If you come over here, I will never forgive you.
I’d never heard him use that tone, and the certainty of his statement rang through me. I whined low in my throat, a sound of worry and care, pleading with Tyrrik to let me help him. There were so many of them, and they were winning. I studied the tendrils of our bond, whining again as I saw the vibrant blue nearly overwhelming all traces of black. No, not black, a dull, flat gray. My mate was weakening fast, and I rose up to count; there were still dozens of Druman alive—dozens of Druman still assaulting him.
They threw another rope over Tyrrik, and several Druman on either side pulled him flat.
No! Tyrrik, no, please.
Shh, Princess. You must take the Phaetyn and get out of here. I’ll join you back at Gemond.
I wasn’t a fool. My mind raced as I tried to think of how I could help him. I could hear the doubt in his voice and feel it through our bond, and while he begged me not to go to him, I wasn’t leaving.
Please, can I come over there? I knew I could help. I could do something. I had to. Tyrrik, please. Please?
The Phaetyn girl gasped beside me as Druman crawled over Tyrrik.
My heart pounded, and a roar filled my mind. There was no more time to think. Every fraction of every second lessened the possibility of success, and I would not fail. I would not lose my mate. I would not let him sacrifice himself, not when I could save him.
And I could. I could save him.
Even knowing this would change my life—knowing in my mind, my soul, and my body that I would be bound to Tyrrik forever, that we would never be separated, that I would never be just Ryn— I happily said goodbye to the girl I’d been because somewhere along the line, I’d already accepted this moment. And I wasn’t worried. I was relieved.
Closing my eyes, the threads of our bond drifted into focus. So little black, the plainness of my blue threads was heartbreaking. I wanted the contrast of his onyx black wrapped with the blue of my Drae energy. The beauty of our bond was in the contrast and compliment of colors, and I wanted his strength, chivalry, and support in my life. I wanted his wisdom to balance my naivety, his humor to lift me from sadness, his soberness to ground me, and his strength to protect me.
The blue tendrils still held us together, and I understood then they also served as channels. He’d shown me how to pull my energy away from him when we were flying to Zivost, how to lock it deep within my core and block him with mental barricades. I imagined the fortifications I’d constructed, the tall and thick walls of stone meant to keep us separate—and I dropped them, crumbling them to dust to forever disappear in the darkness. I instantly felt the change. Nothing remained between Tyrrik and me.
Princess.
His pain tore at me, and I wanted to tear the world apart for his suffering. I’m coming.
I could not do otherwise; it would be against everything I was, betraying my very existence, to not aid him. But, more than that, I did not want to do otherwise.
Tyrrik was mine. Mine alone. He was mine forever.
With a roar, I pushed my energy through the blue channels, willing them to thicken, to expand, to burn brighter as I fed him with the strength of my Drae. My Phaetyn powers had prepared me in part for this, but I didn’t merely wish to increase his energy or heal him. I thought of the risks Tyrrik had taken as Ty and Tyr to make sure I was fed, his generosity and patience. I imagined his hands scooping nectar over my body in the cave after turning Drae, and I gathered the power of those moments inside the center of my body where the most vibrant blue resided just underneath my ribs. I pulled and scraped armfuls of that force and heaved it out through the now thick bonds, and I did it over and over again.
I shoved my very essence into my mate, panting as the lapis-blue glowed between us. Stronger, thicker, more, more, more. I saw the flicker of blue deep within him surge and brighten.
I feel you. Tyrrik’s awe pulsed through me.
Mistress butt-Moons! He wasn’t allowed to feel awe. Fight! You need to win! I shouted at him through our bond. Fight and survive. Fight for me, Tyrrik. Please. I . . . I need you.
My vision tunneled until all I could see was our bond. I staggered to the side and collapsed to the ground, but even then, I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Not until I knew he was safe. I shoved everything I could into those tendrils, triumph swelling in my breast as thin gray strands darkened and widened. Our colors danced and intertwined, and my heart soared.
Even in the darkness of my mind, I could hear his roar. I could feel him moving through our bond, the coil of his muscles as he tore through the ropes, the searing heat as he hurled white-hot liquid death on our enemies. I felt his power ricochet back to me, and still I pushed. I could see everything he did now though my eyes were closed. I watched with pride as Tyrrik demolished the Druman.
And still, I didn’t stop sharing my power to him.
I couldn’t stop.
I wouldn’t stop.
I would never stop.
37
“Ryn.”
I knew that voice; it made warm embers spark in my chest, washing away all residual doubt. I moaned and rolled onto my back so my face met the sky.
A hand touched my shoulder. His hand.
I opened my eyes and looked up into Tyrrik’s face.
I’d shifted back to my human form, and so had Tyrrik.
“You can stop now,” he said hoarsely.
I blinked. Now that I’d started shoving energy into him, I found it difficult to reign in the flow. “Do I have to?”
Tyrrik chuckled and gathered me in his arms, pulling me close. “My Khosana.”
With arms like lead, I reached up around his neck and hugged him close so our hearts beat against each other.
“You’re okay,” I said, my voice trembling. My entire body quaked with exhaustion.
He nodded, burying his face in my hair. “The Druman are dead.” He kissed me and whispered, “You’ll get your energy back faster if you stop feeding it all to me.”
All of them? I asked, not willing to pull back until I knew.
“All of them,” he promised, inhaling deeply.
I relaxed, letting the focus I’d held on our bonds go so I was no longer shoving my power at him. Vitality recoiled and pulsed through me. I inhaled, and my chest expanded so easily it almost hurt. I lifted my head from his shoulder and gasped. “Tyrrik!”
A blaze of blue-and-black fire danced around us. The flame touched our bodies, dancing and twisting, tying us together. I lifted my gaze and saw the brilliant light shone across the bloodied valley. I stared in awe at the capering fire. I’d never been able to see the tendrils between us like this. As a Phaetyn, I could see my power working inside him during healing, but I’d never seen our Drae energy outside us with my eyes open.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” he whispered.