Page 212 of War Queen
Tears came freely now, and he couldn’t speak.
“I haven’t told anyone what it means,” she whispered.
“It’s okay. It was only for you to know.”
She smiled through her tears. “But now it’s for you to know too. Husband.”
He pulled her closer—his love, his wife.
Chapter fifty-two
TheridetotheWild was the longest Soren had ever known. Mikael carried Salara like he carried his heart in his arms, watching it fade. And he was fading with her. Soren worried neither of them would last the journey, but still they rode. They stopped only for a few hours each night to rest their horses before continuing. Then on they went—not eating, not speaking, just desperately riding.
They reached the tree line of the Wild on the third day, their horses staggering in exhaustion.
“You stay with the horses,” Soren told Calla as he slid down from his mount. There was a chance no one would return from the Wild alive, and he didn’t want her pulled into that.
Mikael dropped down from his horse, but he couldn’t catch himself and fell to his knees. He tried to stand again but stumbled and dropped back to the ground.
Soren cursed. He was losing them both. He hooked an arm around Mikael and pulled him to stand, but Mikael was almost as large as he was, and almost as heavy. With his own injuries, Soren couldn’t hold them both. Mikael fell again, and Soren spewed another slew of curses. They’d never make it.
“Let me carry her,” he said.
“I have to stay connected.”
“Hold her damned hand!” He pulled Salara from his arms, despite the nauseating pain in his shoulder, and gave Mikael a moment to get to his feet. “We have to go. Quickly.”
They were anything but quick. Soren carried Salara, but slowly, so Mikael could hold on to her as they went. The pain in his shoulder was excruciating, but he ignored it. He was the least injured of them all. Blood soaked Mikael’s side from the arrow still within—too much blood. Soren tried not to think of how close death was to them.
The forest fell quiet around them. Eerily quiet. Were the Wild women here?
“Naavi!” Soren bellowed. “Sana!” But neither of the sisters showed themselves.
Mikael stumbled. He fell to the ground and broke his hold from Salara. “No!” he cried.
Soren’s breath caught.No. The bond, they had to get back the bond. He dropped to his knees beside Mikael, and Mikael clasped hold of her again.
“Salara!” Mikael called to her, holding her hand tightly. But her breath was fading. “No. No! Salara!” Mikael clutched her tightly. “I’m here. I’m here!”
But as she exhaled, she didn’t draw in another breath.
Soren shook as he held her.No—they were so close. They were practically here. She couldn’t leave them yet. But she didn’t draw a breath. She had to breathe.
She had tobreathe.
“Naavi!” Soren bellowed.
“What have you done?” a voice came behind them, and they spun to see the green Wild woman.
“Please,” Mikael begged. “I know you have the power to heal. You have to heal her!”
Naavi’s eyes widened as she looked over Norah, and she stepped to them. Her hands shook as she dropped down to brush Salara’s cheek. She held her face. “No,” the Wild woman whispered. Her lips pulled back in a silent sob, then she screamed, “Sana!”
A second Wild woman appeared from between the trees, and quickly came to them. No smart remarks about Mikael or Soren, just her eyes on Salara. She reached out and touched Salara’s pale skin, and her face twisted. Then she looked at her sister with a great sadness in her eyes. “Sister,” she whispered. “She’s gone.”
Soren’s chest seized. She couldn’t be gone.
“No,” Naavi pleaded. “We have to try.”
