Page 22 of Forged By Heart and Claws
I lay on the cold stone, my body trembling as blood loss fogged the edges of my mind.
My wedding dress clung to me once again, the shimmering silk torn and stained, the delicate lace dark with blood. A symbol of the bond I’d been willing to fight and bleed for.
Now it was soaked in proof that I had. Somehow, it had survived the transition from my wolf form back to human. I'dnever seen anything like it, and I was grateful to not be naked, even if I didn't understand how this was possible.
One of Vad’s wings curled around me, shielding me from the others as he slid an arm under my back. “Easy,” he murmured, voice rough with unleashed fury. “You’re safe. Just breathe.”
But beyond him, the door rattled again. This time, it buckled inward a little.
Quen hissed. “They’re almost through!”
Vad’s gaze flicked to mine. “Then we move with her.”
He lifted me gently, like he could shield me from the worst of it with just his touch.
The pain still lingered—sharp in my side, raw in my shoulder—but dulled enough for my vision to clear.
I lay on my back, breath sawing in and out, head cradled by Vad’s arm. Then I saw the three bolts he’d removed. The bitter tang of iron clung to the back of my throat.
Vad’s wing curled tighter around us. “Easy. Deep breaths.”
I forced one in, slow and steady, then rasped, “You need stitches. And Yuki—her bandage came loose.”
His jaw flexed. “Vyraetos is with her. What doyouneed?”
A fist pounded against the door. “Come out now!”
The next blow cracked the frame.
Veralt stormed back, dragging a heavy couch from a side room and slamming it in front of the entry. “Feck off, all of you!”
“I can move now,” I said, bracing my hand against the floor. “Let’s bind what we can.”
Vad helped me upright, and the movement sent a fresh wave of nausea roiling through me. Blood was still pouring down his side. With a grunt of pain, he tore the bolt free. Blood gushed out. I ripped a strip from the ruined hem of my gown and tied it tight around his ribs, anchoring the fabric with shaking fingers.
Then I pushed to my feet and stumbled toward the alcove.
Thalira held Yuki’s hand and rubbed it slowly.
The bandage on Thalira's shoulder had bled through completely, saturating the linen until it clung to her skin. Her dark complexion had taken on a waxy sheen, and her palms, once warm and steady, were now pale and trembling.
But it was Yuki who stole the breath from my lungs.
Her skin had gone nearly gray. Lips tinged blue. Glassy eyes half-lidded and unfocused. “Cold,” she murmured, voice slurring, barely audible.
Panic clutched my throat.
How was she crashing this fast? She hadn’t run. Hadn’t fought. Hadn’t done anything to cause this kind of blood loss.
I reached for Thalira’s hands and recoiled at how cold they were. “Quen,” I called over my shoulder, “bring one of the lamps. Get Thalira warm—avoid her wounds, no rubbing. Just hold the heat close.”
They were both freezing.
A chill settled into my bones, a cold I knew had nothing to do with air temperature.Do we have blankets where we’re going?
Vad plucked the bolt from his wing with a wince and slid it into the pocket of his surcoat.We’ll grab more as we go.Concern bled through the bond, sharp and jagged when his gaze flicked to Yuki and Thalira. He didn’t say what I already felt in my gut.
I turned back to them.I’ll get blankets.
