Page 53 of Scorched By Fate

Above us, the shadow of the third Ignarath loomed closer, circling lower with clipped strokes of his massive wings. I swore under my breath. There was no way even Khorlar, as powerful as he was, could hold both of them off.

Vyne's opponent was backing off, shredded scales a testament to Vyne’s vicious efficiency—but he was bleeding too, favoring one side. Exhaustion was clear in every movement.

Another growl, closer this time, pulled my attention back down to Khorlar. He had already turned his focus on the second Ignarath. I started to move forward, ready to throw myself into the fray—stupid or not, I couldn't just stand there—but the granite wall of a warrior didn’t need my help.

Khorlar stepped into the attack. He ducked low under a sloppy, rage-fueled swipe, then drove his fist upward with explosive force into the Ignarath’s exposed underbelly. The sound that followed was visceral, sickening—the crunch ofscaled flesh and bone against the impact of volcanic strength. I winced, despite myself.

The blue Ignarath stumbled back, a mangled roar tearing from his throat, his wings twitching spasmodically as he jerked upward in a desperate attempt to retreat. Blood marred his once-pristine scales, leaving crimson streaks dripping in his wake, the volcanic air carrying the acrid scent of his pain and labored breathing before it all faded into the relative silence.

The ridge stilled.

I stayed frozen where I stood, my knife still clutched tightly in one hand, every nerve screaming for me to act, to react, todosomething. But there was nothing left to do. The Ignarath were gone—either dead or retreating—and we were, miraculously, still alive.

Vyne landed behind me with a heavy thud, the turbulence of his wings stirring up a cloud of ash and dust around our feet. His breathing was steady, if strained, but I could see the tightness in his jaw, the almost imperceptible stiffness in the set of his shoulders. He was injured, no question, though he didn’t give me a moment to ask, to assess.

“Hurt?” His voice was sharp, his concern settling on me. His gaze swept me from head to toe, his eyes narrowing when they caught on the shallow cut along my arm and the way my chest still heaved with exertion, each breath a ragged reminder of how close we'd come.

“I'm fine,” I said quickly, waving off his concern with a dismissive flick of my wrist as I swiped the back of my hand across my dirt-streaked brow. “Nothing a shower wouldn’t fix. What about you?” I needed to know, needed to see for myself. I wanted to throw myself at him, wrap my arms around him and never let go.

This thing between us was more than just lust. If I had more than a second to think about it, I might even call it … No. There was no time. Not now.

Fuck it. I reached out and brushed my fingers against his arms, that little contact all I could allow, one little point of contact all there was to assure me he was still there, still alive.

It wasn’t enough.

I wasn’t sure if I imagined him leaning into my touch for just a second.

“Not relevant.” He shifted his focus, his gaze moving to Reika, who had pressed herself as far back into the nearest rock wall as she could get, her bruised and battered frame trembling in the aftermath. Her wide eyes flicked frantically between me, Vyne, and Khorlar, as though she couldn't decide which of us was the bigger threat.

“Reika.” My voice softened, my knife slipping back into its sheath with a practiced flick. I crouched down near her, careful to keep my movements slow and non-threatening. “Hey. You okay? It’s over. We’re alright.”For now.I kept the last bit to myself.

She didn’t respond at first, her gaze locked on Khorlar with an intensity that spoke volumes. He still stood silently amidst the wreckage, a stoic, unmoving sentinel, radiating an aura of contained power.

Slowly, her trembling fingers loosened their death grip on the shard of volcanic glass she still clutched. Her breathing hitched, then steadied, her arms dropping heavily into her lap as if the weight of them had suddenly become too much to bear.

I exhaled heavily, a slow release of tension that had been mounting up throughout the fight—hell, ever since we’d left Scalvaris. Progress, even if she wasn’t going to accept it yet.

Khorlar’s raspy voice, devoid of any emotion, finally broke the heavy silence that had settled over us. “There’ll be more. We need to move.”

He was right, of course. If their scouts didn’t report back, reinforcements would follow. And they would be even more determined, more cruel.

Vyne was a steadying force despite the lingering adrenaline still crackling through my system. “We can’t keep going like we have,” he said, his gaze flicking between Reika and me, calculating. “We need to fly.”

Reika stiffened immediately, her head snapping up to meet my gaze, a flicker of renewed panic in her eyes. “No,” she croaked, the sound small and broken, filled with a deep-seated terror. “He’ll … he’ll drop me. He’ll hurt me. He’ll?—”

I was about to give her reassurances that I had no way of backing up when Khorlar came up to kneel in front of her. He held out a clawed hand. "I swear on my life you will be safe." His voice was rumbly. "I have never once dropped someone. I will not today."

I thought she might scream, might cower. She looked at Khorlar like he might grow a second head. She blinked rapidly, her chest heaving with shallow, unsteady breaths. For a long, agonizing moment, I thought her fear would win. But then, her lips parted, and a soft, wavering, “Okay,” escaped.

Thank you, universe, for small favors.

It took longer than I’d have liked to coax her away from the relative safety of the wall, but eventually, she moved closer, her steps stiff and reluctant, carrying her toward Khorlar.

He growled softly, a low rumble, his wings tilting as he crouched down to better position Reika against his broad, scaled frame. Her trembling hands clutched at his arms, her knuckles white as she adjusted to the unfamiliar sensation of being supported, of trusting a Drakarn.

With a powerful thrust of his legs, Khorlar launched himself into the air.

I stepped into Vyne's arms, and he did the same.

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