Then I extend my awareness to Aiden.Wham. His power hits me like a storm surge. One second, I’m holding on to the threads of Jack’s and Ty’s power, and the next, I’m awash in a torrent of orange light.
“Aah!” I yell. “Aiden!”
I barely keep my hold on their hands, every instinct inside me screaming at me to pull back, to break the contact. But if I do, I’ll have to start again, and Maya doesn’t have that kind of time. I grit my teeth and brace myself against his magic. Holy fucking hell, he’s strong.
He seems to come to his senses and calms down by degrees. His breathing slows.
Gods, what happened?
Aiden must have freaked out over what I told him and over-delivered by throwing himself open completely and slamming me with all he had. Whatever he’s feeling right now isn’t much better than his self-recrimination if this is his reaction. We’ll need to talk about it, but now’s not the time.
I urge them to kneel with me around Maya and guide them to keep touching my skin. I place my palms on her chest and belly. Her skin is clammy and cool beneath my touch, which sends a swirl of panic through me—sea dragons naturally run hotter than humans. She’s struggling to breathe, her lungs rattle with each inhale, and her lips have acquired a purplish tinge that terrifies me.
We didn’t have the time to brew the infusion I drank when we performed this spell on me, and I wouldn’t have wanted to pour any liquid down an unconscious woman’s throat. So I’m hoping the herbs were there more to guide the magic along, to make it more potent, and that the strength of the three men combined will be enough to make even the smallest difference.
Closing my eyes, I imagine taking scoops of power from each of my helpers. It merges beautifully, and I mutter the words of the spell, then press my palms to her skin, willing the magic to enter her body and knit her broken bones back together.
For a moment, nothing happens, and my heart sinks. We’ve failed. Maybe there’s something else we could try. My relationship with my sister is rocky at best, but maybe she could give me another—
Maya’s back bows, and she screams, a terrifying, blood-curdling shriek of pain. Her arms flail uncontrollably, and her hand smacks at me hard enough that my head whips to the side.
“Fuck!” I yell. “Hold her down!”
The guys spring into action. It’s not easy, because they have to remain in contact with me to keep funneling their magic through me, but between them, they subdue the now-moaning Maya and pin her to the door she’s lying on.
I become aware of a commotion beyond the circle of power. Glancing up, I see Jack’s father is restraining his wife—her eyes are wide open and wild, and golden sparks dance across her skin as though she’s about to shift.
“Mom, no,” Jack calls out. “This is helping her. Don’t break the circle.”
“She’s hurting my baby!” his mother screams.
My stomach turns, and I nearly lose my cool. I have no idea whether any of this is actually true. We could be fucking up Maya’s spine even further, and I wouldn’t even know it. I see Cora and Juniper, their anguished expressions, and it’s all I can do to remain where I am, focusing on the spell.
Carefully, I pull more magic from Aiden, then from Ty, giving them a little time between each scoop I take. Murmuring the words over and over, I send the energy into Maya’s trembling body. She’s a tiny bit warmer now, which I take as a good sign, and her breaths don’t wheeze as much anymore.
My fingers tremble from the strain of holding all the magic together—and from sheer terror. Ward might have been the one who hurt Maya, butfuck. If I mess this up, the villagers will have a pyre ready for me before I can even think of escaping.
Ty gasps beside me, his weight sagging against me.
“Shit!” I glance at him. “Ty, let go of me!”
He’s gone pale, and his forehead is beaded with sweat. His limp hand falls away from mine, and he barely catches himself so he doesn’t face-plant on the floor.
“Whoa,” he mutters. “I’m done.”
“You shouldn’t have let me take so much!”
Jack huffs at him. “Lie down so you don’t break the circle.” Then he nudges him gently with his elbow. “Thanks, man. This means a lot.”
Ty nods, then lies flat on his back beside Maya and closes his eyes. Aiden and Jack remain kneeling next to me.
“Are you two okay?” I ask through clenched teeth. “If you need to stop…”
“Nah,” Jack replies, though his voice is tight with tension. “Keep going.”
Aiden merely gives me a curt nod.
I continue with my task, but I don’t trust them completely to call it when their magic runs low. We work in near silence, my voice faltering over the incantation as I repeat it gods know how many times.
