Chapter 22 · If you die

He cut me off by pressing his forehead against mine. It wasn't a kiss, but it felt more intimate than one. He stayed there for a long moment, his breathing syncing with mine. I could feel the tremors in his arms. He wasn't just angry. He was shaken.

"If you die," he whispered, "I'll bring you back just to kill you again myself."

"Sounds like a date," I whispered back.

He pulled back abruptly, the spell breaking. He scooped me up in his arms, carrying me bridal-style. I tried to protest, but the blood loss was starting to make the edges of my vision fuzzy.

"Put me down, I can walk," I mumbled.

"Shut up," he snapped, though the edge was gone from his voice. "You're losing blood. If you faint on me, I'm leaving you in the hallway."

"Liar," I whispered, leaning my head against his shoulder.

He didn't respond, but he tightened his grip, pulling me closer to his chest. As he carried me through the darkening corridors of the Black Ridge, I felt the strange pull of the blood-bond humming beneath my skin. It wasn't just a contract anymore. It was something else.