Orion and I fell back so we were closer to Arabella.
She huffed and tried to jog faster to get around us, but we picked up our speed and shielded her with our bodies.
She didn’t get it.
We were never leaving her unguarded.
Not in a foreign realm.
Not during war.
Not in a time of peace.
Never.
Flames crackled on Corvus’s shoulder as my Ignis ran at the back of the group, his breathing steady and controlled behind us as he protected our Revered’s flank.
Not for the first time, I marveled at how truly opposite they were—ice and fire. It was highly unusual because an Ignis and Revered were renowned for complementing each other’s abilities.
It seemed strange that they would be true opposites. The only complement they could provide was to stop the other. With Corvus’s tenuous control over his flames, a part of it made sense that Arabella was meant to ice him out when he lost control.
I grimaced.
There was something wrong with that dynamic.
It was utilitarian in its brutality, while an Ignis and Revered were supposed to be something more. Destined to help each other, not hurt.
My gut screamed at me that Arabella’s role wasn’t just to stop Corvus.
Last night, Orion had whispered in my ear that Corvus had kissed her like he was a dying man, and she was oxygen. I’d had to adjust myself in my pants.
Fuck, I wanted them both so badly.
In the present, scarlet flames crackled louder around Corvus; the temperature around Arabella dropped several degrees colder.
Instinct warned that their powers unleashed together would be cataclysmic and painful.
That was fine with me.
I welcomed the fallout.
Everyone else, including the soldiers we jogged beside down the path, were collateral. It had always been about her, but we’d been stupid fools unable to recognize it for what it was.
Now no one mattered but Arabella.
Period.
I was a Protector through and through.
When we entered the cafeteria, it was uncomfortably warm.
Soft breathing, rustling, and anticipation filled the largest structure of the camp and indicated about a hundred soldiers were present.
We gathered inside and stood at attention beside the rest of the camp.
Dick spoke loudly from the front of the hall, “The angels have located the first city-state and returned with coordinates. As you’ve been informed, this planet is composed of valley settlements separated by treacherous mountains.”
Steps echoed with the telltale click that all the boots of the High Court workers had as a person walked among the lines.
