Surveying the lands below, I see fields of wheat, hills covered in light-green grass, and a few small forests with yellow trees. Everything here seems to reflect the sunlight. I’m not used to this brightness, and it’s giving me a headache.

Glancing back, I make sure we’re not being followed before descending to the ground.

“Is your bag bothering you?” I ask, cradling Zella in my arms before gently setting her on a rock.

“No. It isn’t heavy.”

Lifting the flap, I take a peek inside her satchel. All I see is a pair of knitting needles and a lot of yellow yarn. I raise a questioning eyebrow.

“Baby blanket,” she says, pink staining her cheeks as she glances down at her flat belly. “I was making it for… the possibility.”

My heart thumps.

Children. With Zella. I’ve always been too scared to let myself hope for it.

Being soul mates doesn’t guarantee conception. My brother and his fated mate have been trying for three years with no luck.

I don’t know why I assume Zella and I will have the same problem. Maybe because Silas and I are twins. Our lives have always had many similarities.

Zella lets out a hiss of discomfort, reminding me why we landed.

Bending down, I assess her wound. Iron arrows are serious. I’ve encountered them many times myself in battle, and wings are especially sensitive. I’ve seen men three times Zella’s size weep because of an injury similar to hers.

If she’d been run through the heart, she’d be dying of iron poisoning right now.

That thought only makes my anger worse, so I take a deep, calming breath as I give Zella a sympathetic look. “I take it you’ve never been shot before?”

“Not by an arrow, no. One time, Zarid pelted Zephina and me with iron bullets with his sling shot. They never penetrated the skin, though.”

That bastard. I haven’t heard great things about her brother. Too bad he’ll be the one I’m dealing with after King Zed steps down.

“My sweet, I’m afraid this is going to hurt.” Ripping a section off the bottom of my dark-blue shirt, I wrap the material around my hand to protect my skin. “The only way to remove it is to pull it out.”

“All right.” Clasping her hands in her lap, she presses her lips together, trying to act tough.

And I love that about her.

But I don’t love what I’m about to do.

As soon as I grab the arrow near the quills, Zella whimpers.

I can literally feel her pain. There’s a dull ache in my right wing, and I know it’s from the bond. We haven’t even consummated it yet, but we’re already so connected to each other.