Sophia Sullivan studied the black-clad assailant, struck by an odd sense of familiarity.
Ethan Sullivan noticed it too.
Though they fought the killer with seamless coordination, mutual wariness thrummed beneath their movements.
The attacker staggered backward toward the cliff's edge.
"You'll both die!" he snarled.
With a final burst of strength, he lunged at Sophia.
Her footing slipped on the steep incline.
She teetered backward over the abyss.
Ethan's pupils constricted. His hand shot out, clamping around her wrist.
"Hold on!"
They tumbled into the darkness together.
Ethan shielded her against his chest, one hand cradling her head, the other locked around her waist.
Branches cracked against them, slowing their fall.
Sophia gasped as they hit the ground.
Only then did she realize—he'd taken the full impact.
Her fingers flew over her body, assessing damage.
A knife wound on her arm. Nothing else.
Ethan fared far worse.
Lacerations covered his forearm and thigh. His right leg and arm were fractured. Cuts and bruises marred every inch of exposed skin.
He opened his eyes, jaw clenched against the pain.
"My right arm... dislocated."
Sophia reset the joint with practiced efficiency.
Sweat beaded on Ethan's forehead as he watched her work.
Without flinching, she realigned his broken fingers.
Ruthless. Mesmerizing.
She treated injuries like they were nothing.
"Lean against the tree." She stripped off her jacket, slicing the sleeves away with her knife.
Cushioning his head with the fabric, she conducted a swift examination.
"Just fractures. That's manageable."
After stemming the bleeding, she scanned their surroundings.
"There's a cave. We need shelter before the rain comes."
Hypothermia would be deadly in these mountains overnight.
Ethan gritted his teeth, attempting to rise.
Sophia's deceptively slender frame easily supported his weight.
They stumbled into the cavern as the first raindrops fell.
She settled him against the stone wall.
Within minutes, a fire crackled to life, its glow pushing back the chill.
Sophia returned with two sturdy branches.
"No signal here, but Old Benjamin will send search parties when we don't return."
Her fingers gently adjusted his injured leg.
"Clean breaks. I'll immobilize them to prevent further damage."
Ethan nodded, damp hair clinging to his forehead.
Memories flashed—Sophia two years ago, demure and obedient.
Sophia on the Royal Princess Cruise, alluring and poised.
Now this Sophia: potter, healer, warrior.
Which was real?
Her medical skills spoke of frequent injuries.
"Your coat's soaked." She tapped his shoulder. "Take it off to dry."
Ethan complied, revealing a sculpted torso with two old scars across his abdomen.
As Sophia shook out his jacket, something clattered to the ground.
A necklace—pearls cradling a blood-red carnelian that glowed even in the dim light.
Sophia froze.
Her missing necklace from that fateful night.
Their eyes met. Understanding passed between them.
The fire popped. Shadows intertwined on the cave walls.
Tension thickened the air.
"I'll dry the clothes."
"I'll gather more wood."
They spoke simultaneously, then turned away, each seeking refuge in tasks.