hands that protected it were torn to shreds. He wasn't going to make it.
But at least he'd freed Eiress.
He felt his hands slipping away from his throat, his broken hand more useless than before, as his eyes fell shut.
Her voice echoed in his mind, begging him to stay with her. Begging him to hold on, she was coming.
And then suddenly, the monsters were gone.
His eyes opened, he struggled to see through the pain, and then soft, cold hands were sliding over him, checking injuries. Warm puffs of air tried to thaw the ice from his veins, and he could just see the little dragon next to him, doing his best to help.
But he couldn't see her . The only thing he'd ever seen when he'd looked into a mirror, and now he was here and she was hidden behind the blood and the pain. "I came all this way…" he mumbled, his eyes sliding closed.
"No! No you don't. Stay with me, my friend. Please stay with me."
He heard cloth ripping—it sounded like the time his uniform had been torn right off his shoulder during football. And then cool cloth was being placed on his wounds, and dabbed at his eyes, and he blinked twice as the blood was wiped away.
She was there.
She was right there in front of him.
She was there, taking care of him.
"Eiress," he breathed.
Her hands froze and in the still of the frozen night, he could hear her heart pounding. "You—it is you—I knew! I knew I recognized your soul!" She kissed the knuckles she had been wrapping. "First, we must bind your wounds. When you're strong enough, we will talk. For now, save your strength." Although worry still creased her brow, a small smile played around her lips.
He'd made her smile.
"Your chains—you're free. I unlocked them." His voice was barely a whisper. Not quite the way he'd wanted to make her acquaintance.
Her eyebrows shot up. "You unlocked my chains?" Then she looked at Kaida. "That would explain why Elizabeth was trying to hold on to them. So I couldn't escape…"
Landon's head fell back and he let his eyes close. "You're free."
"I'm free of the castle. You are my hero." He could hear the smile in her voice without opening his eyes, which was good, because it hurt too much.
"We just—just need to find a mirror and go back out—"
Her voice was infinitely sad when she spoke again, several quiet seconds later. "I can't go back out."
This time, he forced his eyes open. "Yes you can. I unlocked the chains. With the key."
She smiled, placing her hand against his cheek. "There are rules."
Behind her, there was a growl.
Landon had never been a hunter, but he'd always been fascinated by animals. Especially predators—wolves, bears, lions, cheetahs.
This growl, it was like all of those and none of those at the same time, rolled and permeated with evil.
His heart stopped. Eiress froze, her eyes widening in horror. He could feel the pulse in her wrist jump against his jaw. Kaida raced up her arm to her shoulder and hissed into the darkness.
"We need to run," Eiress whispered.
Right. Landon couldn't even open his eyes without wanting to scream like a little girl. Running was out of the question.
But Eiress didn't seem to realize that. She was pulling on his arms, trying to heft him to his feet—good hell, she was trying to lift him over her shoulder as Kaida scampered out of the way—
Not trying. She did. She lifted him over her shoulder.
And then she ran.
They didn't make it far, but it was farther than they would have made it if Landon had been in charge of moving them. She collapsed between a huge tree and a solid black wall, and carefully slid him off her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she whispered, peeking around the tree to see if they had been followed.
Landon forced himself to sit up, leaning against the icy wall. He could still hear the growling, but it wasn't as close, now. Past Eiress's head, he could see the red, glowing eyes. Everything in this awful place seemed to have red, glowing eyes.
Except Eiress. She turned to him, worry creasing her
But at least he'd freed Eiress.
He felt his hands slipping away from his throat, his broken hand more useless than before, as his eyes fell shut.
Her voice echoed in his mind, begging him to stay with her. Begging him to hold on, she was coming.
And then suddenly, the monsters were gone.
His eyes opened, he struggled to see through the pain, and then soft, cold hands were sliding over him, checking injuries. Warm puffs of air tried to thaw the ice from his veins, and he could just see the little dragon next to him, doing his best to help.
But he couldn't see her . The only thing he'd ever seen when he'd looked into a mirror, and now he was here and she was hidden behind the blood and the pain. "I came all this way…" he mumbled, his eyes sliding closed.
"No! No you don't. Stay with me, my friend. Please stay with me."
He heard cloth ripping—it sounded like the time his uniform had been torn right off his shoulder during football. And then cool cloth was being placed on his wounds, and dabbed at his eyes, and he blinked twice as the blood was wiped away.
She was there.
She was right there in front of him.
She was there, taking care of him.
"Eiress," he breathed.
Her hands froze and in the still of the frozen night, he could hear her heart pounding. "You—it is you—I knew! I knew I recognized your soul!" She kissed the knuckles she had been wrapping. "First, we must bind your wounds. When you're strong enough, we will talk. For now, save your strength." Although worry still creased her brow, a small smile played around her lips.
He'd made her smile.
"Your chains—you're free. I unlocked them." His voice was barely a whisper. Not quite the way he'd wanted to make her acquaintance.
Her eyebrows shot up. "You unlocked my chains?" Then she looked at Kaida. "That would explain why Elizabeth was trying to hold on to them. So I couldn't escape…"
Landon's head fell back and he let his eyes close. "You're free."
"I'm free of the castle. You are my hero." He could hear the smile in her voice without opening his eyes, which was good, because it hurt too much.
"We just—just need to find a mirror and go back out—"
Her voice was infinitely sad when she spoke again, several quiet seconds later. "I can't go back out."
This time, he forced his eyes open. "Yes you can. I unlocked the chains. With the key."
She smiled, placing her hand against his cheek. "There are rules."
Behind her, there was a growl.
Landon had never been a hunter, but he'd always been fascinated by animals. Especially predators—wolves, bears, lions, cheetahs.
This growl, it was like all of those and none of those at the same time, rolled and permeated with evil.
His heart stopped. Eiress froze, her eyes widening in horror. He could feel the pulse in her wrist jump against his jaw. Kaida raced up her arm to her shoulder and hissed into the darkness.
"We need to run," Eiress whispered.
Right. Landon couldn't even open his eyes without wanting to scream like a little girl. Running was out of the question.
But Eiress didn't seem to realize that. She was pulling on his arms, trying to heft him to his feet—good hell, she was trying to lift him over her shoulder as Kaida scampered out of the way—
Not trying. She did. She lifted him over her shoulder.
And then she ran.
They didn't make it far, but it was farther than they would have made it if Landon had been in charge of moving them. She collapsed between a huge tree and a solid black wall, and carefully slid him off her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she whispered, peeking around the tree to see if they had been followed.
Landon forced himself to sit up, leaning against the icy wall. He could still hear the growling, but it wasn't as close, now. Past Eiress's head, he could see the red, glowing eyes. Everything in this awful place seemed to have red, glowing eyes.
Except Eiress. She turned to him, worry creasing her
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