Page 80 of Fated or Knot

“And while we walk, perhaps you could fill me in on a few things?” he suggested.

“I can try.”

“Let’s get started, then, shall we?” he said in his gentle way. I sighed, taking in the sense of calm wafting off him, and nodded. I shouldn’t have been so gruff with Thalas. He only wanted to be with his mate, too.

He flew up and retrieved Kauz first, the two of them landing in a less-than-graceful tangle of extra limbs. My brother’s skin was ashen. I checked under his eyelids and…yes, he was that depleted. The whites were showing. I rumbled a soft approval of his sacrifice before arranging his wings closed and picking him up with a grunt.

Thalas returned shortly afterward with Lark in his arms. “Here’s your omega. Look, just resting.” He stopped and angled her toward my left side. A sleep spell’s glitter trail crossed from her forehead to her lips.

P’nixie.

She had a new addition that my beast fixated on: the shadow of closed gills along the side of her neck. She could swim with me now, which meant we could forge a kelpie bond. My heart pounded hard in my chest at the idea. I’d give her my knot under the waves, as nature intended.

Inhaling, I caught the first hints of her natural scent returning, plus an extra sweet note.Estrus.Niall estimated it’d arrive in a couple days. Just being able to sense her impending heat was a terrible sign that had me looking at her wrist and doing a double take at the ruin of smeared ink that circled her forearm.

“Have you gotten a good enough look?” Thalas was asking. I blinked, becoming aware that I’d been staring at her quite fixedly for several minutes.

I nodded, and we started walking. The infirmary was at the center of the old fortress, now the heart of the extended palace and extra fortified. I avoided it unless absolutely necessary, as the sight and smell of it was enough to send me back almost two decades to the time I was trapped there in endless-seeming recovery.

“What happened to her arm?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s part of the phenomenon I was mentioning. Taking off the band unleashed so much magic at once that it warped all existing magic on and in her body. I imagine it’s harmless. A little ink remover will rub it out,” he said with a careless wave.

I released an uneasy growl. “She had a few charms…”

“I’ll reapply them for Kauz. He probably won’t be spinning any essence for weeks.” He shook his head. “Lovestruck lad. Both of you are, actually.”

I snuck another look at her cradled in his arms.P’nixie…

If only I hadn’t panicked this morning when I’d fought off my instincts to mark and claim Lark. I should’ve at least learned the taste of her lips instead of pushing her away…again.

“Now, what can you tell me about what’s going on?” he asked, taking me out of the loop of regrets that threatened to choke me.

“Do you remember Mother taking a godchild to her nest?”

The specks of light in his eyes flickered. “Of course. Sweet Dorei’s baby girl. They’re both resting in the stars now. The girl had traits of both a pixie and…” He drifted off. “No, it can’t be.”

“It is. You’re holding her right now,” I confirmed. “Theodred and Fal are questioning her abuser as we speak. The rest of Pack Serian is listening in.”

“My bonus girl. I didn’t even realize,” he murmured.

I was in the process of telling him about the vow Cymora broke and the memories Lark might be stuck in when Tormund finally found us. He angled for Thalas, and I shouldered into the way, placing Kauz into his outstretched arms.

“But…” he protested.

“I need to be the greedy one right now,” I told him.

He must’ve checked our pack bond, because he didn’t argue too much. I didn’t hide the relief that rushed through me when I took her back into my arms. She was light and fragile as ever, but as long as I held her, she was safe. Bands of black and silver essence were woven around her right foot, obscuring what it looked like now that that awfulolcanuswas removed. There’d be time enough to inspect her wounds later.

“Well, as I was saying,” Thalas said once the three of us were back in motion. “I’ll check in with Kauz and Lark in their dreams tonight. He will help her with her memories, but if the situation is severe enough, I will keep them under for extra time. As many days as it will take for her to wake with her psyche intact.”

Niall didnotlike the idea of her staying asleep during her heat and raged and clawed in my head. I thought maybe it’d be for the best to get her through what she’d kept bottled up for four years.

“…with your mother,” Thalas was saying while I fought to keep my internal war a private one.

“Bye, Father,” Tormund replied.

Oh, he was leaving. “Thank you,” I murmured.

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