Page 28 of These Fractured Bonds

“No!” Yareli said.

Howlers hunted in packs; there would be more. They couldn’t leave her behind.

But Leo didn’t give Yareli a choice. He took off, Bri’s figure a fading outline in the distance. Yareli struggled, pushing against his iron grip.

“We have to go back!”

“Bri has her orders. She won’t die.”

“Let me go!”

She slapped his chest, and he grunted. He adjusted his grip on her, squeezing her until she couldn’t wriggle anymore. She whimpered and glared at him.

How dare he…

Yareli held her tongue despite her indignation. She hated being restrained, and he knew it, but like it or not, Leo was determined to take her to safety, and she couldn’t do anything about it. She gritted her teeth, but lay limp in his arms.

Leo ran for a long time, running in the opposite direction from Bri and the Water Court. But he wasn’t fast enough. Soon, thudding paws crashed in the underbrush, the sound crawling closer to them with every passing second. Leo cursed under his breath. The fast rise and drop of his chest pressed against her, and the sweat that drenched his shirt seeped onto her. It was obvious that he was growing tired.

A shadow shot past them, and dread rose up her throat. Leo was too slow. Bri had not been enough. And Yareli was the damsel they were fighting to protect. Guilt struck her; they were in danger because of her. Shehatedit.

Leo huffed between breaths. “I’m going to get us out of here.”

Her heart softened at the perspiration streaming down his face, his eyes set on a point in front of them. His gaze burned with conviction, and she believed hewouldget them out.

“Tell me what to do,” she said.

His response was immediate. “Hold on.”

At first, she didn’t understand, missing the change in the darkness. Then, an abrupt constriction squeezed her from all sides, and she flailed. Leo held her tighter.

“Hold. On.”

It choked her, leaving her unable to scream, unable to think. A rush of nippy air flooded her lungs, and she gasped. Pushing away from Leo, she fell onto the hard ground and vomited.

Leo kneeled in front of her, murmuring apologies. She trembled as another wave of nausea rocked her. Her head throbbed, as if it were split in two.

She forced the words out between heaves. “What was that?”

“Shadowstepping. It’s an instant travel method.”

“Safe?” Another heave.

“Yes.”

More vomit. “Where?”

When Leo didn’t answer, Yareli glanced up. His face was hesitant, brimming with what seemed like both guilt and excitement.

“Far from the Water Court.”

His words were like a needle popping a balloon in her chest, and she exhaled—from relief or disappointment, she didn’t know. Her reaction confused her. She didn’t have a special connection to the Water Court. Perhaps it was due to the promised protection, and the sudden change was jarring. Regardless of the location, they were safe, and that was all that mattered. Although she tried to convince herself of it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was forgetting somethingimportant, and the answer lay in the Water Court, but she was nowhere near it now.

Chapter 12

Leohadshadowsteppedthemto the Lhuth Mountains, located in the Fire Court, and although its elevation was only half that of the neighboring Air Court’s mountain range, the change was harsh. The air was colder, thinner, and Yareli’s breath unfurled in a white cloud.

Rocks, grasses, and shrubs spanned across the ground. It was a far cry from the Water Court’s beaches. She wasn’t sure where they were going; everywhere she looked was devoid of any settlement.