Lorelai? Please . . . please wake up. Move a finger. Do something to show me you’re still with me. He searched her mind, but all he could find were faded images of blood in snow and shattered pieces of what looked like an ebony carriage.
He’d stopped the bleeding, but she was still going to die if he couldn’t find a way to mend what was broken inside her. If he could just get her to heal herself, she’d be fine. If he could just get her to use her magic . . . the memory of him stalking across the waterfall’s cave, insisting that if she didn’t survive her battle with Irina, he’d kiss her back to life blazed across his mind. Lorelai had said magic didn’t bring people back to life, but she was still alive. Barely, but it was something.
Please let this work. Please. He bent toward her, framed her face in his hands, and kissed her.
Come back to me, Lorelai. Don’t leave me alone. You promised you’d save me, but I’m not saved if I have to bury you and go home to what’s left of Eldr. Please, Lorelai, please. Come back to me.
For a long moment, Lorelai remained limp and unmoving. Kol deepened the kiss and sent her his memories of her strength. Fearlessly choosing to save him in Tranke, even though he was a stranger to her. Choosing to help him try to break his blood oath, honoring her promise to save Eldr, healing him when he’d tried to kill her. Letting him into her heart, though she knew he was still bound to Irina. And finally, saving him by killing Irina even though it meant she wouldn’t be able to stop Kol from tearing into her chest.
You’re strong enough to come back to me, Lorelai. I know you are. Your heart just has to want it. Your heart has to want to live more than your body wants to die.
She stirred. A breath. A slight movement of her chest. And then her magic, in slow spirals of brilliant white, burst from her palms and surrounded the two of them, lifting them off the floor as it wrapped them in power that Kol could feel in his bones.
Her heart jerked once. Twice. Her nostrils flared. And then she threw her head back as her heart began beating in a strong, steady rhythm and the wounds on her arms and legs disappeared. The magic set them down again and dissipated.
Kol tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. She was alive. He leaned forward and covered his face with his hands and tried not to show her how badly he was shaking.
She was alive.
He didn’t realize she’d moved until she sat beside him and wrapped him in her arms.
You saved me, she said.
We saved each other. He turned to her and buried his face in her shoulder. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say to make it better.
I already forgave you. Her voice was warm and sure. We both know it was Irina making the choices, not you. Besides, far more important than the fact that an evil mardushka took control of you for a while is the fact that you figured out a way to save me.
He raised his head and gave her a tiny smirk. I did tell you I’d kiss you back to life if I had to.
She smiled. I’m sure it was a hardship for you.
He tried and failed to smile in return. I thought I’d lost you. I don’t ever want to go through that again.
She took his face in her hands. My heart will always come back to you.
Her kiss warmed him in a way his dragon’s fire never would. He pulled her against his chest and held her for a moment while in the corridor above them, footsteps sounded as maids and pages crept to the bannister to peer at the devastation below and to wonder in whispers where the queen had gone.
Then the front door banged open, and Trugg stomped in followed by the rest of his friends, and, skies help him, even Sasha. The bird swooped down, took one look at the pool of Lorelai’s blood on the floor beside them, and gave him a death glare.
Tell your bird not to kill me.
She’s not going to kill you.
She is definitely considering it.
“Kol!” Trugg ran forward and snatched his king out of Lorelai’s arms and into the air. Setting Kol on his feet, Trugg slapped his shoulder, and Kol had to take a giant step forward to keep from falling to his knees.
Mik and Raum ran past him and bent to help Lorelai to her feet while Jyn and Tor unchained Gabril.
“Are you okay?” Mik asked Lorelai.
“I’m all right. Irina is dead. And I’m pretty sure Kol is a little jealous that you seem more concerned about me than about him.”
Kol was mortified to realize he’d been thinking exactly that. He tried to give Lorelai a please-don’t-share-every-intimate-thought-I have-with-this-lot kind of look, but his friends surrounded him, thumping him on the back and hugging him.
“You did it,” Gabril said quietly to Lorelai, and the image in her thoughts showed Kol how much Gabril’s approval meant to her.