Page 45 of Forged By Heart and Claws
Heat flooded my chest, the warmth expanding until I thought I might burst. “When this is all over, we need to find a place where no one can find us. Where we can justbe. At least for a little while.”
A low chuckle rumbled through him, vibrating into my bones. He whispered, “I agree, my love.”
He kissed me again, then stepped back and sighed.
I understood that sigh. It was time.
Sliding off the crate, I cleaned up as best I could. One of the nearby chests held waterskins, bandages, and healing salves. A full bath would have been nice, but this would do for now.
“Well.” I brushed hair away from my face and wrung out a damp cloth. “Time to return to all our cares and responsibilities, Shadow Vaddy.”
Vad froze mid-motion. His head cocked, and his expression twisted between horror and reluctant amusement. “What did you just call me?”
“Shadow Vaddy.” I twirled the cloth like a lasso before tossing it into the crate. “It’s an Earth thing.”
He grunted, unimpressed. “My name is Vad. Not Vaddy.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “I’ll be certain to remember that the next time we fight.”
When I began to gather my wedding dress, it came apart in my hands, separating into multiple garments. A slim, pale lavender slip slid free. Interesting. When I’d first worn it, the fabric had wrapped around me seamlessly, forming a full ensemble, including undergarments, corset, overskirt, and shoes. Now it seemed to have separated into individual garments, as if the magic had begun to unravel.
I held the slip. It resembled a sturdy sundress and was far more practical for movement than a full gown. The outer layers pooled at my feet, still blood-speckled but hauntingly beautiful.
Fate had made this for me. And the shoes were some of my favorites. They still saidShadow Queenon the bottom.
Vad pushed his long, dark waves out of his face. A contemplative smile spread as he watched me. “Part of me resents that this is where we finally consummated our marriage. I wanted to spoil you, feed you the finest delicacies of my kingdom, and wrap you in silks and velvets. But here we are.”
I tied my hair back with a strip of white cloth from the crate. “So long as I’m with you, I don’t care where we are. Though I wouldn’t say no to a hot meal that wasn’t that broth Vyraetos was making.”
“Soldier stew. It’s his specialty.” He picked up his torn shirt and pulled it on.
I lifted a brow. “Made out of actual soldiers?”
He snorted. “Probably best not to inquire too much on the ingredients. It tastes like shit, but it’ll keep you standing when you have nothing else.” Vad pressed his lips together. “Our next focus should be clothing. We need armor, at least leather. Anything's better than nothing at all.”
“What about the clothing we found in the Healing Hall?” I smoothed the slip down my thighs and glanced at the discarded robes we’d scavenged earlier.
“Better than the wedding dress.” He winked
I opened my mouth to reply when a scream tore through the air.
One of terror, not pain.
It came from the gathering room.
Something was wrong.
CHAPTER 10
Briar
Vad and I burst in…and froze.
Pure chaos filled the gathering room. The stench of blood slammed into me, making my stomach twist.
Two of the walls had split open at two points of the chamber, the jagged black gashes pulsing. The openings throbbed like infected wounds seeping straight through the stone. Shadow spilled from them like smoke…and several wolves stalked the room.
Shadow beasts,Vad linked to me, his own panic bleeding into mine as he grabbed a sword.
