Page 86 of Ecliptic

“You take Maddock,” I countered.

“Are you fighting over who gets to keep me?” Maddock said excitedly, a grin spreading across his face. “It’s just like my childhood.”

“Please,” Rowen said, his eyes softening as his broad hands gripped my shoulders. “You will need to infuse the Ever-burn with your Light. That is no small task. Let Madds help you.”

I nodded. “Fine. I’ll keep him, but please be safe.”

“I will,” he promised.

I didn’t want to leave Rowen, especially after such a vicious battle, but reality was setting in like a chill in my lungs. It was a half-day’s journey back to the village on foot. If Maddock and I astral traveled, we could save precious time.

“I’ll see you tonight,” I promised, knowing it was the smartest decision.

Rowen stepped toward me and pulled me in for a kiss. I tasted the sweat and blood upon his face, a reminder of how close we’d come to losing each other today. I wished I could revel in his kiss forever, vanish in the plume of his scent, but time was of the essence. “I hate to leave you,” I murmured against his lips, and as I pulled back, I noticed Rowen’s hands were rubbed raw from the rope, and his knuckles and wrists were marred with lesions and blood. “You’re hurt.”

“It is nothing. I will take care of it,” Rowen said before turning to Madds. “Remember, her fate is your fate,”

“Yes, I remember,” Madds said with an eye roll. “Vividly.”

“Please be careful,” I begged again, hating the thought of splitting up, but we were out of options. I turned to Madds and grabbed his hand. “Whatever you do, don’t let go. We need to travel together. I don’t have time for you to get lost.”

“Got it, sparky,” Maddock said easily, shooting me another wink.

I glared at him.

“What?” he questioned with a shrug. “I can’t very well call youmy flame.”

“Absolutely not,” I shot back.

“See? So ‘sparky’ is better.”

I closed my eyes and tried to breathe in through my nose. “Believe me. It’s not.”

Rowen, who had been watching us, slid his gaze to Maddock. “Take care of her,” Rowen said, holding his stare with such gravity that it sent a chill down my spine.

“You know I’m not going to let anything hurt her,” he replied, matching Rowen’s tone.

“I swear to the Spirits if anything happens to her . . .” he said, his words laced with warning.

My eyes widened at the severity of his voice. When I first came to live with the Wyn elves, Nepta had appointed Rowen as my bodyguard—a role he accepted and would sacrifice his life for. The trust he had in Maddock to let him take over was nothing short of a miracle.

“Nothing will happen to her,” Maddock swore, never breaking eye contact with Rowen, his joking tone nowhere to be found. “You know how strong she is.”

“I do,” my soul flame said before his emerald eyes shot to me with gleaming intensity. “If he bothers you in any way, remember the three most sensitive kill-points I taught you.”

I smirked. “I will.”

Maddock squeezed my hand. His palm was warm and encompassed mine, and an odd mixture of security and guilt raced through my emotions.

I didn’t want to be alone with Maddock or be nice to him. It was easier to be cruel than acknowledge he held a piece of my soul flame bond, and that my feelings for Rowen were now attached to this man who had followed me across the universe.

“Pay attention and stay close,” I said, glancing at him over my shoulder. “You ready?”

He nodded, and together, our bodies became less corporal, but I could still feel his hand in mine—a grounding sensation in such an ethereal journey. And layer by layer of light, we began to astral travel.

The threads of the cosmos unfurled around us, an interwoven tapestry of light and energy.

Maddock walked through the dangling vines, his eyes wideand reflecting the shimmering strands around us. We were on the astral plane. Together.

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