She didn’t even care that the inside of her mouth felt like it was coated in soil after hours of inhaling the material.
She didn’t care about any of that because she was staring into Nikhail’s gorgeous, amber eyes that felt like they looked into her soul. The ones she’d feared she’d never, ever see again.
“Hey, Princess,” Nikhail said roughly.
And fucking gods.
Hearing Nikhail’s voice was even better than seeing him again.
River and Arlo had been digging for hours. The backup Ryker had called arrived a while ago, and they’d brought collapsible shovels with them, which had sped up the process significantly.Especially once they’d been able to communicate with Nikhail on the other side of the barrier and dig in a coordinated spot.
Every part of River hurt; her muscles ached, and she was incredibly tired, but it had all been worth it.
River could hear the others speaking behind her, but their words weren’t registering. Nothing was, except the fact that she could see Nikhail through the hole they’d been digging. It wasn’t very large yet, certainly not sizable enough for a man of Nikhail’s size to crawl through.
But Ryker had always called River “Shortie” for a reason, and she had never appreciated her stature more. Thank the fucking gods, she wouldn’t have to wait another moment with this barrier between her and Nikhail.
Dropping her collapsible shovel, River wiped as much dirt off her face as she could, and she half-jumped, half-shimmied through the hole. It was awkward, thanks to its position at her eye level, and her feet flailed behind her. There was no way to do this gracefully.
The lack of grace didn’t bother her either, because strong, familiar hands wrapped around her shoulders and hauled her through the gap.
Nikhail settled her on her feet, his left hand holding her hip, while his right traveled to her face. He cupped her cheek, his thumb trailing down her skin.
It felt like an eternity passed before he breathed, “I thought you promised to stay put.”
“I did,” she said.
“You’re not great at listening.”
“Sometimes, I am. Not this time, though.”
River raised her hand, wrapping her fingers around Nikhail’s arm. The air fae looked down at her wrist, and his breath caught. She didn’t need to follow suit to see what had caught his attention.
“You took them off,” Nikhail said, because he noticed. Of course, he did. This air fae of hers saweverything.
“I found a key in the safe house, and I needed them gone.”
A long moment passed before Nikhail’s lips quirked up. Approval shone in his gaze.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said. “I knew you could withstand the storm.”
Embers of warmth sparked in River’s stomach, and her lips quirked up into a small smile.
“You showed me how strong I am,” she murmured.
River used to think she was cursed, and maybe she was. Her mother obviously felt that way. But if there was one thing that Nikhail had taught her, it was that even Cursed Ones could withstand their storm, with the right person by their side.
And without a doubt, Nikhail was that person for River.
Another eternity passed.
Gods above, it felt like River’s heart was going to escape from her chest. Her skin was electrified, simply from being near Nikhail. He had barely touched her, and yet it felt like fire was blazing through her.
He had to feel this, too, right? The unraveling of all the tension that River had been carrying for days. The way her magic, which had been a crashing storm in her veins, calmed when they were near each other.
There was no way she was alone in this.
“I hope you’re not angry that I came,” River said. “I was so worried about you, and I couldn’t sit still and do nothing.” He hadn’t spoken yet, and her words started coming faster. “When someone I love is in danger, I’ll do anything for them.”