Get Her Out of Here

Get Her Out of Here
“Elysia!”

The sound of my name has me pressing deeper, closer into the bush. Zumir said that Dastan would find me here, but that’s not who’s calling my name. 

“Elysia!”

I twist, looking around. I can make out my name, but I can’t quite figure out where it’s coming from. It’s echoing off the wall, getting combined with the sounds of the battle in the palace. 

“Elysia!”

The sound is closer, the voice clear. I spin around to see Jakko striding toward me. He’s weaving through the smoke and shouting at guarded men, telling them to spread out. His breath is uneven, eyes on me and searching every inch before settling on my face. 

The tight line of his mouth loosens. His shoulders drop almost imperceptibly, and a slow breath escapes him through parted lips. “You’re safe.”

He reaches for me, hands soft as if meaning to caress my cheeks. I take a step backward. “No.”

It upsets him that I don’t want to be near him but he stops the clench of his jaw. “Elysia, listen to me. You need to—”

A fist slams into his jaw. Jakko stumbles sideways, barely catching himself before another blow catches him in the throat. He doubles over with a harsh cough.

My scream catches in my throat. Dastan appears from the smoke, a scowl on his face. His skin is streaked with blood, breathing ragged as he lunges toward Jakko again. 

But Jakko doesn’t matter right now, he’s incapacitated on the floor. All that matters is that Dastan is here and he’s okay.

“Dastan!” I catch his arm before he can strike a third time.

He turns toward me. It takes a moment for the rage and adrenaline rushing through him to calm down. His chest rises and falls so violently I wonder if he even recognizes me. I see the moment it fades, that familiar comfort I find in him coming back. 

His chest slows, eyes slowly dragging across my face, down to my wrists where there is still blood from the cuffs. 

He goes completely still, his throat working around a swallow.

“Elysia.” He says it so softly, so gently that I’m at a loss for breath, so many feeling rushing through me. 

He pulls me to him, mouth finding mine. The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s desperate, messy. 

His hands move over my back, my shoulders, my waist. He’s touching as if he’s making sure that I’m here, that this is real. For a moment, we get lost. 

All I can focus on is him and his touch. 

One particularly loud roar of fire is what has me pulling away. I duck under his chin, pressing my forehead to his chest as he holds me close. 

Tears prick the back of my eyes when I feel the affectionate touch of his lips against the crown of my head. 

“I’ve got you,” he whispers.

I tighten my hold on him, trying to catch my breath. 

“I thought...” My voice breaks. “I thought I was never going to see you again.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” 

A laugh escapes me through my tears. He pulls back, looking down at me with an endearing smile that sends my stomach into somersault. But the moment his eyes drift downward, that warmth disappears. 

“What are you wearing?”

Heat floods my face. He doesn’t look disgusted. The frown on his face and flaring nostrils tell me he’s more angry than anything. I instinctively fold my arms across my chest.

“Apparently, this is how they dress here.”

Dastan doesn’t say anything. He shrugs off his coat and wraps it around my shoulders, tugging it closed before his hands linger for only a second too long. 

“I’m so sorry he managed to take you from me.”

I shake my head. “It wasn’t your fault. I should have stayed in Javal—”

“It doesn’t matter, mu job is to protect you.”

I frown at that, remembering how Jakko used those exact same words. Oh, my — Jakko. I look over to where Dastan had left him on the ground. 

He has pushed himself back to his feet, one hand pressed against his throat as he watches us, grimacing. I expect him to retaliate, to yank me from Dastan, but he doesn’t do that. In fact, there is no anger on his face at all. 

His gaze lingers on me, sad and apologetic. He hardens it as he looks to Dastan. “You need to get her out of here.”

Dastan stiffens beside me, a frown on his brow. “What?”

He drops his hand from his throat, stepping closer. Dastan shifts, placing himself between us. It makes Jakko falter, stopping, flexing his hands as if we are the ones frustrating him. The absolute nerve of him makes my chest flash with anger. 

“I can hold Kaan off.” The words come quickly from him, his eyes shifting to watch our surroundings. “But not long. He knows she’s here.”

Smoke curls between us. The shouting grows louder beyond the palace walls. Jakko takes another step back. 

“You need to leave.”

Dastan narrows his eyes. “I should kill you.”

“I know.”

The answer comes without hesitation, and it surprises me. 

“But not today. We need to keep her safe.”

His fingers curl into fists before relaxing again. Every muscle in his body looks pulled in two directions.

His gaze flicks to me, only for a heartbeat. Still, it’s long enough for me to notice the way his face tightens, the way his lips purse. All before he forces himself to look away. 

I rub at my wrists without thinking.

Jakko catches the movement, flinching as if this was causing him pain. “Go now. I’ll stall.”

Dastan gently takes my hands, keeping an untrusting eye on Jakko. “Come on, love. Let’s go home.”

He leads me to the horse he dismounted before punching Jakko and lifts me effortlessly before climbing up behind me.

One arm wraps securely around my waist as the other gathers the reins. As the horse surges forward, I glance back one last time.

Jakko hasn’t moved. His eyes never leave me, not even as we disappear into the chaos.