Chapter 24
twenty-four
H onestly, Rox had expected Bothvar to order his death much sooner. But no, he’d needed to keep talking until Bothvar was sick of listening to him so that Thursten had time to sneak around.
The entire plan being that with Lynck chasing after him, Thursten had a chance to kill Bothvar and break the bridle’s magic. Of course, if Bothvar killed Thursten, Rox wasn’t going to be far behind—there was only so much stalling he could manage as Lynck was much bigger and acting under compulsion.
And if Rox failed to keep Lynck from killing him, then Lynck would return to protect Bothvar and kill Thursten. The odds of the plan working were low.
As Rox ran through the woods, he realized why Lynck had warned him to let him go. And that this might have been a very large mistake, from which there was no coming back. It was already too late to change his mind.
He risked a glance over his shoulder. Lynck wasn’t gaining, even though Rox was sure a horse could outpace a human. He slowed as he reached the edge of the lake to avoid tripping over a fallen tree. Lynck stepped out from beneath the trees, the moonlight making his coat gleam as if he was made of magic and stardust. Across his nose was a line of black hair.
Not rushing was hurting him.
Shit.
“I know you don’t want to do this and that holding back is hurting.” Rox stepped over the fallen tree. Should he climb up a tree to buy more time? “Thursten is going to kill Bothvar. You need to hold out a bit longer…please.”
Lynck stepped over the tree, hooves gleaming and sharp, eyes dark and dangerous.
They were closer now. Rox wanted to back up some more, but running wasn’t going to solve this problem. He needed to dig in and stand his ground, even as the wet sand seeped through his runners and into his socks.
Talking wasn’t going to break the bridle where power tools had failed, but there were things he needed to say. That was a mistake he wasn’t going to make. “You can understand me while in horse form?”
Lynck nodded, a gesture that was far too human for a man who was currently a rather large horse.
Smoke coiled around Lynck’s face where the bridle touched his hair and skin. “Would you like me to put something between you and the bridle so it doesn’t burn? Will that help?”
Lynck tilted his head as if in thought, then gave another single nod.
Rox stripped off his hoodie, wishing he’d thrown a T-shirt on underneath as the night air chilled his skin. He took a couple of steps closer, well aware he was in biting and kicking distance. His heart hammered on his ribs. “This won’t take long.”
At least he hoped it wouldn’t. Using the fabric to protect his fingers, he slid the body of the hoodie beneath the chain that looped around the back of Lynck’s neck, then maneuvered the arm over the bridge of his nose. The skin was red and raw where the chain had already burned him.
“I’m sorry this is hurting you.” He swallowed, then stepped in and put his arms around his kelpie’s neck, hoping he wouldn’t be knocked over and trampled.
Lynck rested his head over Rox’s shoulder. His breath was warm on his bare back.
“I wish you really were my kelpie.” Rox rubbed his cheek against the soft hair. “Is it still hurting to resist?”
Lynck made a noise, which Rox took as confirmation.
“The odds of this plan ending badly are pretty high.”
Lynck snorted and stamped his hoof.
“But I don’t regret moving here and meeting you. With you, I’ve learned how to live again. Love. Something I didn’t think possible. I thought I was too damaged and too raw to risk my heart. I didn’t plan on risking it with you.” This was all so much easier to say while not looking at Lynck. “But I couldn’t help it. The more time I spent with you, the more time I wanted to spend with you, even after you told me about the bridle.”
He sniffed and drew in a breath, willing himself not to cry. This wasn’t how it ended. The little knot of fear in his gut twisted and tightened at the lie. If Bothvar killed Thursten, this was indeed how he ended.
Lynck turned his head away.
“What is it?”
Lynck nuzzled at his cheek and stepped back.
Rox grabbed the bridle, burning his fingers before he managed to push some cloth between his skin and the metal. “Bothvar just ordered your return, didn’t he?”
Lynck whinnied.
“No. You’re staying with me.”
Lynck backed up again, dragging Rox with him.
It didn’t matter how much he dug in his heels; he couldn’t stop Lynck. He’d just be dragged along.
“Why are you able to resist killing me but feel the urge to return immediately?” Why was he asking when Lynck couldn’t answer? “Please, stay here. Give Thursten time to help.”
Lynck tossed his head and turned as if to walk backward into the lake, and it took everything Rox had to keep hold of the bridle.
“I love you, and I’m trying to save you so we can finish the song. That’s what you want, right? You want to run along the beach with me? Swim in the lake? That’s what I want, too. But if you pull away and help Bothvar, you’ll not only kill your friend, but you’ll have to kill me.”
Lynck walked back until Rox was ankle-deep in the water.
He had to keep trying. He was damned now, no matter what happened.
“I know it hurts to resist, but you don’t want to kill anyone. I know you.” He reached up and touched Lynck’s nose. “I love you.”
Lynck froze, but his ears flicked forward.
“Yeah, shit timing, but I may not have another chance. I guess I won’t get to hear you say it, but it was in the music, right? Every note said how much you love me.” He’d kind of understood that, but he hadn’t been ready because he didn’t want to lose someone else.
Yet there he was. Standing on the edge of disaster once again.
Lynck bumped his nose against Rox’s, nearly knocking him over. Rox returned the gesture, barely able to breathe around the lump in his throat.
There wouldn’t be any farewell words or last embraces. This was it.
Lynck whickered, and it sounded almost musical…it took Rox several heartbeats to realize it was the song. He joined in, humming along.
He kissed Lynck’s nose. “Are you telling me that you love me?”
Lynck licked Rox’s cheek.
Shit, he was crying. He lifted his shoulder to dry his face of tears and kelpie spit, and the bridle, wrapped in the hoodie, came away in his hand.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Lynck lowered his head and melted as though made of liquid moonlight. When he stood, he was as Rox had always known him—like a man, but with hooves, tail, and ears, and covered in dappled white hair except for the fresh scar running across his nose and cheeks.
Lynck cupped Rox’s face and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. Rox lost his balance, and they both stumbled, falling to the wet sand.
“You broke it,” Lynck whispered.
“Did I? Or did Thursten kill Bothvar?”
“It was you. The spell trembled when you said you love me.” He kissed Rox again. “You are right; it is in the song. When you joined in?—”
“Then why didn’t it break when you played me the song? When I added to it?” But even as he said the words, Rox grasped the answer. Fear had been holding back both their hearts.
“We were too afraid to admit it,” Lynck confirmed. “It’s why Bothvar had me kill anyone I got close to.”
“Because if you fell in love and were loved in return, the bridle would break.”
“He can’t own my body when my heart belongs to someone else.” Lynck placed Rox’s hand over his chest.
“Your heart belongs to me?”
“It has from the moment I heard the first notes of our mating song, but I was holding it back, refusing to let it run.”
Rox nodded. He’d done the same, thinking that by wrapping his heart up and locking it away, he was protecting himself from ever getting hurt again. “It can run with mine.” They would be safe together. “Wait, if I broke the bridle, that means Thursten is still fighting.”
“And Bothvar will be expecting me.”
“What does that mean?”
“I need to shift and return.”
“Can you shift?”
Lynck smiled. “Yes. I’d ask you to stay away from the fight, but you won’t, so do you want a ride?”
“On your back?”
Lynck lifted his eyebrows as if that were obvious.
“I’ve never ridden.”
“You’ve ridden me.”
Rox’s cheeks heated. “That is different.”
“Not really. All you have to do is hold on and enjoy.” Lynck put his hands on the ground, and his body expanded. Static filled the air.
Then Rox was sitting between Lynck’s front hooves. He scrambled up, pulling on the hoodie and shoving the broken bridle in his pocket. Lynck walked over to the fallen tree and waited.
Rox understood what he was supposed to do without any words. He stepped onto the tree and, with all the grace of a man who had no idea what he was doing, swung his leg over and overbalanced, almost sliding off the other side. Lynck moved his body to recenter Rox.
“I told you it was different.”
Lynck made a sound as if he was laughing and took a couple of steps, giving Rox no choice but to hold on tight. He threw his arms around Lynck’s neck, burying his face in his mane, and they walked into the woods.