The Frozen Prince (The Beast Charmer #2) - Maxym M. Martineau Page 0,89

and tasted salty tears on my lips. “Noc, please.” Then, remembering that moment outside the abandoned house, I channeled my power to my emblem. Rosewood light battled against the swirling darkness around us.

His heart thudded against my chest. “Lee…na.” Words raspy and fighting for purchase, his voice was barely audible. But it was enough.

I latched on hard. “Yes. It’s me. I’m here. I love you.”

A fissure of light cracked through the maelstrom of shadows. Cautious hands hovered above my waist. “I can’t remember.”

“Don’t say that.” Red-hot tears rolled down my cheeks. Pulling back, I cupped his chilled face and trailed a thumb over his scar. “C’mon, Noc. Tell me you love me.”

He stared at me without seeing me. “I can’t… I can’t remember who you are to me. Why am I so…conflicted?”

My heart splintered and cracked into pieces, and I swear he heard the sound. His puzzled eyes dropped to my heaving chest, and he placed one hand over my heart. I willed him to feel all those little broken shards. To know that he had the power to solder them back together. Everything I’d ever wanted was dissolving before me. And I couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t wrench the confusion and foreign rage from his eyes. All I could do was watch and lose myself because my heart was his. And if he couldn’t remember what we were for each other…then why did any of it matter? Why did the gods bring us together just to rip us apart?

I would fight until my dying breath to keep us whole. No matter the cost.

“You listen to me, Noc.” My lips quivered, and I placed both hands over his. Right over the top of my heart. The rosewood light from my symbol sharpened. “No matter what happens, even if you can’t remember why you’re fighting, I will always love you. I swear to you, I will bring you back. I will find a way.”

A single tear raced toward his jaw. Heat bloomed beneath his touch and the shadows dropped, racing back to him in a flurry of motion. His blood blades dissipated in a pool of liquid at our feet as Kost and Oz leapt back into view. Their wild gazes tore over us, searching for injuries, and paused at the space where our hands rested.

My nails pricked the back of his hand. “Noc?”

The fog obscuring his eyes cleared, and his horrified gaze raked over my body before returning to my face. “Leena.”

Relief crashed into me, and I slumped before him, cutting off my power. “Thank the gods.” But when I went to pull his face to mine and envelop him in a kiss, he jerked away. Brushing me aside, he took several steps back.

“Noc.”

He cringed at the sound. “Stay away. It’s not safe. I’m not safe.”

“It’s all right. You didn’t hurt me.” I pushed forward, ignoring the way he flinched with every step I took. His wild eyes were full of uncertainty, full of doubt. A tremor swept through his shoulders when I finally placed my hand on his chest. “I promise, I’m okay. I trust you, Noc.”

For a moment, neither of us moved. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He stiffened, but didn’t retreat. With a gentle brush of my lips, I kissed his cheek. Then his mouth. He finally cracked, a wordless sob coming from somewhere deep in his chest, and then his lips slanted over mine. Anxiety riddled his frame, and his hands traveled the length of my spine before securing themselves on my waist. Pressing my chest flush with his, he fused the shards of my heart back together. His love was all it took. That was all it’d ever take.

He broke away for a moment to rest his forehead against mine. “I heard you.”

“You’re my anam-cara. I will always find a way.” Placing a gentle kiss on his now-tearstained lips, I swallowed his trembling breath and willed him to take solace in my words. “You wouldn’t hurt me, Noc.”

His grip on me tightened. “I’m sorry I made you worry.” He rested his chin on top of my head and glanced at Oz and Kost. “All of you.”

Kost kept his distance. “We don’t have time to delay. We need to get the beast and get out.”

Oz rubbed the back of his neck, but the tautness in his muscles remained. “Kost is right.”

Noc let out a weary sigh. “Let’s go.” With one hand firmly grasping my waist and the other tucked into his coat pocket, he