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Sending waves of magic out, I felt for Santos and followed his path. We landed in Grandma’s kitchen, where Tessi was laid out on the table with Grandma hovering over her. I clutched Mel as she started to fall. Helping her to the floor, I cradled her head as I told her to lie down.
Santos rushed to me. “Is she ok?”
“Internal injuries,” I said and winced. Placing both hands on her stomach, I closed my eyes and sent my healing energies through my palms. Heat rushed through me, warming me all over as it swirled and healed her body.
Mel moaned and cried out beneath my touch. “Stop! Let me die!” she screamed. She began thrashing about, eager to get away from me.
Santos straddled her body, holding her arms down at the wrist. “Hurry, Sadie,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’m trying,” I hissed back. “It’s hard to do when she won’t stop moving.”
He held her stronger. I kept on, focusing on healing what was done. The damage was more extensive than I imagined and I found myself growing weak.
“Grandma,” I called. “Is Tessi healed?”
“Yes,” she said as she crouched beside me. “I took her to the spare room. She won’t wake for a few hours after that nasty head injury. Let me help you.”
She sat next to Mel, placing her hands on either side of mine. Our energies combined, the force causing Mel to shriek in horror moments before passing out. I cried for my friend, knowing the pain I was creating within her as I mended her broken body. We continued to work, healing her spleen, her intestines. The unbound beings hadn’t been easy on her, their blows bursting blood vessels and rupturing her pancreas. We spent a good thirty minutes healing her, my power slowly depleting any energy I had. I focused my strength, determined to not collapse before she was better.
“Sadie, I can finish this. She’s almost healed,” Grandma said.
I fell back into strong arms, unable to hold myself up any longer.
“I’ve got you,” he cooed in my ear.
Aiden. I snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms under my legs and around my body, lifting me and carrying me to my room. Using too much power in a short amount of time was exhausting to a sorcerer, and between the traveling and the flames, then the healing, I’d run myself ragged. Aiden carried me easily, his strong arms securing me tightly against him.
He smelled like woods and oranges, the mixture taking me back to the first time I got lost in his scent. The way his bright blue eyes created a flurry of butterflies, the feel of his chest under my fingertips, the way I’d run after he leaned in to kiss me.
“I’m sorry I ran away,” I murmured.
“What?” he asked, kicking my door open. He took me to the bed, laying me out and peeling my boots off. He unhooked my weapon belt, laying it all on the table beside me. “When did you run away?”
Peeling my eyes open, I stared at him. “The kitchen. You’re so beautiful.” I closed them again, the movement too much for my depleted body. I felt his fingers on my cheek, smoothing my hair from my face.
“It’s ok,” he said. “That was a long time ago.”
Groaning, I stirred in an attempt to move. “Do you remember?”
He lay beside me, his long body stretched out inches from mine. He snaked his arm around me, stilling my movement. “Sadie, yes. I remember the night we ran into each other in the kitchen and you ran your fingers over my chest. You looked so gorgeous that night with your flowing hair and large, brown eyes. So innocent, so sexy, and so very Sadie. I remember it.” His voice grew a little more husky with each word he spoke. His voice flowed over me, calming me and making my heart soar. “I don’t know why I only recall bits and pieces, but I know there’s so much more to us. Sadie, I’m here. Rest.”
Curling up, I rested my face under his chin and locked my fingers with his. “Aiden,” I sighed.
Ever so gently, he kissed the top of my head, one hand running through my hair softly. The action relaxed me enough to let my guard down and allow my energy to recharge. Sleep was the only way this would happen, and doing so without my dagger would normally make me nervous, but in Aiden’s arms, I felt perfectly safe. He held me as I drifted to sleep. His words raced through my mind.
He was remembering.
Aiden was remembering me.
Scornful Sadie Page 20