ELIA

It was the pain that dragged her back. She fought it for a time, unwilling to face it again.

Her body was on fire. Her stomach and legs felt as if they rested in the forger's flame. She didn't want to move, or breathe. But she had no choice.

She was still here. Still alive. And she could smell Reth.

She could also smell blood—his as well as hers.

She forced her eyes open to find him leaning over her, his eyes red with grief, face pale and gray.

"Reth?

" Her voice was little more than a rough breath, but his eyes widened.

"My life for yours…

" he whispered.

"My blood that yours might not be spilled.

"

He was so beautiful, the best sight she could have asked for. She wanted to smile, to kiss him, to reach for him. If only she didn't hurt so.

But then his eyes… rolled in his head.

"Reth… what?

"

Without a sound, Reth slumped onto her shoulder, his great body hitting the furs next to her and jiggling her body in a way that made her cry out.

She sucked in a breath, bracing against the pain and turning to tell Reth that she hurt… but Reth hadn't opened his eyes. He lay next to her, his face inches from hers, his chin levered on her shoulder, jaw slack.

And his skin was so pale.

"Reth? RETH?!

"

"Elia, you can't move! He's healing you and I have to… I have to help!

"

"Help him! He's dying!

" Elia shrieked, trying and failing to roll to face him—the weight of his arm on her burning stomach, and her own weakness conspiring to keep her on her back. But she lifted her arm to grab for him—only to find it tugged back to the bed by some strange thing in her arm, and a pipe that hurt when she moved.

"Jayah! Get the bloodsharing disconnected, NOW!

" Aymora snarled.

Elia's heart pounded. What had they done? What had Reth done? Why was he unconscious and so pale, while she was awake?

Then she grunted as a pain so intense it seared to her bones, came alight in her belly. She gave a guttural scream and tried to curl herself around her stomach, but Jayah had her arm on one side, and Aymora was leaning on her thigh on the other.

"What… what did he do?

" she gasped, groaning against the pain.

She could feel her flesh knitting back together. Feel everything sucking towards the wound and something… something at work there, as if her flesh crawled with electric pain.

"He shared his blood with you, then cut himself and bled for your wound, Elia. He… he made me… he saved you. He did it, Elia. He saved you.

"

"Then save him!

" she cried. She tried to roll again, but her body screamed at her and lights flashed behind her eyes.

"Aymora! Save him! He's going!

"

Jayah finally let go of her arm and began working on Reth's, whipping the coils up and way, disconnecting whatever the sharp thing was in his flesh, and quickly wrapping the wound, placing pressure with one thumb on the bandage as she pulled the contraption away and tossed it to the floor behind her with the other.

Then Aymora crawled up onto the blood soaked furs, pulling Reth's arm off of Elia's belly.

"He did it,

" she whispered, shaking her head even as she turned his arm over and began to work to close it, pressing a thick wad of cloth over the wound he'd made.

"I can't believe he did it.

" Aymora wrapped his arm tightly so the wad of cloth was held, pressed against the wound.

"Now we pray, Elia. He wanted me to choose you over him, but… but I will honor him as he honored you. We will do everything in our power, it is the Creator who chooses life or death. So pray, my daughter. Pray. Your mate stands at the door. And death is knocking.

"

A cry broke in Elias throat. She still couldn't roll properly, but as Jayah and Aymora both began to work on Reth, lifting his legs and repositioning his body on his side so he faced her completely, his face was still turned towards her—and still terrifyingly pale.

She reached for him, cupping his beautiful face in her hand and whispering his name, calling to him to come back to her.

"Don't leave me, Reth. Please. Please. Don't do it. Be here with me. Open your eyes my love,

" she cried.

"Please, Reth. Please.

"

But the only movement was his body jiggling as Aymora and Jayah worked to make sure he wasn't losing any more blood.

Stretching her face forward hurt her stomach as if she was being stabbed, but she did it anyway, pulling his face closer and brushing his lips with hers.

"Please, Reth. Feel me, I'm here. I'm awake. You saved my life. Now… please… save your own. Elreth needs us both.

"

Elreth.

Elia blinked and looked down. Her belly was wide and swollen, but no longer protruding. No longer hard.

A spear of ice ran through her heart. Where was her daughter? What had happened?

Aymora caught her gaze and shook her head. For a moment, everything in Elia dropped, as if she'd stepped off a cliff, but then Aymora growled,

"She's only deeper in the cave with the Pride mother, Elia. We'll bring her to you as soon as Reth's safe.

"

And Elia's heart surged into her throat, tears pinching and choking her.

Then she grabbed for Reth again.

"You have to come back to me,

" she pleaded.

"You have to be here to show your daughter how to be strong, as you are. How to rule. I can't teach her that, Reth. That has to be you. Please…

"

But then she heard it… His big, deep chest, resonant and thrumming with his heart, suddenly silent.

She, Aymora and Jayah all froze.

"Reth?

" Elia whispered.

"His heart, Jayah! Now!

" Aymora cried, heaving Reth onto his back and leaping to straddle him, her hands clasped over his sternum as she began to pump his chest.

Without a word, Jayah tipped his head back and began to breathe for him.