The red Dragon’s eyes widened. And Marcus pushed himself to his feet. “They’remated?”
“She felt him dying.” Rafael massaged his temple. “She would have taken me, except for that connection.”
Kiko glanced over toward the twitching Dragon. “Don’t think he’s dead yet.”
Vali approached the big body and reached out a tentative hand toward his foreleg—pure white energy arced off his skin, and she jerked away. “The Storm Drake’s power is still surging through him.” She backed off. “If he’s not already dead, he soon will be—”
“She’ll be coming for his body,” Marcus said. “So I suggest we get the hell out of here.” His intense gaze—pure assessment, no emotion-- might have well pierced a spear clear through me.
It would have been preferable to the tearing pain in my heart.
“Can you Jump us back,” he asked, “or are we flying?”
This was far from the reunion I could have hoped for, if I’d been the hopeful sort. I was saved by my annoyance. But then Marcus glanced at Havoc, and I caught a glimpse of something else. Concern?
I shared it, but on a much deeper level, because I could feel the red Dragon’s pain through our link. Blood trickled steadily from his mouth, leaked from his eyes, and clotted around his ears. He needed a healer, like, now.
Rafael stood and staggered over to him, but I could clearly see he had nothing left in the tank. I’d just done two Jumps in a matter of minutes—and moving a Dragon was going to take serious mojo. So, I turned to Lucas.
“Give me whatever you’ve got.”
He didn’t ask what I meant. A muscle jumped in his jaw, but he pulled out two small packets of dust.
I consumed both of them, and breathed deep as it took hold. And then I walked to Havoc.
His closest copper eye was half-closed, but it rolled toward me. “Don’ts touch me,” he growled.
I put my hand on his massive forearm. “For fuck’s sake, Havoc. Sometimes you are such an idiot. Give me the visual.”
“I. Am. NOT. An. Idiot,” he protested, but it came out as scarcely a whisper. And he didn’t pull away. A moment later, he sent the visual—a dense forest with massive trees.
Got it, I confirmed. To the others, I said, “Everyone grab hold. This might be a rough ride.”
I reached for Rafael’s hand, and after a millimoment, he took it. Our eyes met—and all I read in them was shame. Then he looked away.
A tiny part of me accepted it as an apology, although it was far from one, and not nearly enough, either. I braced myself as Lucas and Vali each grabbed an arm, and Kiko stepped in front of me.
“You can do this,” she said, before she wrapped fingers around my wrist on Lucas’s side.
I waited.
Finally, Marcus’s big hands landed lightly on my shoulders, as though he were afraid I might break.
I closed my eyes, visualized, and embraced the white noise as perhaps the only lover I would ever have.
Snap.
* * *
The golden light dissipated, and the first thing I saw was Cara.
A wave of weakness passed through me. Marcus’s hands tightened on my shoulders, and, for a moment, they were all that held me upright. But the second I managed to straighten, he let go.
We stood among the most massive trees I had ever seen. Cara hurried over to Havoc, who took a shaking step back.
“I don’t needs a healers,” he hissed. “Just times to heals.”
I rolled my eyes. “You really are a fucking idiot, Havoc.”
