Page 44 of A Serenade To The Elf Queen
“Hiding is our only chance.” I drag Svenn into the dark opening. I pray all the running water is enough to mask our scent. If the demon is still blind from my attack, there’s a chance he might miss this entrance. We enter deeper into the narrow pocket.
“I know you’re in here!” The Ashmedai’s screech sounds so near, I’m sure he has entered the chamber. A tremor runs through the walls as the demon goes on an absolute rampage. He’ll destroy this place in no time.
“Keep going,” I mutter, ducking my head from the fallen rocks and pebbles. I fail to evade a particularly large one. Pain bursts over my forehead at the impact. Gods, it hurts so bad.
In a split second, the roof of the small passageway collapses over our path.
“No, please,” I cry uselessly. I try digging for a way out but it’s no use. This is the furthest we can go. I look at Svenn with trembling hands. Everything around us is crumbling down.
“I’m so sorry.” I clasp my hand to my mouth. I’ve led him to our doom, to this dead end.
He suddenly gathers me into his arms, covering me from the falling debris. My heart aches for him. We’re going to be buried alive.
“It’s all my fault, Svenn.” I cry in his embrace. He holds me through every tear, every shuddering gasp. I feel his soothing touch against the small of my back and the chaos drowns.
Several heartbeats pass and somehow, we remain breathing. I pull away from him slowly. My eyes gaze at the surrounding rubble and pillars around us with profound disbelief. We could have been trampled by one of those giant boulders or suffocated by the dust. It’s a miracle we survived through all that.
“You’re not getting away from me, vermin!” The Ashmedai’s voice filters through the opening. “I’ll find you and I’ll skin you alive!” His vicious threat rattles through my bones.
I raise my sword to protect us when my vision starts to double. This injury is worse than I thought. My head begins to thrum with pain.
Svenn pulls me close to examine the cut. I hope it’s not deep.
A sudden low growl rumbles from his throat. His wrath is almost palpable in the air. He moves straight towards the partially covered entrance.
Not this again.
He doesn’t know how incredibly strong the Ashmedai is. Not even Ragnar, my knights, or the Grimsbane can hold it down.
“Svenn, don’t do this,” I whisper in the lowest voice possible. “You have to stay with me.”
I see the cold intent in his eyes. There’s no stopping him now. I touch his face so he will look at me. Words are uselessand I don’t know what else to do to persuade him. I crush my lips against his desperately. For a flicker of a moment, my world stops. There is only the warm, hard feel of him. It’s a quick, nervous kiss, but it distracts him enough from his anger.
“Stay with me,” I beg with all my heart. I hear another heavy breath from him as I coax him to sit down.
He draws me towards him, and suddenly I am sprawled on his hard chest. I ignore the thrill I feel when my body is pressed against his rigid form. He is all honed tendons and muscles. Not an inch of softness.
Our small hiding spot barely has enough space for the both of us. He slants his back against the fallen rubble, and we huddle together in the narrow slit quietly. Silence falls in the air; I can hear my own heart beating. I know the demon is out there watching, waiting for me to make my next move.
Svenn suddenly licks my temple over the injury.
What is this weird human doing now? My skin tingles at the sensation. He’s starts nibbling over the site of my cut. I almost protest but my head hurts a little less after his odd gesture. If this is a distraction method, then it’s working. The pain is slowly shifting into a dull ache.
“You are safe, Rhianelle.”
Wow. I must be losing my mind because I can hear his voice clearly in my head now. I close my eyes, locked in the arms of the stranger.
“Go to sleep, I’m here.”
Chapter 10 Rhianelle
Idon’t know how much time has passed since I fell unconscious.
“Come out, Rhianelle. It’s safe now,” Rainer calls for me. Immense relief floods my veins at the sound of his voice.
Thank the gods.
My uncle has finally come to rescue me. I right myself quickly to get to him. A palm slams against my mouth before I can answer. I turn to look at Svenn.
