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ERIK
Eerie silence hung in the air around us.
The burnt-out shell of the town was utterly still. The blackened ruins of hollowed-out buildings were all that remained, some standing, most of them lying in piles of still-smoldering ash.
Thin, wispy trails of smoke were all that remained.
Most of the raiders were dead. The ones that survived had fled back toward the mountains.
Hopefully the raiders had gotten the message.
The northern clan is protected. The people will not pay for the old king’s mistakes.
Damon surveyed the destruction with empty eyes. I could tell that he was thinking of the long road ahead. He would have to rebuild his kingdom from the ground up, repairing and restoring what had been lost.
Stavrok, Marienne, and I stood opposite him.
Out of the three of us, thanks to Marienne, I was the only one who had emerged unscathed from the fight.
Stavrok was gritting his teeth and clutching a nasty shoulder wound. It wasn’t life-threatening, thank God.
More worryingly, Marienne clung to my side like I was the only thing keeping her standing. Which I likely was. I had to pay my respects to Damon, but I needed to take her away from this place. Soon.
“I can’t express how grateful I am to you,” Damon said. “All of you. I vow one day to repay your kindness.”
“Let this be a new chapter in our realm’s history.” Stavrok spoke slowly, letting every word hang in the air. “An alliance to last for generations to come.”
We shook hands, and I gripped Damon’s arm when it came to my turn.
“Any manpower, supplies, building materials you need...” I trailed off, surveying the frozen landscape around us. “You shall have them.”
Damon’s eyes flickered with gratitude, and he nodded. His attention turned to Marienne.
“You must get her home, Erik,” he said softly. “As much as I appreciate your help, don’t hang around on my account.”
I squeezed Marienne’s hand, and she gave a faint squeeze in response. “I know.”
“I would offer you the use of my castle, but I’m afraid it’s not fit for purpose right now.” Damon glanced up at the huge mass of stone behind us. “My people need me.”
“Can you fly?” I asked Stavrok, and he gave me a nod.
“It’s a flesh wound. I’ve had worse.” He shot me a sharp grin, and then wandered away. He glanced at us behind his shoulder just before he turned the corner of a nearby, smoke-blackened wall. “May we all meet again soon.”
He shifted into his dragon form and flew away.
My mind was already on the logistics of getting Marienne home safely. She couldn’t ride on my back. She wasn’t strong enough.
“I’ll carry you,” I murmured into her hair. “We’re going home, Marienne.”
The journey seemed to last a lifetime. I carried Marienne in my talons, imagining the flutter of her heartbeat. She felt impossibly small and fragile. I flew as fast as I dared, but every flap of my wings felt like hours too long. I exhaled in relief when the mountains appeared on the horizon.
The sky was clearer than it had been in days. The snow had stopped falling, and a beautiful sunset streaked across the sky.
I thought about the raiders in the mountains, and the wilderness we had just left behind. Would we ever return?
My chest twinged with relief when we passed over the mountains. On the other side, the valleys rolled out in shades of green and blue, warm and inviting.
Familiar. We were home.
I drifted to the top of the nearest tower, setting Marienne down as gently as possible. The servants ran out to greet us. Thomas took the lead, carrying a robe for me.
Good man.
I shifted quickly and threw on the robe before hurrying over to Marienne. She was on her feet, at least.
I took her slender shoulders and gazed down at her. She smiled, her eyes tracking over my face as if she were trying to commit it to memory.
Then the last of her energy seemed to leave her. She let out a deep sigh, and her body sagged against mine.
“Marienne?” I held her against me, as tightly as I dared. I slid my hands into her hair and turned her face up to mine. “Mari, please...”
Her eyes were closed. She was so cold.
I fell to my knees, pulling her down with me. I could feel the servants hovering around me, but I paid them no mind. Nobody dared to come near us.
My shout echoed through the mountains, and into the valleys below. “Marienne!”
***
MARIENNE
The first thing I registered was warmth, and softness.
I stirred. In my half-conscious state, confusion filled me. I didn’t remember falling asleep. It was all a blur. The last thing I remembered was...
Oh.
My eyes snapped open.
A gauzy canopy filled my vision. I blinked up at it, trying to put the pieces together in my mind.
I’m in the master suite bed again? How did I get here?
I shifted. Warm fingers curled around my hand, outstretched across the covers. I turned my head on the pillow and smiled.
A chair had been pulled up at the side of the bed. Erik sat, slumped over with his face against the mattress. His hair had fallen over his face. He was dozing. Both of his huge hands cradled mine.
Moving slowly, I extracted my hand. My fingers reached out and carded through his hair, brushing it back. He stirred.
He sat up, blinking a few times. His eyes were shadowed. He looked like he hadn’t slept for a long while.
“Hey,” I whispered, and his face broke into that crooked grin I’d come to love so much.
“You’re awake.” Relief flooded his face as he looked over me.
“How long was I out?”
“Too damn long.” He huffed a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “Couple of days.”
“Days?” I grimaced and then relaxed back into the pillows. My head still tingled; I sensed that getting up wasn’t the best idea right now. “Did I miss anything good?”
He laughed again, before glaring at me. “Other than me almost losing it because I thought you were dead? Not much.”
“What?” I reached out and took his hand, forcing him to look at me.
“These past two days...” He broke off, clenching his jaw. “It made me picture what it would be like to lose you.”
I wanted to say something, to interject. I didn’t.
“I don’t want to rule, Marienne,” Erik said, lowering his gaze, “unless you’re by my side.”
“Oh,” I breathed.
He drew up my hand and pressed a kiss there as he continued.
“I love you. All of you. I never want you to change, Marienne, and I never want you to leave. Stay with me.” He slid to his knees, keeping a gentle grip on my hand as I peered over the bedside, amazed. “Marry me.”
I froze, astounded. After everything we’d been through together, everything he’d seen, Erik still wanted me. He wants to marry me!
He didn’t care about my past, or the strength of my magic.
This man—this wonderful, ridiculous man—wanted me. For me.
“I—” I stopped, joy spilling over in my chest. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
His whole expression lit up, and he launched himself onto the bed, careful not to jostle me. His eyes shone with happiness when I cupped his face in my hands.
“You will?” He grinned at me. “Say it again.”
“Yes,” I repeated, laughing. “Of course, I’ll marry you!”
I squealed when he dived in and kissed me, over and over in spite of my protests.
After all, I didn’t put up too much of a fight.