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The dam remained intact Which of her breaths would be her last?

"LORCAN!"

A pained groan answered from behind

Elide twisted in the saddle and scanned the path of Valg dead behind her

A broad, tanned hand rose froht for purchase on a soldier’s breastplate Not twenty feet away

A sob cracked fro, bloodied hand The horse skidded to a halt, gore flying from her hooves Elide threw herself fro toward hiainst her skin as she shoved away deht Lorcanoff the bodies piled atop hie a soldier sprawled over him

Elide took one look at the injury to Lorcan’s middle and tried not to fall to her knees

His blood leaked everywhere, the wound not closed--not in the way that Fae should be able to heal themselves The injury that had felled him would have been catastrophic, if it had taken all his power to heal him this little

But she did not say that Did not say anything other than, "The dam is about to break"

Black blood splattered Lorcan’s ashen face, his dark eyes fogged with pain Elide braced her feet, sing her screaet you out of here"

His breathing was a wet rasp as she tried to lift hiht as well have been as ied, voice breaking "We have to get you out of here"

His legs shifted, drawing an agonized groan She had never heard him so much as whimper Had never seen him unable to rise

"Get up," she said "Get up"

Lorcan’s hands gripped her waist, and Elide couldn’t stop her cry of pain at the weight he placed on her, the bones in her foot and ankle grinding together His legs not even kneeling beneath hied him "Get up"

But his dark eyes shifted to the horse

Farasha approached, steps unsteady over the corpses She did not so rasped the bottom straps of the saddle, his other hand on Elide’s shoulder, and ed Fresh blood dribbled fro over the crusted rean to rise, Elide beheld the wound slicing up the left side of his back

Flesh lay open--bone peeking through

Oh gods Oh gods

Elide ducked further under hihs burning, ankle shrieking, Elide pushed up

Lorcan pulled at the saain, his body teetering--

"Don’t stop," Elide hissed "Don’t you dare stop"

His breath caot his feet under hi his arrip the saddle To cling to it

He panted and panted, fresh blood sliding froony But they had no choice None at all

"Now up" She didn’t let him hear her terror and despair "Get into that saddle"

He leaned his brow against Farasha’s dark side Swaying enough that Elide wrapped a careful ar die," she snapped "And you’re not dead yet We’re not dead yet So get in that saddle"

When Lorcan did nothing other than breathe and breathe and breathe, Elide spoke again

"I promised to always find you I promised you, and you promised me I came for you because of it; I am here because of it I aet onto that horse noon’t stand a chance against that dam We will die"

Lorcan panted for another heartbeat Then another And then, gritting his teeth, his hands white-knuckled on the saddle, he lifted his leg enough to slide one foot into the stirrup

Noould be the true test: thatover Farasha’s body, to the other side of the saddle