Page 103 of Bound By Roses

‘You’re the one who said to let Jade help. Apparently, this is helping.’

He hesitates, as if considering his words. ‘Do you need me?’

‘Always, but I don’t need you here. Get some rest. I’ll try not to fall into any of Jade’s holes.’

‘His what?’

I shut Quinn out without an answer. Not entirely, but just enough for him to get the point that we’re not talking about thisright now. I leave my walls down enough so that he can feel that I’m safe, but I’m not about to sacrifice his wellbeing to come out here and babysit Jade. Apparently, that’s my new job.

“What are you waiting for?” Jade calls over the divide to Ty. He’s trembling on the small patch of earth, and it’s not hard to see why. It looks about as stable as a thin layer of ice coating a desolate lake. “I don’t know how long that’ll hold and, if I were you, I wouldn’t want to find out.”

Ty whimpers, and the sound mingles with the hurried words that flood my mind.‘He’s insane! I can’t jump that!’

“He says he can’t jump it.”

“He’s a wolf, isn’t he?” Jade summons his wings and takes to the air above the shattered earth. He flies low, forcing massive bursts of air towards Ty with each flap of his massive wings.

“Jade!” I shout, but it’s overpowered by a much deeper voice as Merrick lands beside me.

“What the fuck is he doing?”

“Training, apparently.”

“He’s going to get someone killed.” I can’t tell if that’s frustration coating Merrick’s voice or genuine concern.

“Can you do something?” I should have never agreed to this.

Merrick readies to take to the sky again just as Jade swoops low. One second he was high above Ty, and now he’s free falling towards him in a display that’s far too similar to the night he made the ultimate sacrifice. “Jade, stop!” Merrick shouts, as he fights to gather enough speed to make it over the divide, but Jade is faster.

Ty throws himself off the platform at the same moment Jade pulls up. My heart races as Ty lunges over gap after gap, all the while screaming in my mind. The other wolves pace along the edge because there’s nothing they can do. There’s nothing anyone can do.

Ty makes the last jump and my heart nearly stops. He barely makes it, landing hard on solid ground before tumbling forward and skidding into a nearby tree. I race to his side, but the two dragons make it there first.

‘Are you okay?!’

‘Never better,’he groans, pulling himself to his feet.‘Can I please shift back so I can punch this asshole?’

I don’t bother answering because I’m too focused on Merrick, who might, quite literally, beat him to the punch. His fists are clenched so tightly at his sides that they’re shaking as he stares down into the series of snaking pits that are much deeper than I realized.

“Is this what you’ve become, then? I knew it was worse than you were letting on. The Goddess of fire and destruction chose you. Is this how it starts?” Before Jade can answer, Merrick’s eyes flick down to the gashes on his chest. “Which one of them did that?”

“Does it matter?” Jade answers, crossing his arms and partially hiding them.

“I guess not as long as you deserved it.”

Jade scoffs, but doesn’t argue. I can’t understand why. Sure, this was reckless, but the claw marks etched into his skin have nothing to do with this. I take a step forward, and Jade snaps his gaze to me. “I don’t need you to defend me.”

I ignore him because I shouldn’t have to. “Jade saved a siren’s life. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

Merrick flinches. “I was with Nuri. I heard about the wolf, but didn’t know…” He trails off and the unfinished statement hangs in the air between the three of us.

Without warning, Jade launches himself upwards. For just a moment I think he’s running, but then a wolf yelps.

And then they’re all barking and yelping and racing towards the split earth behind us. I turn on my heel just in time to see Fern charging towards the divide.

Oh, Gods.She’s going to try to cross it, but she’s so much smaller than Ty.

“Fern, stop!” I screech as she throws herself over the edge…and falls.

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