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“I get you don’t want to share me with him but killing him isn’t going to make me want you.”
“Ember!”
Geraint, panting, crashed through the underbrush.
“What!” she snapped. Her fury almost made the air crackle around us.
No... there were sparks. She was truly coming into some of her powers if she were able to unconsciously affect the world around us like that.
I tried to protest, but the tendril she’d had around my throat tightened. Digging my fingers into the shadow, and knowing from years dealing with Nic that it wouldn’t do any good, I clawed at it, trying to get a breath.
“Ember, let him go. He didn’t hurt me.”
She turned away from me. “What? Yes, he did. I saw—”
“Not what you think. Let him go, I’ll explain,” Geraint gasped, still clutching his midsection. Probably not as healed as he ought to be.
She let go of the shadows, and I found myself crashing to the ground yet again.
“Geraint, you should be resting.”
“You should not be trying to kill Dio. Or anyone. You’re not a killer, Ember.” Geraint sank to the ground, sitting on a downed log. She went to her knees and funneled more energy into him.
“That woman we saw in the forgotten dream and a few vampires had Dio trapped. I cut him loose, but the vampire got me. He got the vampire and was trying to save me when you showed up.” The knight put his hand on Ember’s shoulder.
I rolled to my hands and knees before rubbing at my throat.
Ember glanced over at me, but she didn’t look particularly sorry with narrowed eyes and gray shadows still swirling around her.
“Why are you two after me?” My voice sounded terrible after she’d nearly crushed my throat.
“We wanted to make sure you were safe,” Geraint said.
“Well, I am.” I struggled to my feet. “Now go back to Dream Palace and leave me alone.”
They let me leave. The last part of me that had hoped Ember still wanted me shriveled up and died. At least her knight was here to make sure she got back to the others safely. Hell, she had Nic’s powers. She’d probably have to make sure he got back to the palace in one piece.
A wave of dizziness washed over me. I considered going back and asking Ember to heal me like she had her knight. No, I’d get back home and see if that did it. Surely being in the darker dream energies would fully connect me to my essence.
She didn’t want me, and I’d have to do without her. My love for Ember and my desire to keep her for always could join the other forgotten dreams, crumbling away on the edges of our realm until no one was left to remember what had sparked the dream in the first place.
Ember
“Geraint, what do I do?”
My knight wrapped me in his arms and held me close. “Go after Dio, but maybe don’t attack him this time.”
“Why? If he wants to be left alone, and he won’t budge on anything, what’s the point?” I curled into his embrace, feeling guilty and pissed off that I felt uncomfortable.
“If nothing else, we need to make sure that woman doesn’t get a hold of him again. He’s weak. I think he needs you to pull him fully back together.”
“I offered already. He said no.”
“He’s hurt and confused. Go after him. I’ll hang back and do my best to watch for anything that might try to eat us.” Geraint said the last with a smile, but we were close to Nightmare, and that was a genuine concern.
I didn’t have the energy for another trip through shadow. My skills had improved drastically, but that didn’t mean it was easy. So, I’d have to go after Dio the old-fashioned way.
Setting off in the direction the prince had gone in, I tried to quiet my footsteps and sneak up on him. He liked games of chase, especially when he was the hunter. I’d always been his favorite prey. Well, now he could be the hunted, at least for a while.
