Page 250 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

“When did you?” he asked.

She dropped her hands to his knees; he was glad for the contact. Alora rubbed his leathers, pulsing warmth in his numb legs, and answered so cautiously, it was as if she never truly intended on saying it. “After you returned from Brennus’s camp. In … in your shower.” She swallowed hard.

“Back when you wanted to see me naked.”

A wet slap smacked his battle leathers on his thigh. “You’re impossible,” she snapped but laughed sincerely as he pulled her to straddle his lap.

Alora brushed her fingers in his wet hair, not entirely clean but enough that he did not suffer the memory of that damned glass crown anymore.

Her eyes softened, and she placed a tender kiss to his lips before angling away to survey his face. “Promise me you won’t hide anything from me. That when you need to break, I am yourstronghold. That you’ll come to me even if I’m broken too.” She brushed hair from his face, meaning every word.

He resisted the urge to rub his tightening chest and looked into her enchanting eyes. As hard as it was, Garrik promised, “I will, Alora.” Saying her name, the only name, the only one he wanted to run to. The only one who would ever know everything. The one he promised, with that ring, to giveeverything.And said it again, lifting her hand, that ring full of Smokeshadows, “I promised you everything. Every part of me. I will not break it.”

Taking her palm, Garrik placed it over his heart—over the mark that belonged to Alora—and kissed her. Like a brand to skin, the searing promise of his lips against hers was sealed and sealed again.

Garrik gripped her at her thighs and stood, toweling her legs around his waist before he walked the short distance to the Wall and pressed her against the ice. Wisps of steam drifted from behind her body as warmth and fire met ice.

His hips ground into her as his tongue parted her, tasting her fully, devouring like he had the last morning in his bedchamber?—

“Get away from the Wall!” Miwa shouted, running for them. “Alora, don’t touch—stop!”

But it was too late.

Something like freezing lightning shot through her, into him as … as Alora’s palm flattened on the ice.

Before it melted around her hand.

Before it shattered a hole in the Wall.

Power, great considerable power, smelling of the first breath of winter, thrummed around them. Crisp, clean air and frost entwined with the earthy scent of woodsmoke and evergreens. Evoking memories of her father’s embrace. Of her mother’s kiss like the winter breeze.

Alora was on her back. Garrik had toppled over her and jumped to his feet.

The impenetrable wall—they were on the other side of it.

Then Thalon was too. Aiden. Jade. Ghost and Storm and Ezander—healed. Completely healed.

Garrik helped Alora to her feet, both surveying the Wall.

A lethal calm swept over Miwa’s face. She stepped inside the opening, brushing her hand along the ice closing behind her. Those amber eyes flashed from Alora to Garrik. Her face fell ashen at the sight of him. “You shouldn’t be here.” That calm snapped, and she snarled like a slap to his face, “You shouldn’t be here.”

Alora stepped away when the ground pulsed. When itbreathed.Beneath their feet, like lungs expanding and retracting, like ripples in a lake.

Miwa cursed, and then she started shaking.

Garrik had his sword extended. Thalon scanned the hills—bright with melting snow and grass in the distance—while Jade readied her daggers with Aiden by her side.

And Ezander… He was looking at his hands. Flexing them like he’d never seen them before. Confusion arranged with a touch of wonder covered his face when the ground pulsed again. Only that wasn’t a pulse. The earth wasn’t truly alive.

Those weren’t natural-born tremors.

Those were?—

Not one of them didn’t gape. Staring into the beautiful faces of seven white lions.

All monstrous and thickly muscled, with glistening snowy fur and even brighter manes. And as the center one stepped forward, sharp teeth snarling under its curled lip, Alora glimpsed its rider.

Her half-shaved white hair was flipped majestically to one side, disturbed by a chilling wind. Ice-blue eyes burned into Alora, adorned in white-gold armor and a fluttering white cloak.

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