought about his own needs.
Kerralyn left and crawled back over, a small pouch in her hands.
A low sound escaped Trew’s throat, a mix between a growl and a whimper.
I grabbed his hand, pressing it to my chest. “Hold on. This isn’t where you leave me. We decide that together.”
“He’s my king,” Kerralyn said, her voice rough with emotion. “But he’s my friend first.”
The words settled in my chest. These people weren’t here out of duty or obligation but because they cared. Because in the short time I’d known them, they’d become family.
They were the kind of family that fought beside you. That bled for you. That stayed in a cave in the middle of the wasteland while poison tried to steal away someone they loved.
Hours crept by, marked only by Trew’s labored breathing and the sounds of fighting beyond our shelter. Kerralyn checked his wounds periodically, and we reapplied herbs and changed bandages. Derren gave periodic updates. So far, no injuries among them. Many dead creatures, however.
Finally, the latest battle ended, and our friends returned to the cave, slumping on the floor while their companions in small form flopped beside them to rest. They ate and drank, then dozed.
Will guard.Pherin and Gavelle shifted into their bird forms and flew out to soar over the area. They’d report if any more creatures approached.
The battle might be over outside, but the worst one still continued inside the cave. Halfway through the night, Trew’s breathing changed to a rasping, gurgling thing, like he couldn’t quite fill his lungs.
“No.” I grabbed Kerralyn’s arm. “He’s not breathing right.”
She pressed her fingers to his throat, counting. Her face went pale. “His heart’s racing. The poison?—”
“Fix it.” The words came out as a scream. “Kerralyn, fix it. Please!”
The others crowded around us, Lexie with tears streaming down her face, Derren’s eyes grim.
I grabbed Trew’s face between my palms. “You don’t get to die.” Sobs shook my body. “You don’t get to save me and then leave. You hear me? I didn’t choose you for a moment. I chose you for always.”
His eyes remained closed. His breathing grew more labored.
I pressed my forehead to his, my voice breaking. “Please don’t go. I need you. Stay stubborn. Stay alive. Stay mine.” I gathered my magic and flung it at him, driving it inside him.Take all I have. It’s always been yours.
For too long, nothing changed. Then his eyes fluttered open, just a sliver of gold in the dim light.
“Not going anywhere, Minx.” The words came out a bare whisper. “I promised you always.”