51. Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Janelle
T he heat was stifling. Absolutely incessant, and the longer they traveled, the more Janelle worried she might die of heatstroke. And not even in a dramatic way. She truly was concerned about surviving this trek to Alnwick. But then, just when she thought she couldn’t survive the heat anymore, a lake appeared in the distance. A gift from the gods themselves. Or maybe just the goddess, since it was the god of the sun who was torturing them like this to begin with.
Before she even asked, Erik steered Cinnamon straight to the glassy body of water, and within seconds, Janelle stripped down to her underclothes. With a deep breath of anticipation, she dove into the crystal-clear lake. She hoped she was right that it was deep enough, but it was hard to tell when she could see straight down to the bottom. Each rock and twig were clearly visible, as if she were looking through a piece of glass.
The water was gloriously cool as she submerged, holding her breath and staying under for as long as possible before finally popping her head back out, her lungs burning. She groaned dramatically.
"Stop enchanting the area and get in. We're fine. If Alaric shows up, we're dead anyway. Might as well save your energy and cool off."
Erik dropped his hands to his sides. "It's just to alert me if someone's coming. Give us a head start."
Janelle rolled her eyes but stayed silent, floating on her back and staring up at the blood-red sky. It was disgustingly hot, and she wished they could just stay in the water until the war was over and the sun god calmed the fuck down. Seriously, he was like a child throwing a temper tantrum. He didn't get his way, so now he was trying to smoke them out? Cook them alive? It had been over a week of nonstop heat, with no end in sight.
A zipper scratched open, and Janelle lifted her head, her body warming as Erik stripped down to nothing and waded into the water from the shore, choosing the more cautious route over diving headfirst from the overhang. Once Erik was shoulder-deep, Janelle paddled over to him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"See? It feels so good, doesn’t it?" she asked, wiggling against him.
Erik's enormous hands slid from her shoulders down her back to cup her butt, tilting her against him. "It'd feel better without your underclothes still on. Is there a reason you didn’t take them off?" he asked, fingering the strap of her bra.
"Well, I didn’t want to distract you, of course."
"You always distract me," Erik said, leaning in and brushing kisses up the side of her neck. "You could be wearing a wool sack that covered you from head to toe, and I would still be completely distracted."
"Well, if that’s the case..." Janelle's hands moved to the hem of her tank top, peeling it up over her torso slowly, her best attempt at being sexy. "You know, we haven’t tried to see if the mate bond will snap into place again. We haven’t done it in the water. Maybe that’s what was missing. Maybe my magic is tied to the water—my mom always told me I swim like a fish."
Erik laughed, that beautiful, booming echo that made Janelle fall deeper in love with him every time she heard it. "I don’t need the mate bond, but I’m certainly not opposed to trying. "
He raised his eyebrows, helping her slide the wet bra off her arms. It had just cleared her fingertips when the earth beneath them groaned—a low, ominous rumble that seemed to come from deep within the ground. The water surrounding them rippled violently, distorting the reflection of the sky above them. The trees swayed with unnatural force, their leaves shaking and floating to the ground like it was the changing of seasons.
Janelle’s breath caught in her throat, her heart hammering in a sudden panic as she turned to Erik. "What’s happening?" Her voice trembled, barely audible above the growing roar beneath their feet. "Have you felt anything like this before?"
Erik’s expression darkened, the playful gleam in his eyes replaced with something grim and uncertain. "No," he said, shaking his head as he scanned the forest. He clenched his jaw, his cheek muscles bunching. "But I’ve heard of it—an earthquake. There was one several years ago in Calir. Half the castle had to be rebuilt. We need to get out from under these trees. Now."
Without another word, he pulled her out of the water and onto the trembling ground. Janelle’s hands fumbled as she threw on her leggings and top, her fingers clumsy with panic. She could barely think straight, her mind spinning as she tried to process what was happening. The earth trembled again, harder this time. Branches cracked and groaned overhead, threatening to crash to the ground and block their escape.
Cinnamon reared, her eyes widening as she bucked nervously, spinning in circles, and Erik rushed to her, grabbing her reins to soothe her.
"Whoa, girl," Erik murmured, his voice calm and steady despite the fear on his own face. He yanked hard on the reins, and she stopped rearing, pawing her feet at the ground as if begging them to mount her so they could escape.
Janelle’s heart raced as she stuffed their shoes into the saddlebag, her mind screaming at her to run, but her feet were rooted to the ground. The world around them was falling apart, and she couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Erik had always been her rock, a constant steadying presence, but right now, even he seemed shaken.
As if she were made of feathers, Erik picked her up and threw her onto Cinnamon’s back, climbing up behind her in an instant. A tree branch split, crashing in a cloud of dust beside them, and Cinnamon reared again, twisting in circles in utter panic. She’d been trained for battle. Trained to ignore loud noises and to run without rest for days. But she’d never been trained for the earth crumbling beneath her feet.
Before they could be thrown from the saddle, Erik pulled them both off, his muscular arms steady despite the earth shattering beneath them. "We have to run," he said, his voice urgent as he grabbed Janelle’s hand and yanked her forward. "There’s a clearing nearby, I think. We’ll be safer there."
They barely made it a few steps before the earth lurched beneath them again, this time with a violent jolt that sent Janelle stumbling. A fissure cracked open ahead of them, a jagged scar in the ground that seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions. The dirt buckled and bowed as if it were being ripped apart.
Janelle didn’t even have a chance to scream as a massive tree tilted dangerously to the side, its roots snapping violently as it toppled toward them.
"Move!" Erik shouted, his voice sharp with panic. He yanked her back just as the tree crashed to the ground, missing her by mere feet. The impact was so violent that the earth around it exploded, sending dirt and debris flying in every direction.
Janelle’s breath came in ragged gasps, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest. For a moment, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The terrifying force of the earth’s anger, the way the ground trembled beneath her feet—it was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Erik climbed on top of the fallen tree, searching for a way to escape.
"Erik, watch out!" she screamed, her voice raw with fear as another tree tilted dangerously toward him.
Erik dodged to the side, barely avoiding the falling trunk. He turned to her, his eyes wide and filled with a terror that mirrored her own. For the first time, she saw fear in him—real, gut-wrenching fear—and it sent a fresh wave of panic surging through her.
"Janelle!" he screamed, his voice hoarse with desperation. But it was too late.
She hadn’t seen it—a thick branch, as wide as her torso, falling from above. It crashed into her back and hip with bone-shattering force, the weight of it sending her sprawling to the ground. Agony tore through her body, stars dotting her vision as a scream ripped from her throat. It felt as though her bones had splintered into tiny slivers that were stabbing into her bloodstream and circulating through her body.
Erik was at her side in an instant, his face twisted in horror as he ripped the branch from her body. His hands were shaking, and there was no trace of his usual calm as he pressed his palms to her broken ribs, his magic surging through her. "You’re going to be okay," he said, his voice breaking as he poured healing energy into her. "Just hold on. Please, just hold on."
Janelle’s vision swam with tears, the pain so intense it blurred the world around her. She wanted to beg him to take her away, to carry her out of the chaos, but all she could do was sob as wave after wave of agony crashed over her. Erik’s magic eased the pain, but it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t even think.
"I’ve got you," Erik whispered, his voice tight with emotion. He scooped her into his arms, holding her close as branches crashed all around them, the earth still trembling beneath his feet, and ran. Faster than she had ever seen him move, Erik leapt over fallen trees, dodging craters as the world crumbled. His jaw was set with fierce determination, his muscles straining as he held her tightly against his chest, trying not to jostle her body.
"Just a little further," he murmured, his voice barely audible above the roar of the collapsing forest and blood pounding in her ears. "I’ve got you. You’re safe."
And somehow, through the haze of pain and fear, Janelle believed him. She believed him, because Erik had always been her protector. Honest and steady and true. Even now, with the world unraveling around them, she had no doubt he would find a way to get them out of it.
Branches continued to crash down as they neared the clearing, but Janelle could feel her grip on consciousness slipping. The edges of her vision blurred, darkness creeping in as her body gave in to the overwhelming pain and exhaustion. Erik’s voice grew faint, distant, and he cried out in relief at the sight of a clearing ahead.
As Erik laid her gently on the ground, her vision dimmed completely, and she surrendered to the sweet, merciful pull of unconsciousness. He cupped his hand against her cheek, tapping it, trying to wake her, but it was no use. The last thing she heard was his voice, full of love and fear, whispering her name.