Page 26 of Kissed By the Sun
Thorn's eyes scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of hope. When he turned to face me I knew that there was nothing else left. It was written all over his face.
This watchtower was going to be our grave one way or another.
“Do you trust me?” he asked quietly.
I glanced up at him and nodded.
His sword flashed out and sliced one of the corrupted fae in two, each half tumbling in a way that it knocked two other corrupted fae down from where they’d been trying to climb up.
“I need to hear it, Moon Maiden.”
The nickname struck something within me and I felt lighter.
The words tumbled from me with nothing but sincerity behind them. “I trust you.” It was one of the things I knew to be true about myself. After everything that had happened.
He slid an arm around my waist and pulled me against himself. “This is going to hurt. I’m sorry.”
Panic flared bright and hot within me. I wasn’t ready to jump off the roof quite yet, but it seemed that Thorn had come to that conclusion earlier than I had.
He clutched me, holding me close as he backed us toward the edge.
My breath began coming in gasps as I started to have to fight not to struggle against him.
I trusted him.
I did.
But was I ready to die with him?
Chapter
Thirteen
Senara
The world tiltedas Thorn leapt from the crumbling watchtower, his arms wrapped tightly around me. Wind whipped my hair as they plummeted towards the ground far below. The horde of corrupted fae swarmed at the edge of the tower's roof, some even falling off as they continued to try and reach us. Their twisted faces and grasping claws fading from view.
My heart pounded. This was it. The end. I clutched Thorn fiercely, burying my face in his chest. His warmth enveloped me, a final comfort as death rushed to meet them.
"I'm sorry," Thorn's voice was barely audible over the rushing wind even though I could feel his lips moving against my hair and the rumble of his voice in his chest vibrating into me. "I couldn't save us."
I raised my head, meeting his anguished gaze as I tried to say something but the ground hurtled closer. All I could do was squeeze my eyes shut and brace for impact. At least we would die together.
Suddenly, searing heat erupted around me. My eyes flew open as flames engulfed Thorn's body, spreading to consume me as well. A scream ripped from my throat, agony filling me as fire licked across my skin.
"Thorn! What's happening?" I cried, struggling in his grasp.
His eyes blazed with an otherworldly light, his Sun Kissed mark seeming to take over both of his eyes instead of just the one.. "Trust me," he growled through gritted teeth.
The inferno intensified, the pain becoming unbearable. My vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges. Just before I lost consciousness, time seemed to freeze and I became acutely aware of everything around me, the bite of the cold wind even through the heat of the flames, the scent of something burning filling my nose, which wasn’t surprising.
It was the sound of Thorn’s voice that had me glancing up at him to see if he was experiencing the same strange pause in time that seemed to surround me. I found him watching me with sorrow and regret filling his gaze. He blinked and the emotions morphed into a fierce determination, his voice grew to a primal roar as he chanted words in an ancient tongue. Even though we were still falling, we had slowed to a crawl. It was enough that Thorn could let me go and draw the small throwing knife he kept on his belt.
"By the eternal flame, I offer my life's blood," Thorn intoned, his voice resonating with power. "Spare her, take me instead!" I wasn’t sure why I understood him all of a sudden unless he’d switched back to the common tongue. Somehow I didn’t think he had though. It was more like my brain was being forced to understand exactly what he was doing.
Before I could make sense of anything he’d drawn the knife across his wrist. Crimson droplets surged out of him only to hang suspended in the air, glowing like embers. I gasped, "Thorn, no!"
But it was too late.
