Page 51 of Ties of Starlight

Frode had reached his bow.

A third arrow.

The elf fell to his knees.

The captain and his guards surrounded Idonea and Nyrunn. Right. They had an archer too. Frode ran up, leading his horse by the reins, bow in hand. Asa was with one of the guards, clutching the dagger Idonea had given her with a shaking hand and a ghostly countenance.

“Your Majesty—”

“I know, we’re going now! Both of us!” Nyrunn sheathed his sword.

Idonea tried to get her arms under her, but they weren’t moving as quickly as she wanted them to. She hissed, the arrowhead in her shoulder tearing through more of her.

“Idonea, come on—” Nyrunn grabbed her and started to pull her up. Idonea screamed as the sharp pain returned and her vision vanished.

A gasp ripped through the air and something clattered to the ground.

“Idonea!” Hands were on her, but she couldn’t figure out where. All she could feel was something digging into her ribs, clawing at her.

She furiously blinked as another agonized grunt fell from her lips. She looked down to see a hilt sticking out of her ribs. Nyrunn’s arms were around her.

She hadn’t dodged that first dagger then.

Now she was about to die in Nyrunn’s arms almost the same way she had died in Bror’s. Maybe when she came back and remembered all of this there’d be some kind of lesson in it. Maybe this was a consequence of her actions. She’d killed two people. Maybe she needed to die twice for it. Or maybe this was just some great cosmic irony.

Dying because she’d saved the life of her killer’s nephew? Was someone out there laughing at her?

She muttered, “Huh. Not quite the same spot though.”

Now that would have been ironic.

Then a flood of emotions slammed into her, ripping a gasp from her throat.

Her vision cleared as she started hyperventilating, but the panic causing it wasn’t hers. Nyrunn was holding her one second, then he was gone the next.

She reached with a shaking hand for her burning side. Another hand caught hers and stopped it in its tracks.Frode’s voice was in her ear then. “Don’t touch it. You’ll only make it worse.”

She laughed and a heavy metallic taste flooded her mouth. “I’m dying, Frode. It can hardly get worse.”

Then he was picking her up. Another wave of pain ripped through her and she cried out. She was blinded by it, screwing her eyes shut as she huffed for every breath. Another pair of arms wrapped around her, and she was propped up against a warm chest, legs hanging off the edge.

“You’re not dying.”

Idonea blinked her eyes open to see Nyrunn holding her, Frode’s horse under them, reins in his other hand. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Frode scrambling up behind one of the other guards.

“Nyrunn, I know what dying feels like. I’m something of an expert at it.” She laughed again, more blood spilling past her lips. “Maybe… Maybe you’ll live long enough I’ll at least see you again?”

The captain whistled and they took off, racing through the skirmish of arrows flying from both sides. Idonea hissed as another wave of white-hot pain tore through her as Nyrunn kicked their horse into a gallop. She grabbed at his shirt, clenching her fist, partially from pain and partially to keep from falling off.

With the hand holding her, he pulled her even closer, curling around her and shielding her as they galloped.

“You think you get to die after I finally get you to start using my name?” His voice was low and ragged. “Come on, little lily, are you really going to let the Moon Elves be the cause for your death again?”

“That’s not how it works,” Idonea whispered.

“I don’t care. Hold on, just a little longer. That’s an order.” He looked down and locked eyes with her. “I’m notletting you go. I’m not waiting another two hundred and fifty years just to watch you do this again. You’re staying with me. Do you hear me?”

“Nyrunn…” Idonea’s voice faltered.

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