Page 40 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Jade and Aiden were alive, tending to him.

Garrik’s feet hit the slope of land. With one arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders, he lifted her, convulsed, and shuddered. They had escaped the lake seconds before the surface froze behind his last step. His focus drifted across the glass, finding their friends safe.

To their horror, when he dared a step back on the ice, it cracked. Garrik cursed as his foot sunk through.

He pulled her closer to him. Ice shards forming against his armor and hers. “It will be some time before we can walk the lake,” Garrik said, forcing a swallow as ink swirled in his eyes.

Maybe we can walk around maybe?—

Garrik shook his head in answer.

She scanned the lake—the enormous lake, too wide to walk around in this storm.

Alora felt him go taut. Watched as he shook his head and cursed when only a small coil of Smokeshadows danced off his shoulder, then misted away.

They wouldn’t be dawning.

Garrik’s voice trembled the ground beneath them as he yelled across the lake, “Wait for us there,” and pointed.

Behind their friends, a small wooden structure sat within the trees. Aiden turned, finding the roof of the building peeking through the snow-bogged treetops.

Jade’s muffled agreement carried across the lake as she rolled the backpack from her shoulders and chucked it. Flying over the glassy lake at an impressive distance before it fell, the pack slid to where Garrik could reach and collect it.

The last they saw, Jade and Aiden pulled Thalon from the snow. Thalon, still limp and relaxed, had his arms slung over their shoulders while his feet created a path in the snow as they dragged behind.

They were safe. On their way to safety.

Garrik pulled her tighter to his chest, but she didn’t have the strength to cling to him.

Her eyes refused to stay open. Body shutting down from how drenched she was. At how the ice froze over her clothing, forming crystals on her skin. Alora glimpsed her hands. Corpse-like. Blue. So blue.

“Alora.” Garrik’s voice was hard, demanding. And there was worry there. “You must stay awake. I will get you out of this, butI need you tostay awake.” Not a suggestion. A command from the voice of her High Prince.

Those same ice shards turning her skin to glass turned his too.

He trembled. “Please stay awake…” Pleading now, no longer that hardened demand.

“I’m-m … s-so cold,” Alora stuttered.

“I know,” he breathed. “Stay awake for me, alright? Please.” His eyes. The panic.

Over and over, Garrik’s feet crushed through the heavy snow. Over and over, she felt her lungs shattering from the crystals forming inside.

A shower of snowflakes caused a thin layer to settle across her body and his hair and shoulders, and silver eyes never stopped panicking, while hers ruthlessly fought to remain open.

Corded arms pulled her impossibly closer.

Then Garrik’s voice cracked. “Don’t die, Alora. Please. Don’t?—”

She woke to heat.

And darkness—spanning above her to broken … rafters?

Yes, her eyes focused,that is a roof. A decrepit roof with glimpses of the winter sky and starlight between.

A pulse that wasn’t her own thumped against her warm cheek, and Alora focused on the incredible heat there as her senses fought to strengthen. Dreaming of how perfect the lazy circles massaging between her shoulder blades felt… Then she realized it wasn’t, in fact, a dream.

Thick fingers followed the dips of her sore muscles and bones. A calloused hand cupped the small of her back, an arm rested over her hip. And thosewerewarm, muscular legs intertwined with hers.

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