The Protector (Fire's Edge #4) - Abigail Owen Page 0,94

hips tighter but forced himself to loosen up at her wince. “What?”

“Are you disappointed?”

Disappointed? Levi searched her gaze for why she’d use that word and got nothing back. Those darn walls could go up at will with her. Which meant this question was serious. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“That I’m not… I can’t…” She shook her head, hardly able to get the words out.

Fuck. That’s what this was about? Her being human now? Levi wrapped his arms around her, getting right in her face. “Never,” he growled. “I love you, dammit. Nothing about you could ever, ever be a disappointment.”

If he hadn’t been holding her so tightly, he would’ve missed the way her muscles relaxed ever so slightly. “Okay then.” She planted a soft kiss on his lips. “In that case, stop watching me like I’m broken. Got it?”

“But I’m the one who broke you—”

She kissed him again, harder, longer, then pulled back. “Don’t,” she whispered. “I need you to let this go, or I’m not going to be able to deal with it.”

Levi dropped his forehead to hers. “Anything you need from me, you’ve got it.” Although he had no idea how he was going to live up to that promise.

“I need you to go to your king. I can’t be worrying about you turning rogue or him putting a hit out on you for disobedience. Not on top of everything else.”

“I—”

A massive boom reverberated through the halls and caverns, followed by a long roll of crashing sound, seeming to shake the mountain itself. Immediately, he and Lyndi were up on their feet.

“Levi!” The shout didn’t come from any of the boys on patrol but from inside the caves. “We’re under attack.”

He whipped his head to stare at Lyndi. His now vulnerably human mate.

“Go,” she said with a shove. “I’ll stay with Vilsinn.”

Unable to voice any of the thoughts swarming his mind, drowning out everything but her dark eyes, Levi leaned down to plant a hard kiss on her lips. “Stay safe, mate. That’s an order.”

Her derisive snort followed him as he sprinted out the door and to the main chamber leading outside.

The second he entered the room, he discovered Marin crouched beside a pile of boulders now blocking the entrance. He sat at the head of a dark green dragon crushed by the fall of rock and already turning the gray color of ash as his body consumed itself with flame from the inside out.

Marin lifted his head, face wet with tears but trying to be brave even as his chin wobbled. “Levi, Elijah is dead.”

“No!” Lyndi’s scream came from directly behind him.

She sprinted past him to drop down beside Marin, next to Elijah’s body. Levi could still remember the day she’d taken the kid in.

“He saved me.” Marin’s voice trembled. “The big dragons hit at once and he tried to blast them with fire, but they hit higher and started the rockslide. The entrance to the cave started falling, and he jumped over me until they crushed him. He pushed me out from under him.”

Lyndi’s head dropped forward, her eyes closed. “He was supposed to go live with his colony. They said yes. He could’ve gone but wanted to help keep his brothers safe.”

“It’s my fault—”

She wrapped an arm around Marin. “No. He died knowing he saved you and tried to protect the rest of us. He loved you.”

Levi dropped to a knee beside them both and squeezed Marin’s bony shoulder. “Honor his sacrifice. Live for him.”

Marin turned his head to frown up at him, confusion written in his white-blue eyes, and Levi jerked his chin toward Lyndi. “Protect her,” he mouthed.

After a lingering glance at Elijah, his brother by action if not by blood, Marin drew his shoulders back, suddenly looking older. “Come on, Lyndi. You shouldn’t be here.”

Slowly Lyndi turned dazed eyes to the child, blinked once, then choked back a sob even as she nodded. She leaned forward and whispered something to Elijah, then got to her feet and allowed Marin to pull her out of the room.

Levi, still kneeling beside the body, put a hand to Elijah’s snout, sending a quick plea to the gods to grant his soul a warrior’s welcome, a place of honor.

But he had other boys to defend now. His mate. His family.

He forced himself to walk around the body and the slide of boulders that blocked the entrance and platform. Luckily, a sliver of moonlight flittered in through a gap at the top. Shifting, he used the