Page 79 of In the Blood

I was in a daze, watching the two men fight for breath. Their faces turned red, then purple. “I-I’m fine. Just a bit disoriented. I was struck in the head.” I felt the side of my skull where a large lump was forming.

Raf’s response to my answer was brutal and swift, blasting them with a stream of shadow so violent, they disintegrated before my eyes. In seconds, they were nothing more than black confetti, raining down on us. The wind blew our direction, and I felt it settle over my hair, my face.

I hunched over and vomited as my stomach involuntarily clenched in response. Raf was at my side immediately, but I jerked away from him when he made a move to pull back my hair.

I was trembling from shock by the time the other men arrived. Galen’s eyes were wild as he ran over to me. “What happened?” he demanded, frisking me for injuries. His gaze swept over the puncture marks as he examined me. I pushed away from him, needing space and a break from being manhandled.

“The two men from the village—the ones who were harassing Melisandre—they attacked me. I tried to fend them off with magic, but they were so fast… so much stronger than me.” My pulse ramped up, while my vision blurred, darkening around the edges. The brothers surrounded me, telling me to slow my breathing, to sit down, but before I could heed their advice, I fainted.

"Goldie, I’m so proud of you. You fought fiercely."I woke up to my mother’s voice, still fresh in my head. I gripped my necklace, glowing with heat, while I took in my surroundings. I blinked up at Galen as I realized his arms were wrapped tightly around me. He pulled my head into his chest, smothering me and kissing my temple.

“I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” he said as I peeled out of his arms.

“I’m fine. Let’s get on the road,” I muttered.

“You’re riding with me,” Galen said possessively. The other men began to disperse as he helped me onto Napoleon and tied our horses together. I put up no fight as he climbed behind me and tucked me against him, like I was a frail baby bird who’d fallen from the nest. It wasn’t far offfrom how I felt. I’d been disillusioned enough to believe I was a fledgling, growing flight feathers, nearly ready to soar… but instead, I’d nearly been killed by two starving faeries. Any confidence I’d built since arriving in Nymera had disintegrated with the males who’d nearly killed me.

“What happened? How many were there?” I asked, feeling grateful for the eternal fire that burned inside of Galen as I leaned into the safety of his arms.

“There was a group of four waiting to ambush anyone walking the path. They’re all dead now—true deaths. Desperate faeries who turned to crime, unfortunately.”

I stayed silent as I let myself ponder what could’ve happened if Rafael hadn’t come when he did. Training was going well; I’d been advancing quickly, but when the time had come to fight, I froze. I forgot to use my shields. It had happened so fast. And those men had been ready to take more than my magic.

“They deserved to die for what they did to you,” Galen continued. “But it’s always a shame… to lose a faerie. They’re under my rule, under my protection. Every time someone lashes out because they need magic, it’s a reminder that the Kingdom—that I—let them down.”

He tugged me closer, laying his large hand flat over my belly. “When you open a portal for us, you’ll stop their suffering. They won’t have to turn to crime. It’ll be a new era of peace.”

I bit my tongue, letting his words hang in the air. Was I misunderstanding him? Heat rose to my cheeks as I said, “You still expect me to open a portal for your entire Kingdom, even knowing what you know about the Elders? You think releasing one world onto another will bringpeace?”

“There will be an adjustment period, of course,” he said with an edge to his voice. “But yes, I think it’s the only way forward. We can try to break the curse when we get to Erador, but first and foremost, my people need magic. They needtheirhome world.”

My stomach sank. We really didn’t see eye to eye on this. Was he blinded by love for his people or did he simply not care aboutmine?

“It’sbloodthey need. I don’t want your mother and her council anywhere near the people of Erador.”

Galen’s body tightened around me as his tone turned combative. “We don’t have a choice.”

I peered around, making sure the rest of the group was still ahead of us and out of ear shot. “What if we just took a small party through to break the curse?Without their permission,” I whispered.

“Love…” he sighed. “I’d never risk your safety in that way. If they found out what you were suggesting—” He paused. “You were sent here to save us—to right the last walker’s wrongs. I know you’ll do the right thing—your bleeding heart is one of the things I love about you, after all.”

My entire body stiffened.I was trying to do the right thing. How could he not see that?Hot blood sloshed between my ears as I shrank within myself. My pulse was loud and angry.

lub-dub.

lub-dub.

lub-dub.

There was a gnarled knot in the center of our relationship. If we couldn’t untangle it, then it would destroy us—put us on opposite sides of a war that was starting to seem inevitable. We couldn’t continue to argue about this right now, not in a forest full of kindling. This was a conversation I couldn’t afford to screw up; Ihadto make him see my side.There was no other choice.

I swallowed it all; the frustration that roiled inside me, the nauseating fear of what this meant for our relationship, the hollow sadness of feeling misunderstood. It stung as much as it ached. I loved him. I didn’t want to lose him, but I wouldn’t bow to his Queen. I wouldn’t bow tohim.

“Marigold, are you alright?” Galen asked, squeezing my knee.

“Yes, sorry,” I rasped. “You’re right. Of course.” My mind continued to wander until the gentle rocking, combined with Galen’s sturdy presence, lulled me to sleep.

I awoke to rain pelting my face while a fierce wind whipped around us. Galen still had a firm grip on me, keeping me secured in the saddle. When I began to stir, he murmured, “Excellent timing. The others found a cave up ahead—we’ll be dry soon.”

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