Page 7 of Across an Endless Sea

“All that achieved was hurting yourself and pissing me off,” he growls, rolling his eyes and dragging me backwards until I’m beneath him.

As soon as his body is between me and the vines, he stands, pulling me with him as he bursts out of the thicket using his strength alone. When I struggle, he hauls me into his arms properly.

“Agh!”

Pain, blinding, sharp, and breath-snatching, erupts across my back. So strong that it steals my ability to speak.

Something is burning my wings. Searing through them to my back. It’s not just them either—though the agony is worst there. White-hot fire shoots across my left arm and thigh. The scent of cooking meat fills my nostrils as I finally break out of my paralysis and struggle against his hold.

“Caed, your armbands,” Prae barks.

“Fuck,” he curses, adjusting me until I’m hanging over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

All of the blood in my body rushes to my head, and my vision narrows.

“How bad?” he demands.

It takes a second for my pain-dazed mind to realise he’s not talking to me.

“As bad as you’d expect,” Prae hums, circling us.

“Maeve,” I wheeze, calling out to my warrior guide. “Please—” I don’t know how to use my magic, but maybe I can do something…

“Stop her!” Caed snaps.

That’s the last thing I hear before my world goes dark.

Three

Caed

We did it. We actually have her. After years of searching, we can finally return to Fellgotha with our heads held high.

The victory high is so fucking sweet.

This is it. The glory that will finally prove that I’m better than Bres ever was. The thing that will secure my place in my father’s mind as a worthy successor.

There’s just one problem. The rest of Rose’s Guard is undoubtedly on their way, and now—thanks to her stupid iron allergy—we’ve got to deal with her injuries before we can haul ass out of here or risk her dying again before we can get to the camp.

She’s unconscious, and now she’s naked. I guessed as much when I picked her up and realised her clothes had no substance, but it was confirmed the second Prae knocked her unconscious and the glamour she was using disappeared.

The Call is still stinging my veins. Her terror and pain when she realised I wasn’t her gloomy knight was nearly unbearable, so having her unconscious is a blessing. Maybe we can find a way to keep her like that for the rest of the journey, because there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep if she’s scared witless for every second. It’s already begun to ruin my good mood.

Now I have a very naked Nicnevin reclining, face down, on the moss in front of me. It’s so fucking wrong—especially since she’s unconscious—but no matter how much I’ve tried to avert my eyes, or focus on her wounds, I can’t help but look at her. I’d have to be dead not to notice how generous her ass is, but I keep noticing other stuff, like how soft her skin looks, and how delicate her tiny fingers are.

It doesn’t even matter that she’s covered in blood, mud, and leaves.

Ancestors, it should be illegal for any female to be so distracting—especially my sworn enemy.

I never thought the rumours of the attraction between the Nicnevin and her harem would be true for me—given that I’ve never really wanted anyone before—but it appears my lack of interest must just have been a result of the oath.

Because I definitely want Rose.

At least Prae hasn’t noticed. I’ll be mocked for decades if she realises I have a hard-on for a fae.

“Find her something to wear,” I hiss at my cousin, who’s still crouched over her.

Things between the two of us have been strained—to say the least—ever since Prae killed Rose. Accident or not, I came very close to ending my cousin’s life. As it is, Prae’s currently sporting a bruised cheek, and I’ve got a cracked rib for my trouble. If she wasn’t my only trustworthy fucking family member, I wouldn’t have held back.

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