Page 173 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Alora nestled into Garrik’s embrace and brushed her cheek along the warmth of his biceps, inhaling his incredible leather and metal scent.

With his thumb tracing idly on her upper back, she narrowed on the foreign touch as he disturbed her hair. Garrik placed a tender kiss to her forehead as he’d done countless times while her mind stirred awake.

The castle wasn’t more than a speck from the cliff. They’d rode far enough away and extended a shield that she didn’t feel the need to move from his arms.

For a few incredible moments, she listened to his heartbeat—ticking as normal as hers. She traced the star-shaped scar when his incredible lips pressed another kiss onto her hair.

“You sent your shadows away,” she noted with a hint of unease, questioning if what they did caused their absence. Garrik only sent them away for punishments and when he thought the situation required it.

Again, he kissed her hair. “You were shivering.”

Alora half-snorted.That’s why?“You could’ve dawned me a blanket.”

“Mmm,” he hummed sleepily and cradled her closer. “I like holding you like this. Being what you need.”

Alora wiggled her shoulders and snuggled closer. “Savage Prince. More like Soft Prince.”

Garrik chuckled and began a series of nips along her neck and shoulder. “You are well aware of hownotsoft I am.” In emphasis, Garrik flexed his hips, and she may have felt him hardening again.

Alora tensed her thighs at the movement. And maybe she imagined it, but Garrik’s heart jerked along with a sharp wince on his face.

“Your heartbeat,” she said. “Why have I only felt it beat like mine when you’re warm?”

Garrik made a sound of discomfort. His jaw tightened.

She frowned, wanting to push but something in his expression told her she wouldn’t have to.

Instead of deflecting her question, Garrik sighed in surrender. The stroke of his hand on her back slowed until, at last, he answered, “It would seem being killed as many times as I have weakened my heart.” A muscle ticked in his cheek as his gaze flickered distantly over her shoulder. Speaking to the wind as if he couldn’t bring himself to confess directly to her. “My shadows encase it like a fist. Delaying its decay by slowing,sometimes freezing the heartbeats. Without them, every beat summons death.”

Everything froze.

Alora stared, unblinking. Mulling over every word for fear she heard him correctly. But the echoes continued in his silence. Replaying every tick of his tongue and inflection of the language she fully understood until she was certain of the words he spoke.

She blinked, clearing her burning eyes. “Bring them back.” Not recognizing her breathless voice.

“Alora—”

“Bring them back.” No longer begging, this time, she snarled it and ripped from his arms to stand.

He just laid there …laid therelike it meantnothing.

“A few moments will not kill me?—”

“Every. Beat,” she silenced him with a tongue as sharp as broken glass. Everything caved in, came crashing down as her arms began to tremble. Something like venom burned in her veins as she balled her fists and dug her foot into the ground. Stepping forward, snarling, “Every damn beat, you bastard.Every starsdamned beat!” Tears flooded over her eyes, a dam bursting, offering up every rush of panic cresting within her.

Garrik was on his feet within a breath. Holding up his hands, yielding to her pleas with concern pulled taut across his face. “Alora?—”

But she couldn’t hear him speaking anymore. Wouldn’t. She refused to listen. Nothing would matter until his shadows returned. Until they stopped the one thing she couldn’t admit she dreaded happening the most. And for such a simple, meaningless thing as hershivering?How could the wisest being, the Lord of Minds, be so incrediblyfoolish?

“Please,” Alora cried. “Bring them back.” Sobs wracked her chest. Air became difficult to take in. Flames flickered across hershoulders and down her arms. Burning embers ignited in hands she flung to her face to cover her embered eyes.

She may have been shivering before, but now … Now she couldn’t stop the unbearable heat.

It was too hot.

Her flames wouldn’t stop roaring.

She couldn’t breathe… Couldn’t breathe… Couldn’t?—

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