Chapter 236: War on the Horizon
ELIA
"Reth!" Behryn snapped.
Elia watched as Reth looked at Gahrye, who nodded once and shuffled closer to crouch next to her, sheltering her as Reth had, but without touching her. Candace crowded closer, too, all of them behind the massive trunk of the tree, though Elia wasn't sure why since any Anima could scent them anyway.
With the others in place, Reth squeezed her hand and motioned her to stay down as he leapt up to join his second on the trail.
Elia shuffled over so she could peer around the trunk of the tree. She had to concentrate to make out what they said at first.
"What did you see?" Reth asked the panting bird—who must have flown as fast as he was capable of to have been near the city then returned already.
"I didn't—get close enough—to see who," he said between his panting breaths. "But there were—clashes in the streets." He sucked in a heaving breath. "I could hear fighting—and smell the blood. There were archers—I made it out, but… but Colvyr—" the man cut off, his face crumpling.
Reth looked at Behryn.
"The other scout," Behryn said, rubbing his hand over his face.
"They must have known you were going, Sire," the bird man cried. "This isn't a skirmish. It's an all-out attack! The City needs you. Both of you!"
Elia's fingers dug into the tree bark. Gahrye put a palm to her back and Candace took one of her hands.
Reth and Behryn looked at each other, then Reth turned to where she peered around the tree, his eyes wide and pained.
******
RETH
He felt like his chest might actually explode.
Too many conflicting needs. Too many conflicting desires. Too much of everything. Images of fighting in the streets of the Tree City, of wolves running rampant through his people. The sheep cowering from their jaws—
Elia stood from her hiding place and a new image bloomed in his head. Her lips blue. Her eyes dead. Her skin gray…
She met his gaze, her brows pinched together and eyes full of grief. She swallowed. He could hear her heartbeat pounding.
His mate. His beautiful mate.
Reth turned to Behryn and put a hand to his shoulder. "Go," he said quickly. "I will get Elia to the portal, then follow as my Beast. It will take an hour, maybe two—"
"Reth, the men need to see you, to know, to remember what they defend, to hear you roar and watch you—"
"An hour, Behryn. I will run."
"Reth!" Elia snapped. "It isn't worth it. There's no one out here. You know where the attack is. You know we're safe. You've already entrusted me to Gahrye and Candace for this… trip. Another hour will make no difference. But it would have a huge impact back at home. You have to go, Reth. You have to," she said through her teeth.
He could smell that tangled edge on her—she believed what she said, but wished it weren't true.
As did he.
"I will not leave you alone on this side of the traverse—"
"Reth, your people need you!" Behryn barked.
His chest rose and fell too quickly. Then, without answering either of them, he turned to the bird. "Thank you for alerting us. You will be remembered. Go back now—cautious. As soon as you can smell the fighting, land and wait for us near the trail. Come back and find us if you see the attackers moving beyond the city, in this direction."
The man nodded, then looked at Behryn, clasped his shoulder and thanked him.
Reth set his teeth. Opening and close his hands in an attempt to ease the tension in his shoulders. In his chest.
Too many conflicting needs.
Too many conflicting desires.
Then, as Behryn sent the scout off, and the bird man turned and whirled, snapping into Beast form, then taking off to rise into the sky again, Suddenly Elia was there. At his side. Clasping his arm and he turned to look down at her.
There was a world of love and pain and determination in those bright blue eyes of hers.
"Love, I—"
Her fingers dug into his arm. "You have to go, Reth. I'm safe. Let's be grateful for that. We'll make it. Gahrye can sniff out the portal and we'll… we'll follow exactly your orders. We will do this and we'll be safe, and you… you please… please be safe, Reth." Her voice was nothing but breath past her lips by the end.
Shuddering, he pulled her into his chest and everyone turned away to give him them the only kind of privacy they could have as he tipped up her chin and kissed her desperately.
Elia's hands climbed his chest as she kissed him back with a whimper, arching herself into him, clinging until he was afraid she might begin to climb him and they would never be able to let each other go.
Their tongues met and danced and he tugged her hair between his fingers, dropping her head back so he could lay a precious kiss at her throat. Then another. When he opened his mouth against her skin for the third time, he knew… he knew. And she did too, because despite the thumping of her heart, she relaxed her hold on him and slid away far enough to meet his eyes.
Then they both broke away, cupping each other's faces, staring. She searched his eyes, and he searched hers.
"Please, Reth… don't be reckless. Please. We can only come back safely if you're here for us to come back to."
He swallowed. "Elia—"
"I love you more," she whispered and kissed him quickly again. "Go. Please. I can't… just go."
Letting go of her was like tearing off a limb—like cracking his own chest and offering his heart the freedom to walk around on its own.
They stepped apart, eyes still locked.
"I love you," he breathed.
"I love you," she sobbed back. Then tore her eyes away and turned into Candace's waiting arms.
With a roar of pain, Reth whirled and leaped into Beast form, galloping down the trail towards the city—but desperate to escape the pain of leaving her that felt like losing a part of himself.
*****
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