Page 117 of Elora and the Crow

“Ronin can’t die,” Bren said, desperation in his voice. “At least take him with you.”

“Do you know for certain that magic can’t kill you?” Elora asked Ronin.

Ronin hesitated before shaking his head. Bren ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. “He has been shot in the head, Elora, and come back to life.”

“Magic is different,” Elora said. “It could kill him, Bren.”

She glanced at her watch before taking a deep breath. “We have to go.”

“No,” Bren said. He glanced at Kaida before stepping closer to Elora. “I’m sorry, Elora, but I am not letting you and Jonah do this alone. I’m going with you, and you can’t stop me.”

Her bottom lip trembling, Elora pulled Bren into a tight hug. She leaned back and stared up at him, blinking back the tears. “I love you, Bren.”

He smiled at her with relief. “I love you too, Elora.”

She swiped at the tears on her face before placing her hand on his chest. “I’m sorry.”

She spoke an incantation, her voice barely audible in the room.

Bren frowned. “What are you -”

“By my power, flame and flower, I bind you to your one true love,” Elora said.

The magic surged within her, and her hand pressing against Bren’s chest glowed bright blue.

Bren sucked in a harsh breath, taking a step back and staring at his chest. “What did you do?”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, taking Jonah’s hand before studying the others in the room, her gaze lingering on Cece’s face before returning to Bren’s. “We’ll see you soon.”

She and Jonah started toward the foyer, and Bren went after them. He grunted with surprise when his body stopped abruptly. He stared at Elora. “What did you do to me?”

“I’ve bound you to your true love,” she said.

Bren turned to stare at Kaida, who crossed the room and took his hand.

“You won’t be able to get more than five feet from her,” Elora said. “But the spell won’t last more than a day, Bren.”

“You used your magic on me,” he said, his face slack with shock.

“I had no choice,” she said. “I love you, buddy.”

Her stomach churning, she stared up at Jonah. “Ready?”

He nodded, and they left the room without looking back.

* * *

Holding Elora’s hand,Jonah skirted around a fallen log, his boots kicking up little puffs of snow with every step. The snow was calf deep, and he could feel the wetness sinking into his pants. Elora’s cheeks were red with the cold, and he squeezed her gloved hand. “We’re almost there. The old mill is just around the river’s bend.”

She studied the river to the left of them. A wide blue ribbon winding through the forest, the current was too strong and fast for it to freeze completely, but chunks of ice floated across the top of it. It stole Jonah’s heat just looking at it, like an icy caress across his flesh.

Elora stopped and turned toward him. “It’s time. Unzip your jacket.”

He unzipped his jacket, his skin prickling as the cold seeped into his t-shirt. Elora tugged off her glove, pressing her hand against his chest.

He covered her hand with his own. “Maybe you shouldn’t do this.”

She frowned at him. “You are not fighting Malencia without a protection spell, Jonah.”

---