Book 3. The saga continues. With her mating to Haku rapidly approaching, Chihiro has a number of new problems to face. But these are nothing compared to the plans a new foe has for her. Sequel to Enchantment of the Heart.
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Scott pulled in vain against Rin's vice-like grip around his arms and stomach.
"Let me go!" he growled.
"No," came the hissed reply in his ear. "I'm not letting you go until you see sense."
"She's not dead!" he cried. "She can't be!"
"I know that," replied Rin more calmly. "But you can't go after her; it would be suicide."
Scott's brain kicked in. He took deep breaths and tried not to be angry at the woman holding him. She had saved his life, but she was also the reason Chihiro had cut her ropes. She must have heard Rin warning him about the overhang. When the rope had slackened he had nearly clambered down the broken bridge. Rin had actually picked him up and carried him, kicking and screaming, to safer ground. The overhang had broken and she had not let go of him since, waiting for him to gain control of his panic. How could she be so strong? It was rather humbling to be physically weaker than a woman. Scott comforted himself with the fact that Rin was not a human woman. She could run almost as fast as the nygel.
The nygel himself was whinnying and pacing the ground on the other side of the ravine, eyes rolling and flanks shaking. The spirit was deeply distressed, just like Scott had been only moments before.
Linca was nowhere to be seen. Scott guessed she was flying in the darkness below them, searching for her sister with her owl eyes. Even if she located Chihiro she would not be able to help her up to the surface. Scott relaxed a little against Rin and stopped struggling. He regulated his breathing and tried to think. This was the reason Chihiro had chosen him, because she had believed she could trust him to use his experience and common sense to aid her. This was his first test; he would not fail her.
The woman behind him relaxed her grip. Scott almost grunted in surprise when she patted his stomach awkwardly like she was trying to comfort him but was not sure how. He found it endearing. He was not sure what to say to her. He could tell from the rapid rise and fall of her chest behind him and the occasional hitching breath that she was far from calm herself. When he felt warm water drip into the back of his neck he decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, if he got slapped then he got slapped, it was nothing that was going to humiliate him; there was only the horse-thing to see.
He twisted sharply in her grip, freeing his arms. He took one look at her red eyes and tear-stained face and felt his heart melt. He wrapped his arms around her waist and ignored her indignant squeak. He pulled her into a comforting hug. She did none of the things he expected of her. She did not pull away, she did not shout at him, most of all she did not slap him. She lay stiffly in his arms, eyes wide and uncomprehending. Scott held her a little tighter and rubbed his hand up and down her narrow but well-muscled back.
"Thank you, Rin," he whispered softly. "You saved me."
The spirit woman in his arms began to cry in earnest. She pulled at his lightweight green cotton shirt and buried her face in it, sobbing.
