Tissaia whirled and her eyes flew wide at the sight. Kaius was pinned on the ground by the Lion she'd seen earlier. His hands were stuck down by brutal talons and there was nothing she could do as the beast's jaws lashed towards his throat. Kaius's head bashed into the Lion's nose, dazing the beast enough to spare his neck.

    One of its back legs came up and planted on Kaius's middle. He gave another pained holler as talons gouged through his flesh, but still he wedged his foot between himself and the Lion. He slammed his boot into the beast's gut, managing to wrench its claws free of his abdomen, but blood soaked his shirt and the ground around him.

    Before Tissaia could let another arrow fly, her brother was there. Talarion threw himself off his horse and onto the Lion's back. His dagger flashed before it disappeared into the nape of the beast's skull. The Lion gave a bloodcurdling roar and Talarion sliced his blade through its thick pelt and down its spine. The creature shrieked again, falling to the ground and going still as its golden fur was stained crimson.

    He rushed to Kaius and hauled the male to his feet, healing magic already shining at his fingertips, but more snarls were coming from the trees. There were other Blood Fae moving in. "Split up!" Talarion ordered. "We'll be able to lose them faster and separate their numbers! Meet at Oriana's Pavilion as soon as it's safe!"

    Tissaia gave a sharp nod and Talarion pushed Kaius onto his own mount, then swung up behind him. Tissaia rounded in search of Azael's horse, but found it already galloping towards her with the Prince on its back. More Wolves broke from the treeline with furious howls, but Tissaia didn't spare them a glance.

    Azael hung down from the saddle and she caught her arm around his neck as he thundered past, his own arm snagging her by the waist and hauling her up in front of him. She had an arrow readied the next second and fired at the closest Blood Fae, plunging the arrowhead straight through the beast's eye and downing it.

    She kept firing while Azael guided their mount through the forest, and pushed the fear from her mind when she realized she could no longer see Talarion and Kaius. Her brother's plan was working. The Blood Fae had split up to follow them, and that left two for each group. Talarion and Kaius could handle themselves.

    She would have to take down the Wolf and Panther still following her and Azael, and soon. She could feel the warmth of Azael's blood still seeping through his clothes and into her own, and her own wounds had left her head heavy and pounding from pain and blood loss.

    But she couldn't heal them until they were safe. Tissaia drew a steadying breath and twisted, angling her bow across Azael's shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, and she let the arrow fly.

•༻☽☾༺•

    Azael kept one hand clutching the reins in a death grip while his other arm was locked around Tissaia's waist, keeping her secure in the saddle while she fired at the Shifters chasing after them. He'd heard a few pained yelps and knew she'd hit her targets, but apparently not in the right spots to kill them.

    He blinked swiftly as the forest blurred into a smear of green, then cleared again. That wasn't a good sign. He had moved his belt up and it was as tight around his waist as it could be, keeping one of his spare shirts pressed against the worst of his wounds, but there were still the gashes in his chest and fire blazed through his neck and shoulder.
   
    He'd lost a lot of blood before managing to staunch the worst of it, but even now he could feel it seeping into the cloth. Not to mention he and Tissaia's clothes were still soaked, and he could feel her shivering from both cold and exertion. She was panting hard as she raised another arrow to her bow.

    He barely registered the dull twang as it was released. His surroundings blurred again and he felt himself tipping forward, his weight falling into Tissaia. He managed to catch himself, but only just.

    "The Wolf is dead," Tissaia rasped with audible relief. "And the Panther slowed down." She nocked one last arrow and aimed it over his shoulder. Wind brushed against his cheek and a sharp yelp came from behind. Tissaia's shoulders fell with a release of tension. "I got it."

    "Can you heal me now?" Azael groaned. Black dots spotted his vision and this time, he couldn't catch himself. His head grew leaden and pulled him sideways. He tipped over the side of the horse and hit the ground hard. Tissaia shouted something, his name he thought, but sounds were muffled and his vision remained blurred.

    His horse skidded to a halt and Tissaia's feet hit the ground. He could feel the faint vibrations of her footsteps before she reached him. He let out a soft groan as she twisted him onto his back and pried his belt loose, removing his makeshift bandage.

    The shirt was completely soaked through with blood. Sounds filtered in and out of his ears, then gave way to a sharp ringing. Blackness spread across his vision and he was falling into some unknown depths, as though the ground had opened up and swallowed him whole.

    Then a palm collided with his cheek and the pain jolted him back to himself. Tissaia slapped him again, then doubled over him, magic leaping across her hands as she healed him. "Keep your eyes open, you asshole!" She seethed at him. "Why didn't you say something earlier!"

    His eyes rolled back and she slapped him on both sides of his face this time. "Azael! Darling, look at me! You fucking prick, look at me!" He managed to, though her features were a scrambled mess, just a pale smear capped with ebony.

    Gradually his surroundings began to clear and he was aware of the pain in his body reducing. When he could finally make out Tissaia's features, he found them twisted in rage and fear. She glanced at him and bared her teeth in a vengeful snarl. "Why would you come with us if you're just going to throw yourself into harm's way like this? I'm not here just to fix you up!"

    There was only pure anger in her voice. She was angry? Angry that he had protected her? Angry that he'd been injured? Angry that he had sworn to himself that he would never let another person he knew come home as a corpse ravaged by Blood Fae? Especially not her. And his thanks was being cursed out like some sort of inconvenience.

    Azael shoved her hand away and twisted onto his side. "I'm not done," Tissaia spat.

    "Clearly you are!"

    "Don't yell at me when you were the one who waited until he was almost dying before saying he needed to be healed."

    "You couldn't have done that and killed the Blood Fae." He managed to sit up and met her gaze. Tissaia glared at him and he glared right back. "If I'm such a fucking inconvenience to you, I'll leave. Tell me that's what you want me to do. Command me, Tissaia, and it will be done. I'll let the three of you finish this on your own."

    "You're being dramatic," she retorted.

    "Am I? The entire time I've been here you've acted like you want me gone. I know why. I know I'm just getting in your way and making things difficult."

    "I wanted you gone? You're the one who wants me gone!" Tissaia leaped to her feet and curled her hands into fists, power dancing around them. "Ever since we were engaged you've acted like you wanted nothing to do with me! You've taken every opportunity to push me away and act like I don't exist! And now you have the fucking nerve to accuse me of doing that to you? Acting as though I've hurt you? You hurt me every day that I'm with you!"

    "Then why have you never broken our betrothal? That's as much on you as it is me." Her fists were shaking now, but she took a step back rather than lunging at him like he anticipated. A glassy sheen filled her eyes but her features remained twisted with anger. "You have every right to end our betrothal. I won't stop you. I've all but told you to do it myself."

    "You have no idea what would happen to me if I did that!" She hissed, and something twisted within his gut as a tear slipped down her cheek. "What have I ever done wrong, Azael?"

    "What have I done to deserve being treated like nothing more than a tool for our fathers and amusement for you? I've always tried to be there for you. To be your friend, your ally...I'd be your gods-damned wife by now too if you didn't have such a massive stick up your ass. I was the only one who understood you and helped you when your mother died!"

    "I didn't want you then and I don't want you now." He flung the words at her with all the venom he could muster, even as it cracked his own heart within his chest. "And you have never wanted me. Maybe my father was right. Maybe you are just playing me for a fool."

    "I don't have to play you for one, Darling. You are a fool, and you're more deluded than I thought possible if you would believe your father over me. I've never lied to you. That's all your father does."

    "Like Hel you haven't," Azael snarled. "How long have you been sneaking around with Kaius behind my back? I've tried to look the other way because I know that he's what you deserve, but I at least thought you'd have the decency to end our betrothal before making your affair public. Everyone was talking about it at the ball. That's why I broke that counselor's jaw. He called you a whore, and by defending you, I just made myself out to be as deluded as my father is."

    A wild look filled Tissaia's eyes and he didn't have a chance to react before her hand lashed out, smacking his face to the side with enough force to throw him to his knees and left his jaw throbbing. "How dare you!" She screamed, bending down so that her voice carried right in his ear.

    "How dare you accuse me of something you have no proof of. How dare you accuse me of being anything like that piece of shit you call Father. How dare you accuse me of being anything like you! No wonder your mother left. She must have hated you both!"

    The tide broke through his mind, dragging him back down into the dark depths that had drowned him in his father's presence. Tissaia stormed away, swiping angrily at her face as her tears continued to fall, and he couldn't muffle the sound of her sobs from his mind. He remained there, on his knees, unable to cry himself though internal sobs shredded through his gut as sharply as the Blood Fae's talons had.

    And then he realized his mistake. She hadn't been truly angry at him for anything. She had been afraid for him, and he'd just driven a knife through her heart for the crime of caring. Azael doubled over, burying his face in his hands. She was right. He really was like his father, and that curse was written in his very blood.