Sweat blossomed along Eldon’s brow. Can’t hold them off much longer.
She kept her eyes locked with Eldon as she spoke over her shoulder. “Tim, how we doing over there, man?” The answering grunt confirmed that he hadn’t changed over, but the gruffness meant he had to be close.
Her palm burned. She wiped it on her jeans, trying furiously to squelch the sensation, but it didn’t work. They couldn’t afford to be distracted by more magick crap right now. They had enough going on. She shook her hand out before peering down at the mark.
“Holy shitballs.” The triquetra at the center of her palm glowed with the same effervescence of Eldon’s azure wall of protection. What the…
The tingling stopped. A howl tore through the air. She whirled around to find Tim on four legs, his back and face black, his underside and feet the color of fresh snow.
Rho couldn’t help but smile, grateful for the relief and the backup. “Well, Tim. Wolf doesn’t look half bad on you.”
Tim stepped forward, and Preshea stood at his flank.
Rho turned away from her furry teammates. We’re ready, Eldon.
Staggering back, she caught herself mid-step. His strength was wavering. Their connection was intact, but his depleted strength wore against her frazzled nerves. He wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer, and once he gave in, she wasn’t sure what would happen. How could they fight against the magick of two fae without him? Elves, at that?
Another explosion rocked the walls, the blue bubble dimming for a moment before rebounding again.
Thump. Something hard smacked the top of Rho’s skull. She blinked against the stars in her eyes before reaching up and patting her head, discovering a clump of plaster lodged in her hair. “Damn it all to hell.” She shook her mane, sending plaster dust falling to the floor along with the offending object.
A rumble came from behind her. She turned to find Preshea standing against the blue backdrop, teeth bared in a feline smile.
Was she—was she laughing? That evil little shit.
Eldon?
No response.
Sweat had soaked through the back of his shirt. His arms were splayed to his sides as he listed to one side, then the other, as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Eldon! she tried to shout into his head, but she still got nothing from him.
Rho took a deep breath. Okay. She needed to do something to help him. Could it be possible to pass more than just thoughts through her connection to him? Work the magick in the opposite direction? Sure, she wasn’t a mover, but he shouldn’t be a telepath either. Maybe their connection didn’t care.
Her mind stilled as she focused solely on her connection to Eldon, allowing everything else to fall away from her thoughts. When he was all her mind could see, she took a deep breath and released it slowly. Nothing more than hope and concentration fueling her, she flung as much of her own strength and energy through their connection as she could summon.
Eldon’s spine flexed, his hands still planted firmly on the ground.
Oh, God. What did she do?
“Eldon!” she cried out, rushing forward.
He grunted. “No, don’t touch me.”
Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God. Did she hurt him? She didn’t know anything about manipulating magick and she’d tried to fling her own strength at him like an idiot. Such an idiot. She could have killed him.
“It’s fine.” He panted as he contorted, the energy spilling from his fingers more vibrant than it was before. “Just… accepting it. Not hurt…”
Not hurt. The words were so relieving she leaned forward and set her palms against her knees then let out a deep sigh.
“I’m so sorry,” she muttered.
He shook his head, still staring at the floor. Don’t say that. We’ll talk about it later.
’Kay. No time to linger on it now. Or ever.
I’m going to drop the wall. Get ready.
She turned to face Preshea and Tim. “Get your claws out, kids.”
They nodded.
She leaned down to pull a handful of throwing stars from her right boot. We’re ready.
As soon as the thought left her mind, the shades of blue melted from her vision. The elves didn’t waste a second. The taller of the two leaped forward, rushing directly toward her.
What, like she was the weakest one?
Oh. Hell. No.
Facing off with the elf and ducking down at the last second, she hurled his body over hers and onto the ground. Preshea pounced on him, claws slashing his flesh on impact. Teeth bared, Tim joined her in the fight.
“Rho! Heads up!” Eldon shouted.
A green blaze grazed past her right cheek and slammed into the wall behind her.
“Get down!” he ordered.
She didn’t hesitate. Dropping her weight, she got acquainted with the ground quickly. A blue ball of fire soared overhead, narrowly missing the elf before nailing another wall.
She snapped up to her feet again, prepared to demolish the little piece of fae trash who’d nearly succeeded in taking her down.
A roar tore through the air. Rho whipped around just in time to see the flash of silver aiming blade over hilt for her chest.
“Rho, no!”
The burn.
Her veins lit on fire and her knees buckled. The breath left her chest as her back slammed into the near-concrete floor. A human reflex, she tried to suck in air, but the scalding agony overrode everything. Everyone.
Silence.
A wall of blue flame exploded, turning the elf in her sights to ash where he stood.
Preshea’s face came into view. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips as they moved, but Rho’s brain had pushed the mute button. All action but no sound. Preshea stared over at something before looking down to meet Rho’s eyes. More lip-moving.
Burning. Burning. Burning.
Rho, can you hear me? Eldon’s voice was frantic in her mind as he pushed Preshea aside to give Rho a full view of his beautiful face.
Huh. So she could still understand him in her head even though she couldn’t hear anything at all. Go figure.
His lips moved quickly, his words directed to everyone but her. What was everyone making such a fuss about? She’d taken hits before. No damsel in distress here, no sir.
Her brain sloshed in her skull as her thoughts began to go fuzzy. The scent of charred flesh swirled in her nostrils.
Focus! I need you to focus. Focus on me, Rho. Look at me. Bright blue eyes centered over her face.
She blinked. Why was Eldon so worried? And they needed to fix whatever was burning because it smelled like shit.
He smiled, his face hovering over hers. Good girl, that’s right. Focus right here. The elves are dead, but you got hit with silver. I’ve got to get it out before we can go, okay?
Panic jumped to the forefront of her brain, displacing the pain for only a split second. She’d been hit with silver? Vampires died from silver. Was she dying?
Whoa, there. You’re okay, I’ve got you. Strong arms pressed carefully but firmly against her torso, holding her in place.
Which only made her want to move more. She wriggled beneath his grip before glancing down to see the finely decorated hilt of a dagger lodged firmly in the flesh to the left of her heart.
Get it out. Get. It. Out. Get it out! She twisted beneath him, trying to get away. It needed to come out. The burning needed to stop. Make it stop.
Quit fighting me. His eyes searched hers, both asking permission and making a demand. I can’t remove it when you’re moving. It’ll shred your heart.
Gulp. Deep breath. Burning.
Owww. As much as she didn’t want to whimper, she knew her mental voice was shaky. And they
didn’t have much time before she’d probably shock out.
I know it hurts. I’m going to hold you down, and Preshea’s going to pull it out. Ready?
Not really. Yeah.
Another gulp. She tried to put herself somewhere else. Anywhere but here.
One.
Maybe a beach, only when she was human and could enjoy it. She’d loved the beach back then. Warm and sunny.
Two.
Right, a beach would be good. A beach would be great. Really, really great.
She didn’t even hear him say three before the lights went out.
He needed to move fast. Preshea had made quick work of removing the blade, but the thing was silver. The metal had touched her blood, poisoning her on contact. They’d only prolonged her death.
But not on his watch.
She wouldn’t die here. She wouldn’t die tonight.
He had to get her to the safe house. If his sisters had done as he’d asked, they should already be there by now. Jess could fix this.
Slipping his hands beneath her small, cool body, he pulled Rho off the ground. “I’ve got to get her out of here. You pack and I’ll be back for you.”
Preshea glanced at the bloody silver blade in her hand. “We’re going with you.”
“I can only take one at a time.” He nudged his head toward the writhing werewolf. “Besides, he needs you now.”
“I can’t do anything for him while he shifts.”
“Go pack your stuff. And his.”
She tossed the dagger into the corner, sending it crashing to the ground. “Fucking elves.”
“I’ve got to go.”
“Don’t lose her, Eldon. She’s a pain in my ass, but she’s still part of this team. And for some godforsaken reason, I’m starting to like her.” Preshea held up a hand. “Don’t tell her I said that.”
He cracked a smile. “Not a chance.”
Holding Rho’s body with care, he stepped toward the ley line running along the outer perimeter of the room.
Goddamned fae. They’d done this to her, and all for the Kamens. Worse, they still didn’t know why the fae wanted them.
Never mind all that. He needed to get her out of here.
They were still connected. Despite being mostly dead, she was alive. He could feel it. Her energy hummed in the back of his mind, and he clung to that sound like a lifeline.
He pulled her closer, straddling the line running beneath his feet. Ley lines were a bit like music. If you could tune yourself to them, you could travel them. He opened himself up to the sound of the magick, matching his body and hers with the same musical note.
The world took on the familiar shade of blue as everything began to fade into the background. He needed to get home, where they could fix this. Fix her.
Nothing could hurt her. He wouldn’t allow it.
Chapter Eighteen
Her mind was slipping.
Eldon clutched Rho in his arms as he reformed in the living room of the safe house. Her body was close but her mind was far away, their connection fleeting by the second. The silver had done more damage than he’d thought.
“Jess!” His voice echoed through the empty house.
He had to get Rho to the tub. The only spell he knew to pull the silver out of her blood required water, but he’d still need his sister’s healing power. Where was she?
Holding Rho’s body steady, he rushed up the stairs as fast as he dared. “Jess, damn it! I need you!”
“Eldon?” Jess’s delicate voice sounded from the kitchen below.
“Get up here! Now!”
Stilettos clicked against the tile floor. “What’s wrong?”
He kicked the master bathroom door open with his foot. “I need you right now.”
“But—”
“Now!”
A moment later Jess ran through the doorway then stopped. Scowling, she folded her arms across her chest. “What is she doing here?”
Eldon uncurled Rho’s body from his and set her tenderly on the ground. With a gentle hand, he brushed a hair from her forehead before glancing up at his sister. “Help her.”
Jess snorted. “I don’t help bloodsuckers.”
“You do today.”
Grabbing each side of Rho’s cotton shirt, he ripped it down the center and hissed as he revealed the damage. The fresh stab wound beneath her ribcage was long and deep and had saturated her sports bra with blood. He peeled the remnants of the shirt from her body with care.
Under normal circumstances, an injury like this should have healed itself in seconds. He blotted the seeping wound with the shreds of cotton.
Jess stomped forward, fists clenched as she hovered over him. “Are you insane? Why would you bring her here?”
They were running out of time. “She’s dying. I need your help, not an inquisition.” He slid the track pants off Rho’s legs and tossed them across the room.
“I’m not helping—” Jess started.
“The hell you’re not.” He cranked the knob on the bathtub.
“The hell I am! I don’t waste my magick on vamps.”
Final. Straw.
Eldon rose up from the tub, squaring off with his baby sister. “Jessamine Tradare, this is not open for discussion. She’s my teammate and she means something to me. So if you care about me at all, you’ll help her right now, or I swear to God I’ll never speak to you again.”
Jess gaped. “Are you kidding me? She’s a frickin’ vampire. She’s not even alive.”
His eyes narrowed. “Either help me or get out of my way.” Heartbeat or not, he couldn’t let Rho die. Not if he could do something about it.
Jess’s nostrils flared as she stared at him with a combination of surprise and anger. “You wouldn’t dare turn away from your family for this leech.”
“I would. You’re in or out. Pick now.”
“How can she mean something to you? You don’t know her.”
“Make your choice.”
“You can’t do this.”
He scooped Rho into his arms again. “I wasn’t asking your permission.”
“You’re a total ass,” she hissed.
Lowering Rho gently, he settled her into the tub. “And you’re a healer.” He pointed to the lifeless body in the water. “Fix this. Do what you do best.”
She stood there for a moment, hands fisted at her sides.
Eldon rose up and turned to face her, rubbing the warm water from his hands onto his jeans. He didn’t want to beg but he would if he had to. “Jess, please.”
Her brows furrowed as her eyes surveyed his. She blew out a defeated sigh. “My kit’s in the kitchen. Top cabinet to the left of the sink.”
Done.
His sister barely dodged his path as he bolted past her and down the stairs toward the kitchen. The kit. He had to find the kit.
There were four upper cabinets to the left of the sink. He threw the first cabinet door open to reveal… absolutely nothing. Slamming it shut, he reached over to yank the next one open. Nothing but plates and cups. Where was the damn kit? He nearly knocked the third cabinet door off the hinges as he flung it open, exposing a small box on the top shelf.
Please be it.
With each second, his tie with Rho faltered. The sand in the hourglass was falling too quickly, the connection failing so fast he could barely breathe. He pulled the lid off the box. Bottles and baggies of healing herbs were lined up in perfect order. Thank God she kept emergency provisions at every house they owned.
He rushed back up the stairs again, box clutched against his chest. Handing it to his sister, he glanced at the tub. If it were possible for a vampire to be paler than pale, she’d accomplished it. Her skin, once porcelain and fair, had turn
ed a horrific shade of greenish gray. Her cheekbones stood in stark contrast to sunken eyes. At this rate, she would turn to ash right in front of him.
Jess took the kit from his hands and started arranging a variety of powders, salves, barks and astringents on the bathroom counter.
“Faster, Jess.” There wasn’t time for organization.
Jess shifted into medical mode. Her face turned into a mask of calm as she combed through the bottles with single-minded determination. “Don’t rush me. I’m not used to working on vampires and there’s no time for trial and error. I need to think this through.”
He shut up. Healing was Jess’s expertise. She could hate vampires all she wanted as long as she fixed this one.
“What’d they stick her with?” she asked.
“Silver blade.”
Jess wrinkled her nose. “Not good. I don’t know much about her kind, but I do know that their reaction to silver can be lethal.”
She pulled out two jars of spelled arnica salve from her kit, handing one to him. “I need to inspect the wound for traces of silver. If she’s not healing herself by now, there’s a bigger issue. We’ll use this once I’m done.” She palmed a handful of crushed yarrow leaves and flowers from a sachet, motioning for his hand. “This goes on top of that.”
He nodded, mind numb as he followed orders.
His sister crouched beside the tub and leaned forward to run her fingers along the injury. She shook her head. “There are silver fragments lodged in the wound. Whoever made this blade designed it to crack on impact. It’s meant to kill vampires.” She glanced up at him. “I’ll have to remove them before we do anything.”
“Whatever you say.”
Holding a pair of pink tweezers steady in her hand, Jess started to peel the slivers of silver off the wound one at a time. Eldon watched Rho, his eyes focused on her pale face as his sister worked. Rho’s beautiful features were slack. Their connection remained, but it was as if her end of the line was dead. Nothing but static.
Magick Marked (The DarqRealm Series) Page 18