Page 26 of Fate Unchained

Kyril saved her.

“What the uit just happened?”

“I was trying to break us free, but I think I went too far. I told you, I’ve never really trained on how to use my power. This time, I couldn’t control it. It was like being swept away in a river of ice. I was frozen solid, and I couldn’t do anything. All the runic words I spoke didn’t work at all.”

“It was killing you.”

“It wasn’t trying to kill me, it’s just … I don’t know what I’m doing. I connected with the rune holding the cage in place, and instead of me speaking to it, it drew me into it. I was lost.” She shivered again, meeting his gaze. “Then I felt you, and I knew where I was supposed to be. I could control it.”

Kyril nestled closer and wrapped one of the blankets back around her shoulders. “No more of that.”

She wanted to stretch like a cat into his touch. Her shoulders sagged, and she sighed. “I want to destroy our cage, but I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

He turned and grabbed something from near the fire. “Here, drink some of this. I heated it up.”

“I can’t move.”

His eyes widened. “What? Are you hurt?”

“No, it’s the blankets.”

With his free hand, he scooped underneath her upper back and helped her sit. Then he lifted the metal canteen. The edges of the metal glowed red in his hand. He sipped from it first. “It’s hot but not too hot to burn your tongue.” He held it to her lips.

She took a small sip. The warmth slid down her throat and spread. She wriggled an arm free and reached for the canteen, but he moved it away. “The outside is too hot to hold. I’ve got it.”

She took a few long sips, and the chill inside her faded. “You speak another language,” she said between sips. “I thought I might have heard it before, but I wasn’t sure.”

He nodded, a small worry line still sitting between his brows. “Vulk is my native tongue.”

She frowned. “But you said you grew up as a non-vulk.”

He rubbed his mouth. “Yeah, but when I learned Vulk, I knew it was my natural language.”

“Huh.” Sliding both arms free, she wrapped the blanket around her hands. “Here, I can hold the canteen.” She cradled it in the blanket. When Kyril lifted his hand away, a raw welt lay across his palm. “Kyril! It burned you.”

He waved her off. “Who cares? Drink all the water.”

He was being bossy, but she didn’t mind. She hadn’t had much water since she’d arrived in the cave, and she was thirsty. Besides, for cave water, it tasted crisp and clear.

She studied him. It was rather thoughtful of him to warm some water for her. “If I’d died, you really would have died, too?”

Kyril frowned and rubbed his chest, precisely over the gold mark. “That’s what a magicwielder told Juri when he became runebound.”

“Who’s Juri?”

He pointed at the canteen. “He’s one of my pack brothers. Keep drinking.”

A slight warmth that had nothing to do with the hot water spread through her chest. He really was worried about her. Just as quickly, the warmth chilled. Maybe he wanted to make sure she didn’t die because then he’d perish too.

“He had a rune show up, too?”

Kyril’s brows rose, and he glanced at the canteen. She hid a smile and drank the rest.

When she’d finished, he said, “Yes, Juri got a rune too. I was there when it happened, that’s how I knew about ours.” He leaned forward, studying her face. “Your color is almost back. You were as blue as an ala.”

“An ala?”

“An immortal with blue skin and white hair.”

---