Page 107 of King of Fire and Flames

Ari stroked my back. “You survived when you thought he had betrayed you, but at least now, Leaf, you’ll have the comfort of knowing that you were everything to him. That he sacrificed his life to protect you.”

My sobs turned into howls. “That’s so much worse. I can’t do this… please…” I let my words trail off as the wind picked up and lashed my hair, strands sticking to my wet face as I turned back to Arrow.

“Please, my love. Please come back. I’m so fucking mad at you. Don’t leave me alone. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for every horrible thing I ever said or did. Please… just don’t die.” I thumped his bare chest twice, tried to lift him by the shoulders, needing to shake the life back into him.

“Leaf, let him go. Look,” Ari whispered urgently, grabbing my arm.

I stared at the limp shape of my lover. Skin pale. The iridescent color leeched from his wings, the feather tips fluttering at the mercy of the hot breeze that swept through the arena.

Then his eyelids flickered.

Barely. Hardly perceptible. But still…

Arrow wasn’t dead!

He.

Wasn’t.

Fucking dead.

Not yet.

But he was dying.

My heart flipped and stuttered, then resumed its grim thudding.

Since my arrest in the desert, I’d wished countless times that my hate-filled gaze would be the last thing Arrow saw. And now, if I could take back every tear shed in service of my mistaken loathing, I would happily choke and drown in them.

I pounced on Arrow, holding his cheeks between my palms, chanting his name as if it would save him from a fatal enchantment.

“Please, Leaf. Move aside,” said Ari, digging an elbow into my ribs. “I need room if I’m to help him.” I gave her space, and she tipped three drops of glittering liquid from a dark vial between his lips.

“Gold serum?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s a risk, but unfortunately our only hope. The right dose might just save him. Too much, and it will finish him off.”

I swallowed a lump of fear, praying Ari had administered the correct amount.

Please let him be okay. Let him live. Let him wake up and say something outrageous, make me laugh and cry again.

“Leaf, is he going to be all right?” asked a gruff voice.

I turned to Raiden, who stood behind me, and smiled through my tears at Esen and Zaret. “Not sure yet. I thought he was dead, but then he moved. Ari’s just given him gold serum.”

They crouched next to me, and we huddled around Arrow’s lifeless form, holding each other tightly, barely breathing as we waited for the Storm King to come back to us.

“Ari, it’s taking too long. It hasn’t worked. Should I massage his heart? Try to get it going?”

“No. Don’t touch him yet.” She drew another breath to continue, but Arrow coughed, interrupting her, and splattering another layer of blood over the battle filth on my neck and collarbone.

I’d never been so happy to be spat on.

“My love. My love,” I chanted, pressing gentle kisses on his brow, his cheeks. “You’re alive. I can’t believe you’re alive.”

“Not getting rid of me so easily,” he croaked through a lopsided grin.

Another bout of sobbing seized me—this time triggered by overwhelming joy.

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