---- 322.


    VACUUM JUMP ELLIOT Her reddened lips stopped sucking on me.


    I watched, exhaling deeply, as color returned to her face.


    Lifting my wrist, I licked the wound, tasting the faint traces of her saliva.


    My heart finally settled into ce, and that entity within me was calmer now that Rosse was alive.


    Why was she so important to him if I knew he had once hated her? Part of my visceral disdain for her came from his own raw emotions.


    Now that the immediate danger had passed, I carefully scanned my surroundings.


    Thad positioned myself with my back to the forest and my front toward the cliff to block the view from any lurking spies.


    I was always on guard for a sneak attack, but there seemed to be no one left nearby.


    However, before I could get up and figure out how to escape this precarious situation, with threats still looming, a thunderous noise of frenzied galloping and wheels dragging something reached my ears.


    My own horse, left to the side, reared up on its hind legs, neighing nervously.


    "Tom, easy, easy!" I roared.


    With Rosse unconscious in my arms, it was hard to keep him under control.


    ---- Tapproached cautiouslyhe seemedpletely out of control.


    Despite mymands, he suddenly let out a loud neigh and galloped away, disappearing into the side of the forest.


    Thad tamed him since he was a foalhe had never disobeyed me before.


    Something incredibly dangerous was approaching.


    I wanted to run in the same direction he had escaped, but it was already toote.


    Emerging from the forests mist was a stampede of the horses from my duchy.


    It seemed that the men I had left behind fighting after realizing the Duchess had been kidnappedhad been eliminated.


    Something had terrified the animals: fire.


    mes trailed behind two of them, setting aze what remained of our shattered carriage.


    Still attached by the shafts to the harnesses of the terrified horses, it was now barreling straight toward us, pushing us toward the edge of the cliff.


    Iran with Rosse in my arms, my boots kicking loose the gravel at the edge.


    There was no way out.


    Just one step back into nothingness.


    Ilooked downthe thick, white mist from the humidity obscured the bottom in the overwhelming darkness.


    I knew a river ran through here, but how deep was it? The height of this cliff seemed deadly.


    The pounding hooves, the desperate neighs, the crashing wood, the crackling mes, and the searing heat of the fire made me look forward ---- again.


    My pupils constricted at the sight of burning wooden debris flying over us.


    There was no other option.


    Be crushedperhaps burned aliveor jump ...


    and maybe drown.


    Iclutched my wife tightly and prayed I hadnt saved her only to lose her momentster.


    I leaped into the void, and behind me, the remains of my carriage zed, lighting up the night.


    The wind howled in my ears, whipped against my face.


    Ishielded Rosse against my chest and braced my legs, preparing to survive the plunge.


    The cold swallowed me whole.


    The water roared in my ears.


    I fought to protect her as the fierce current dragged us along.


    At least we hadnt hit any rocks on the way down.


    Swept downstream, holding Rosses lifeless weight while trying to kick against the current was a feat in itself.


    But I wasnt a pure elementalmy muscles burst with the power of my race, my lungs greedily seized air whenever I surfaced.


    The embers extinguished in the water.


    ming nks nearly crashed down on us, but the river was faster, carrying me forward.


    We bobbed up and down, swallowing water, my teeth clenched every time I mmed against a jagged edge.


    My only priority was keeping her above the surface, shielding her.