Page 72 of A Soul to Guide

He was big, scary, and he’d already killed multiple Demons while protecting her. Now that she was mentally prepared for such a situation, it didn’t feel as daunting.

Just as the wind picked up in velocity, the rain constantly pitter pattering against his cloak, Merikh turned them. The chilly wind rolled in behind them and fluttered their cloaks forward as he brought them into a dry space.

The ground was smooth rock beneath the soles of her feet. Even though it was cold, it was dry.

She could just make out her breaths echoing against the cave walls, informing her it was small but had plenty of room to move around.

“Make a barrier at the entry,” Merikh demanded.

Raewyn came out of his cloak and patted the entryway with her hands. She shook her head.

“It’s all rock. Unless there’s a living component, I can’t make anything grow.”

There was a small pause, one that only highlighted how deeply he thought.

“Then I will need your arm.”

There was something about his tone that had Raewyn cupping her forearm and huddling both arms to her chest. “Why?”

“I can make a shield, but something must be sacrificed.”

“You want to cut off my whole arm?!”

“What?” he said with a concerned inflection in his voice, like what she’d asked was preposterous. “No. Bloody hell... Raewyn, why would that be your first thought? I just need a little bit of your blood, as my own doesn’t work. I must make the shield for someone else.”

“Oh,” she rasped, her ears flattening as she fidgeted in embarrassment. “Sorry. I’m just a little frazzled.”

She was cold, tired, and in a dark cave that probably housed many Demons that could return at any time. He’d never stated if there was a nest, but she had a funny feeling there might be.

Stepping towards him, Raewyn presented her arm. “Won’t the smell of blood bother you?”

He gripped her wrist and turned her arm face up. “I’ll hold my breath and then take your wounds to stop the bleeding. As long as you wash it away, it will be fine.”

With no warning, probably to save her from fretting over the oncoming pain, a claw stabbed into her forearm and drew down. Raewyn stifled her wince when her arm burned from the pain.

He turned her arm back over to let it bleed into his palm. Once he’d collected enough, he healed her skin, and it was as though she hadn’t just been cut open. There wasn’t even a scar marring her.

Raewyn noticed a bright red light form before it became a transparent red dome she could see. It never faded, the magic semi-permanent for now, and was bigger than she’d thought it would be.

There was a star crossing over the entire dome, with two lines that went all the way around it with more stars. It did nothing to keep the rain out, but when Raewyn touched it, she couldn’t pass.

It wasn’t a ward, but a shield that kept anyone from entering or exiting it. It likely wasn’t strong, probably temporary. Depending on how long they were here, she bet she would need to give more of her blood to reform it.

Raewyn washed her arm with the water coming through the shield and into the cave. He came up beside her to wash his hands of her blood scent.

Then, Raewyn turned to escape the howling wind and rain, shivering as she rubbed her arms for warmth. Although she wasn’t getting wet anymore, this wasn’t much better.

“Can you make a fire?” he asked, and she once more shook her head.

“I’m too cold to cast any kind of flame or heat magic. It comes from within.”

He let out a long, exasperated sigh. “You’d be utterly useless in a blizzard.”

Raewyn lifted her chin at him. “Well, can you? Or will you require something else from me, like my hair or heart this time?”

“No, I can’t ‘cast’ fire, but I can use tools to make it. You’re lucky there’s a nest here. The wood is dry and old, perfect for burning.”

Oh, thank goodness!She was freezing her boobs off!

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