Bleeding Ink

Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Having only heard about the oskurreia through stories from her family and even in texts about the Dark Wars, Dessa froze at the sight of the blackened, skeletal creatures that roamed through every street of Arloerin, carrying their poison covered weapons, sharp teeth and talons glistening with blood. Weapons they used to take down almost every guardsmen that aimed to stop them. Few survived and continued shouting orders to head for the main market square where everyone saw Cleo and Ollyn go down.

Her portal had brought them to a short street that ended at a tavern. Every window was either boarded up or protected with magic or both as they started running in the same direction as everyone else.

Elys had yet to let go of Dessa's hand, for which she was grateful for. Though he'd been the tether that helped her focus, he was now her anchor in every way, holding her steady and calm even as chaos continued around them. His stifling hold on their mating bond disappeared, filling her heart and soul and body with every bit of his love and strength. And somehow, even with everything going on around them, he still managed to meet her gaze, pulling her to a stop as Milena, Eamon, and Archer ran ahead.

With one flicker of magic, Elys had no trouble stopping time around them, making every shout and screech cut off. The only thing heard was their labored breathing and Dessa's heart thundering in her ears.

"You stay by my side," Elys told her, reaching up to take her face in his hands before leaning his forehead against hers.

Dessa nodded, covering his hands and gripping his tightly. "Forever."

"And I will stay by yours."

"You'd better. Don't think you have a choice, Seer."

He closed his eyes, nodding in agreement, fingers trembling as he held her.

With his voice shaking, it didn't take her long to piece everything together from what happened that morning. "Is that what you saw? Because in those flashes of your vision, I heard..."

But Elys cut her off with a kiss, gathering her up in his arms and pulled her close as if they had all the time in the world. In that moment, with everything frozen around them, they could.

Even when they pulled apart, his lips brushed against hers with every word. "When something happens to me, Des," he whispered, mismatched blue eyes blazing into hers. "You can't just stop everything. They're going to need you for this, just like you've always saw in those nightmares you have. And I hate that they've somehow managed to go to you, even though I'm the one whose been seeing it play out over and over again."

The revelation had Dessa pulling back an inch. "What are you...?"

"The nightmare you've had since you were little is one of my visions, one that hadn't changed since this morning...when I can no longer see past it. I see nothing, Des, and I've tried everything I could to change it. I don't know if it's me or if it's that damn dark magic, but it still scares the shit out of me. All I know is I can't see anything past this next hour anymore."

Dessa's heart jumped in her throat as tears burned in her eyes. "You can't mean..."

No. She absolutely refused to believe what he saw was the end of him and his life. It couldn't be.

But she'd seen it, too. That future he showed her, disappearing into nothing.

Elys's hands brushed her hair back where a few strands had fallen across her face. He was really looking at her then, memorizing every feature as if he never had before. "I love you, Dessa Jai Deverell Ayveri. And even though I've told you every chance I could since I first said those words to you last night, I want to tell you again. Just in case."