Page 77 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Thatwould be worse than death. And she wouldn’t let him go there alone.

He would never doanythingalone ever again.

For long moments, Alora stood there, digging her thumb into Soulstryker. Into Blood’s empty encasing as thousands of embers from camp floated into dusk’s sky behind her.

To this day, watching Garrik train with his sword mesmerized her. She stood on a hill overlooking him, concealed in the cover of a redwood tree.

They would dawn to Kadamar within the week.

That should have scared her. Instead, excited anticipation burned in her blood.

In preparation, she’d met with Jade to train in this very spot. To learn Kadamarian tactics and strategy because going into enemy territory being anything less than prepared would likely see them killed.

Jade didn’t seem to mind practicing throwing daggers outside the shield. The arena had been so full lately, and Jade was always ready to let loose a little pent-up aggression. This made the perfect spot.

Alora scratched a thick piece of bark off the tree she leaned on and noticed the way Garrik’s abdominal muscles rippled under his tunic as the bark fell from the dagger mark she’d left in the tree.

She barely registered that it had fallen onto the grass. Not when he spun around and sunk his blade into a shadowed figure. Then three more. Not wheneverymuscle then rippled when he continued into a series of maneuvers that had him grunting with each perfectly placed thrust and glistening in sweat.

Clearly, she wasn’tonlyenjoying the northern breeze that disturbed her teal sweater.

Alora shook her head, drifted her careful evaluation to the endless forest surrounding them, and narrowed her mind in thought of when she had last touched him.

It didn’t seem real that only two dawns had passed. She’d fallen asleep in his arms the morning after his nightmares. But when she had woken, he had left, and she was inside her tent, still wearing his tunic. A pearlsea had rested on the pillow beside her, and she hadn’t possibly been able to do anything but smile at it.

Garrik’s peace.The flower had become hers too. Seeing it there. Knowing what they meant to him.

Perhaps it was better that way. She imagined if they had wandered from his tent together, questions would have arisen.

Garrik hadn’t spoken about that night or even the barn. Only side glances with that smile only Garrik could do. The only one that sent her heart aching to either punch him or turn away while ignoring the hole filling in her chest.

Alora crossed her arms and brushed a thumb over her chest to settle that quick ache.

The breeze whipped hair across her face, carrying his sweat-soaked leather and metal scent. She greedily breathed him in and closed her eyes to savor it before it blew away.

Unsure if she should stay, Alora shifted on her feet when Garrik’s gaze trailed up the hill and fell on her.

A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth—on his too—when she asked,Want some company?

Darkness tendriled around her. Whorling until the likeness of a hand brushed her cheek.

She leaned into it. Feeling the caressing touch as if it were his hand on her face.

And then, the shadows turned to an alluring mist of clouds, emptying her body of all feeling until she felt like nothingness. Smokeshadows merged with her and claimed her as their own, until she transformed from High Fae and was airless in the sky.

Like a bird soaring over the valley, Alora floated, glimpsing dusk falling darker over the horizon.

Though her eyes found a more enchanting sight.

That soft smile, even weightless, beamed on her face when her boots hovered mere feet above the grass before him. The shadows breezed around her and misted away, dancing in puffs of smoke and ash around her body that returned to her born form.

Then she was falling.

A shrill shriek tore from her throat in time for her High Prince’s arms to catch her. He dropped her feet to the grass before he moved.

Then Garrik twisted her around and dipped her low, like they were dancing. Hand on her waist and arm around her shoulders as her back arched. Sharing breath, a smirk, the one that irritated her wholly, rose up the side of his face, and she resisted the urge to slap it away.

The mighty bastard.Even with the half-hearted curse, still, a smile played on her face.

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