Page 34 of Enchanting Her Mate
I close the distance between my palms, pressing them together before I push them apart in a downward sweeping motion that sends me hurtling back down. The moment my feet connect with the ground, a deep crack forms in the land between my feet, shaking the entire village. But I do not care about the state of the village, or if the entire planet of Oluura crumbles to dust. I only care about Alu, and whether she will survive. I need her to survive.
If she does not, it will be from Tibik’s doing.
Slamming my hand over the crack, a bolt of orange light shoots from my fingertips and races toward Tibik through the soil.
It is the strongest surge of power I have ever felt, and it should frighten me, especially when I do not turn away from it. But it does not. The deeper I lean into the power, the more it feels right.
I feel it rip through the ground as if the bolt is an extension of my body, and when it hits Tibik, I revel in the feel of it slicing through his insides. It burns his muscles, cuts through bone, and I cannot help but smile as his organs shut down one by one. Then his heartbeat slows and eventually comes to a stop.
My gaze lands on Alu, and I race to her side as fast as my feet will take me. I kneel next to her crumpled form lying in the dirt as tears stain my cheeks. “Alu!” I cry out, gently turning her onto her back.
Nee-roh, Kayt, and Varrek quickly surround us with matching looks of dread.
“She’ll be okay,” Kayt says, her tone distant and unconvincing.
“Alussanai!” Nee-roh shouts, shaking her shoulders.
“Be careful!” Kayt yells as she pulls his hands away. “If she’s badly injured, you’re going to make it worse.”
I do not even know if Alu is breathing until a pained groan escapes her lips. She opens her eyes slowly, her gaze moving around to each face until it finally lands on mine. “Jo,” she says, her voice a scratchy whisper, her entire body shivering.
In the background, I hear relieved sighs from Kayt and Nee-roh, but I do not pay attention to them. Alu is alive and there is love in her eyes when she looks at me.
“Alu!” I say in a choked sob as I press her palm against my cheek. “Vana kiyle tu benof charchery vunup xi hulliya bo wqikiva. Kukuvai qpi mussaw kwe dinl sah ul nuzilba.”
Her eyes water upon hearing the Sufoian phrase draxilio mothers would say to their children. Then she smiles so wide, light shines in her eyes.
“Are you hurt? Do you wish to sit up?” Quickly, I look over her body and do not see any visible injuries or wounds, but it is possible Tibik caused internal damage.
“Jo,” she whispers again. “My Jo.”
I cover her face with light kisses as I continue to cry. I cannot believe I almost lost her right after learning she is the one who I am meant to spend my life with.
She groans again, trying, and failing, to push herself up.
“Let us help you,” I tell her. Nee-roh and I support her back as she pulls her upper body forward, and eventually we get her settled into a seated position.
She rubs a hand on the back of her neck as she looks around, confused. “What happened?” she asks. Then, in the span of a heartbeat, her eyes widen as she grabs my wrist. “Did you win? Are you Prime Hexrin of the coven?”
I had forgotten all about theKituva Bravatithe moment Tibik trapped Alu inside that orb. Although, I suppose, since Tibik is dead, the role is now mine for the taking, despite not having completed the final phase. I never did bring that fish back from the dead.
Realizing how little the title matters to me, I take Alu’s face in my hands and press my forehead against hers. “I do not care about anything but you, Alu. You are my mate. My inara. I felt the tether the moment I smelled your fear. Your fear! It was there.”
She chuckles as she wraps her hands around my wrists. “When you fell, I did not know what was happening to me,” she whispers, “I was so afraid of losing you.”
“I thought I had lost you too,” I admit. “It was the worst moment of my life.”
She presses her lips against mine, and her taste eases the panic that still twists my insides. The kiss is somewhat clumsy, and our tears continue to fall as our tongues swirl around each other, but I do not care. Alu is alive, and she is mine.
Or…is she? I suppose we have not addressed that yet.
I pull back to look at her and take a deep breath. “Alussanai, will you be my mate?” I ask.
She chuckles as she peppers my cheeks with featherlight kisses. “Yes,” she says, pulling me down on top of her. “Yes, I will be your mate.”
“Oh, wait,” she says, her sudden hesitation filling me with worry. “Are you certain there is room for me in the coven house? That is where you wish to live, yes?”
“Well, yes,” I tell her. “I will need to spend the majority of my time there.”