Page 159 of To Fight and To Fold

"Druid looks good on you," Thea told her.

Aaryn pulled her closer and leaned back until their bodies collided, chests moving as one with their breaths. "Yes, you do."

Thea rolled her eyes, ignored her flushing cheeks, and leaned down to kiss her, slotting Aaryn's heart alongside her own for safe protection.

33

TRADE

"You'll be safe." Aaryn told her, clutching Thea's hands. "You’ll come back from Evergale. With Rolim. You won't get hurt." As if it was a dare, or a demand, or simply the truth.

Thea swallowed. "Not if I have anything to do with it."

"I'll be waiting for you," Aaryn said, and squeezed. "Please be careful. Please think of yourself." Of me, she wanted to say, who doesn't want to lose you.

But she would not burden Thea with such things, even if they might be understood anyway. This wasn't about Aaryn, no matter how much the idea of Thea walking into the hands of Evergale scared her.

"Now go save the damsel in distress," Aaryn said.

"My favorite part," Thea teased, and Aaryn pulled her in for a kiss, hand tangling at the back of her neck. She pushed all her feelings into her lips, the love and care she had for Thea, but also her faith—that the Great Dragon would protect her, that Thea herself was confident and capable of anything. Especially pissing Evergale off.

And what would piss Evergale off more than stealing their first execution in millennia out from under their noses?

With one last kiss and a lingering hand, they broke apart, and Aaryn turned her attention to the other love of her life. She placed gentle hands on scaled flesh and as his warm breath huffed in her face, she laughed.

"You stay safe too, okay? Bring her home, and bring yourself home. Got it?" she asked.

Starspark nudged into her hands and she met him halfway. Her forehead brushed the bridge of his snout, and she tried to still her heart shaking in her chest. "I believe in you, Starspark," she said.

Before the ache in her throat could escape, she stood straight and held out a hand to Thea. Without hesitation she placed a pale purple palm into hers.

Aaryn led Thea's hand to Starspark's head and rested her hand on his scales. Their gazes met.

"Bring him back to me this time, yeah?" Aaryn taunted.

Thea predictably rolled her eyes. "I thought we were past this," she grumbled, a smile tugging at her lips. Aaryn found it cute.

"It's too fun to tease you about it," Aaryn told her.

Starspark nudged Aaryn, and she stumbled forward, bumping into Thea. With a soft laugh of affection, Aaryn and Thea stroked their hands over his scales and then leaned in together for one last kiss.

"Good luck," Aaryn said.

"Don't need it," Thea returned.

Then Aaryn was turning, leaving with one last glance while Thea awaited the other druids accompanying her on the mission.

She sucked in a breath, ignoring the lump in her throat and the slight ache beginning in her head. Stress.

Stress she did her best to bury, the teleportation runes glowing around her until the landscape changed to that of the Heart with the woozy feeling that Aaryn barely noticed now.

What she did notice was Runa skidding to a stop before her, her familiar face lit by the runes and something like panic and relief and… fear there.

"Aaryn! There you are." Runa latched onto her arm with a gasp. "There's something I need to tell you."

Her urgency struck Aaryn, her stomach dropping. "Are you okay?" Aaryn asked, hands hovering as if she had any idea what to do with this amount of concern.

"It's not about me, it's⁠—"