Gabriel visibly calmed himself. “I’m still going to kill him.”

“I think you’d be doing the world a service,” she replied with a smile that felt genuine this time. “Although, he means to supplant his father, so you could let Lord Sammael do it for you.”

“And deprive myself of the pleasure?” Gabriel’s lips crooked in a half smile, but his eyes held lethal intent, deadly danger in his magic. She shivered despite herself. Silvery calm and black as the dark side of the moon, that was her wizard.

“We should probably move on,” Alise said from where she and Han had been walking the horses to cool them gradually, apology in her tone.

Nic went to her sister, hugging her hard. “Thank you for coming to rescue me,” she said. “I didn’t get to say so before.”

Alise held on to her a long moment, her grip nearly desperate. “Was our father there?”

Surprised, Nic let her go. “How did you know?”

“I sensed him. This changes a great deal.”

“You have no idea.” Nic hesitated. “Maman was with him.”

Alise’s face lit up. “Oh, such good news! How is she?”

Much as she hated to break the bad news—and Alise’s heart along with it—she shook her head. “Not good at all. I’ll tell you everything. But we have to save her.”

Alise searched her face, then nodded crisply. “We’ll find a way. There must be one.”

When Nic went back to Salve, she found Gabriel had attached the mare to a lead behind Vale. “Ride with me,” he suggested. Mounting up, he held a hand down to her.

Nic hesitated. “Won’t that be hard on Vale?”

“Just for a short time,” Gabriel coaxed. “I need to hold you for a little while longer.” As if agreeing, Vale swung his great head around and snorted at her, clearly disdainful of her concerns.

With a laugh that was only a little watery, she patted his muzzle, pressing a kiss to the velvety skin. “You’re my hero, too,” she told him. “Every time.” Taking Gabriel’s extended hand, she let him lift her with his easy strength to sit crosswise in his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning in. He put one strong arm around her and urged Vale into a fast clip.

It was better this way. Wrapped in Gabriel’s arms, she began to believe in the reality of her escape. Parts of her she hadn’t realized were tense, braced in anticipation of crushing disappointment, finally relaxed and calmed. For his part, Gabriel held her tightly, pressing his cheek into her hair, seeming to need the contact just as much. His magic smoothed out, no longer churning with spikes, the moon turning to its brighter face, the rippling sense of him under her skin like an intimate caress. In turn, she embraced him with her magic, letting it flow without reservation, so grateful he could receive it from her again.