Arion held Evangeline close, his body a shield against the pain and the cold. He looked down at her bruised and battered face, and a fresh wave of rage, cold and potent, washed over him. He was ready to unleash his fury on Seraphina, to make her pay for every bruise, every tear.
But before he could act, Ezra stepped forward. He walked towards Seraphina, a figure of dark, implacable power. He didn't speak. He simply looked at her, his ruby eyes glowing with a quiet, terrifying rage. Seraphina, who had been so brave just moments before, now trembled with a profound, primal fear.
Ezra reached out, and with a swift, elegant motion, he grabbed a length of rope from the ground. He moved with a frightening grace, a silent, deadly ballet. Seraphina didn't fight. She was paralyzed by a cold, unyielding terror. He tied her wrists together, the ropes a symbol of her defeat. He then led her outside, where her horse stood waiting.
He spoke to Arion, his voice a low, commanding rumble. "She will not be your problem anymore. I will take her to my castle. She will face justice there, a justice that is far more fitting for her crimes."
He then looked at Arion with a meaningful gaze. "Do not worry, Arion. Evangeline is safe now. Your focus should be on her. You have to prove to her that she can trust you, not just with her body, but with her heart."
Arion, a man on the brink of an all-consuming fury, simply nodded. He knew Ezra was right. Vengeance could wait. Her safety, her heart, her trust were all that mattered. He would not be a fool again.
He watched as Ezra, with a final, hard look, mounted his horse and led Seraphina away, her body a hunched, defeated figure against the vast, empty landscape. He had not won the battle for her heart, but he had done something far more important. He had saved her. He had saved the woman he had promised to love.