Page 37 of Champion
“Of course, you’d be conceited, you bastard.” Affection played out over my expression in a grin. I could just hear him insisting he’d been right about the mate shit. I kissed him againfor good measure. “Just come back to me, okay… and you can be conceited all you want.”
Chapter 12 - Charick
Strange images filled my head… pain, blackness, and the sensation of my appendages no longer being my own. I felt heavy and disconnected, as though my body floated in the blackness unanchored.
The memory of the guard surged into my mind, bringing with it a searing pain that felt like my very soul had been ripped from my body. Malakal—make that the Zarpazian’s touch had felt like a vacuum, draining me of every last drop of strength. The agony of death was overwhelming, but the thought of what the Zarpazian would do to Willa using my form was even more excruciating.
Willa.
Her intoxicating scent seemed to permeate the air, enveloping me like a warm embrace. Through the inky darkness, I heard her sweet voice call out, beckoning me.
My mate.
Perhaps the goddess blessed me, allowing us to find each other in the afterlife. The thought of being with her again filled me with longing and a sense of peace that allowed me to relax into the darkness once more.
I faded in and out of consciousness, a never-ending cycle of blurred cognizance. The blackness was preferable, wakefulness was accompanied by a parched throat, aching muscles, and trembling weakness. My memory remained foggy,but I vaguely recalled something from the priestesses’ teachings about the afterlife being free from discomfort. Yet here I lingered, experiencing physical discomfort beyond anything I’d ever felt before—punishment for my sins, no doubt. The irony of it made me want to laugh, but I didn’t have the strength. Instead, I let myself drift back into the murky waters of unconsciousness and dreams of my mate.
I came to awareness again, conscious of a peculiar weight pressed against my side. It felt comforting, soft and warm against my skin. I shifted toward it instinctively. A warm, sweet brush of air caressed my chest, carrying with it the alluring scent of Willa’s perfume. I could almost imagine her lying beside me.
The thought of seeing her, even if it was only a dream, was too much to resist, and I forced my heavy eyelids open. The world around me was a blur, and it took several minutes of blinking before I managed to focus.
Willa.
My mate lay peacefully at my side, her luscious breasts rhythmically rising and falling with each breath. I let my gaze travel over her body, my chest flooding with relief as she appeared unharmed. Taking stock of myself, despite the fact that my entire body felt as weak as a newborn youngling, I realized the only bandage present wrapped around my forearm where the Zarpazian made contact. The wound throbbed with a dull ache, but it could have been worse. Much worse. Slowly grasping images from the fog swirling in my brain, I pieced together the events leading up to this moment.
Somehow, I survived the Zarpazian’s touch. Even more important, Willa survived. A wave of relief pushed away the pain pulsating through my body. Death might still wait for us beyond this room, but for now, all that mattered was that we were together and alive.
Exactlywherewere we together and alive?
The room seemed unfamiliar to me, yet another one housed in the cold stone buildings scattered throughout the pit. The air was thick with the scent of herbs, reminding me of days spent in the countryside. Through the single small window on the opposite wall, rays of sunlight filtered through, signaling that it was still early morning. The golden light illuminated the dust particles dancing in the air, giving the room a mystical quality.
As peaceful as my surroundings seemed, they were unknown. With the Zarpazian after my mate, it was imperative we did not linger anywhere that might prove indefensible. The urgency to protect Willa flooded through me, and I futilely attempted to shift my body into action. Gritting my teeth, muscles tense and painful, I fought the invisible force holding me immobile. Finally, my arms acquiesced to my control in a jerky motion, jostling the female at my side.
Willa woke with a jolt, her eyes snapping open and widening at finding me conscious.
“Oh, my God.” She whispered the words as tears welled in her eyes. The next thing I knew, she lay over my chest, arms wrapped tightly around my neck. Her soft lips placed frantic kisses over my face in tandem with whispering my name over and over. I felt her heartbeat against my chest, a rapid rhythm that matched the pounding of my own. My arms moved, although feeling like someone had tied stones around my wrists. I still managed to slip an arm around her waist, pulling her close. I held her tight, letting her touch and kiss heal me more assuredly than any known medicine. Yet, as enticing as the thought of lingering in bed with her, there was too much danger.
“Willa, my heart, we must go.” Despite the urgency, my legs proved hesitant to move.
“Go?” Willa raised her head, frowning at me. Her tear-stained face and red eyes were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. “You can’t go anywhere. You almost died last night.”
I flexed the arm I held around Willa’s waist, wincing at the lingering sting that coursed through my muscles. Weakness ruled my body, causing me to grit my teeth in frustration. Where was Adtovar? How could he leave Willa unguarded? Unless... had the elder warrior fell prey to the Zarpazian as well?
“That’s why we need to go,” I insisted. I would ask after Adtovar later. “I need to get you somewhere safe from the Zarpazian.”
Willa placed her hands on my chest, keeping me prone. Her physical strength surprised me, even more than my own weakness. My limbs felt like lead weights, no match for her determination.
“I don’t need to hide,” she insisted when I gave up and relaxed against the mattress.
“Willa, my heart, I applaud your bravery,” I told her, brushing a lock of silky hair from her cheek. “But we need to move before the Zarpazian can find you.”
“Yeah? Well, it’s a little too late for that,” my mate snorted and grinned.
“What?” I faltered. I didn’t think we were dead, but perhaps so, and the Goddess blessed us with the ability to spend the afterlife together in this place. As eternity went, it wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst either, especially with Willa by my side.
No.
My body felt much too real and fragile despite the way Willa settled against my chest, her dark blue eyes shimmering as she gazed at me.
