“Have you finished looking me over, Lady Callie?” he asked her, the teasing in his voice making her smile.
“Really, Verrick, you need to tone down your arrogance,” she told him, doing her best not to laugh.
“I am not arrogant, sweet Callie,” he told her without hesitation, stepping toward her and standing before her calmly. “I am hopeful that you find me to your liking.”
He reached out and took her hand in his, bringing it up to place it on his chest and cover his heart. Her touch settled him. Her violet eyes called to him, making him know that she was a loving and caring person. He ached to be the recipient of her kindness and her caring.
“Will you give me the chance to know you and someday bond with you, Callie?” he asked her gently.
Callie felt the beating of his heart beneath her palm and the connection to him that she couldn’t deny. It was meant to be.
“Callie! Help!” Sebastian’s voice boomed through the silence of the outpost.
Callie jumped in surprise before turning and running toward the entrance of the small station. She slipped through the magical shield without pause, feeling the tingle of the rush of power but ignoring it.
Sebastian’s voice held something that frightened her. Panic. Callie knew that it had to be because Lexi had been injured.
Chapter 26
Sebastian hugged Lexi closer, kissing her neck and breathing in her scent. The power that they had expended to destroy the Gorin had been even more intense than the combined magic that they had used to defeat their enemy at the encampment.
“You are not injured, my love?” Sebastian whispered against her temple just before he placed a gentle kiss there.
“Not at all,” Lexi assured him. “Are you?”
“No, wife, I am well.”
Lexi’s smile as she turned to look up at him sent happiness racing through him. To have her that happy made him pleased. It also gave him great relief. He wanted her to find happiness on his world—with him.
“I like when you call me that, Sebastian,” she told him quietly.
“I am honored to have you as mine, Lexi,” he told her honestly.
Lexi couldn’t even respond. The emotions were nearly bursting from her. She felt joy, she felt happiness, and she felt cherished. She was exactly where she wanted to be. Forever.
“When we get back to the castle, I’d really like some alone time with you, Sebastian,” she whispered against his neck. “I want to make love to you.”
Sebastian’s responding growl rumbled through his chest and sent her need for him soaring. It was more than a physical need, though. She needed to be with him and talk to him and make sure that he was safe and happy.
“I will endeavor to give you everything you want,” he told her, his golden eyes twinkling with merriment, the violet specks within them flashing with his renewed magic.
“You will, huh?” Lexi teased, laughing softly.
“You have my vow.”
Sebastian grew very serious as he wrapped his arms around her. He held her tightly, the fear that he could have lost her in this battle with the Gorin was very real. He kissed her temple lightly, breathing in her scent and calming almost immediately. That did not take the fear away, though.
“Is anyone injured?” he called out, turning to face Torin and waiting for a report from him.
“No injuries,” Torin called out, still breathing heavily from the fight.
Sebastian nodded, turning back to face Lexi and seeing the concern on her face. He hesitated, knowing that he could not suffocate her or belittle her fighting ability by smothering her with his protection. It was very difficult for him not to reach out and hold her, but he could not. She deserved the same respect that every other warrior received from him.
“We need to remedy this situation, Torin,” Sebastian said, turning to his friend and indicating the damage of the outpost behind him.
“Agreed,” Torin said angrily. “I do not know how the Gorin keep getting through our defenses, but I am going to find out.”
He hesitated briefly, thinking about his inability to sense the Gorin when they had attacked their encampment. He saw the rubble that had once been the outpost and was truly concerned. He knew he had to adapt his gift. Mayhap, Bree could help him do that. She had already been able to warn them about today’s attack.
He was going to have a talk with Bree when they returned to the castle. As much as he did not want to chance a bonding with her, he had to admit that there was already a connection between the two of them. Bree would not have been able to send him that message of warning otherwise.
“What of Verrick?” Torin asked suddenly, turning back to Sebastian in concern.
“Callie found him,” Lexi told him.
“You are certain?”
“Yes. I heard her call out to me.”
“Is he alive?”
“If he wasn’t, she would be out here telling us.” Lexi was certain of it. “If Callie is still with him, it means that she’s healing him.”
“Thank the heavens,” Sebastian whispered.
“I felt a surge of power after she went into that,” Lexi said, pointing at the branches of an exotic looking tree that seemed to form a hut of some kind.
Sebastian looked toward the hidden outpost and was thankful that Verrick had been able to take refuge in the second station. Knowing that Lexi had felt a surge of power, he was hopeful that his warrior had made a connection with Callie. Verrick beginning a bond with Callie would certainly explain the increase in magic.
“Would it upset you to know that your sister Callie might have met her destined life mate and had begun the bonding process?” he asked her quietly.
Lexi turned to look at the hut and sighed softly. She was worried for her sister, but she also knew the absolute joy that finding and bonding with the man destined to be yours brought with it. Facing Sebastian, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. In the short time she had been with him, she had found incredible kindness, caring, and love. She would never want any of her sisters to lose out on that same happiness.
She stepped closer to Sebastian, reached up, and rested her hand upon his chest. She smiled at the way he immediately covered her hand with his own and pressed it closer against his body.
“How can I not be happy that my sister might have found her life mate?” she asked him gently. “I know first-hand how wonderful it is.”
She reached up and tugged on Sebastian’s long hair, laughing softly at the expression of complete happiness that appeared on his face. The spark of magic that immediately surrounded them made her shake her head. This man was always protecting her.
“You can ease up on your shield, Sebastian,” she told him quietly. “We’re all safe now.”
“You must keep your shield up,” he told her without hesitation.
“Tell you what,” she began gently. “How about if I lower my shield for now and put it back in place once I take a nap?”
Sebastian saw the tiredness in her eyes and was concerned. This shared magic that they used to destroy the Gorin had taken its toll on his energy, as well. He understood Lexi’s need to rest and rejuvenate.
“You can take a nap with me,” she suggested, laughing softly when the violet within his eyes flashed brightly. “Or we can do other things.”
She kissed his lips quickly then stepped out of his arms, loving the way he hugged her tightly before releasing his hold on her. It was true. She was really tired and didn’t really have the energy to focus on creating a shield of protection right then, but it was safe now. There was no reason for Sebastian to worry so much.
Turning toward the hut, she began walking toward it with purpose. She had to make sure that Callie didn’t need her help. Lexi didn’t understand why Daria hadn’t come along to help Callie with her healing of Verrick, but Daria always knew what was best. Lexi had to believe that her sister had been given a vision that would prove that Callie would be able to help Verrick on her own.
>
Lexi made it to the entrance of the small outpost, feeling something powerful pushing at her as she neared it. It didn’t occur to her to be cautious. The magic of Altavesta had embraced her completely, and she was not only comfortable with its power, she was also strengthened by it.
Stepping into the opening, she found herself hit with a blast of magic so powerful that it lifted her and hurled her backward. In that second of uncontrolled flight, she realized that the magic at the entrance of the outpost had been put in place to protect the injured man within. That realization came too late.
Closing her eyes, she did her best to relax her body so that the hard impact she would experience wouldn’t be as bad as she knew it could be. She wasn’t successful.
She hit the ground hard, her breath knocked from her lungs as she impacted. Her head snapped back and connected to the forest floor. A soft moan escaped her as she was sent into the darkness of oblivion.
“Lexi!” Sebastian called out, running toward her and falling to his knees beside her. Fear filled him, paralyzing him for a moment before he pushed through it to see to her health. He reached out to touch her cheek gently, saying a silent prayer that she would be well.
Lexi was unresponsive. Sebastian was about to gather her within his arms when he saw the blood that was soaking the ground beneath her head. Fear and rage warred within him. A burst of magic exploded from him as he shouted his pain to the heavens.
He heard footsteps pounding toward them but dared not look away from Lexi. He feared that if he took his eyes off her, her life force would slip away.
He had failed her. He should have insisted that she remain beside him. He should have strengthened his shield around her to compensate for the weakness she had experienced after defeating the Gorin. His woman was dying—because of him.
His men surrounded them at once, each of them contributing the magic that they possessed to shield their king and queen. Sebastian could feel their magic filling him but knew that its healing capabilities were not enough. Lexi’s life was fading quickly. None of them held within them the healing magic that was needed to save her.
“Callie! Help!”
Sebastian’s powerful voice rang out over the quiet area. Despite the power behind his call, there was also fear, and it was nearly crippling in its strength. His Lexi, his life mate, the woman he loved beyond anything else, was in danger of leaving this world. The very thought made him willing to offer up anything in his life to save her. Nothing meant anything if he could not share his future with her.
Callie slid to her knees beside Lexi, reaching out and touching her sister’s forehead with her right hand and slipping her left hand beneath Lexi’s neck to support her head. She felt the warmth of her sister’s blood soaking her hand and had to force herself to remain calm and focused. Lexi’s life was dependent upon her ability to remain strong and use her gift as it was meant to be used.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, swaying slightly as the intense pain and the degree of Lexi’s injuries seeped into her mind and her body. It was always that way when she used her gift to heal someone. She felt their pain. She experienced the exact location of the person’s injuries within her own body so she could focus her healing on those areas. The pain she experienced was sometimes so intense, Callie barely remained conscious. It was only through Daria’s help that she had been able to deal with the level of pain that she gladly suffered in order to help another.
The only time she had not been consumed by the pain was when she had healed Verrick. She hadn’t needed Daria’s help. She honestly believed Verrick was the one who had shielded her from the pain. She wished she could experience that shield right then. Lexi’s injuries were extensive. The pain in Callie’s head was so severe, she thought she might be sick to her stomach. It felt as if a metal spike was being pounded into her skull. She couldn’t prevent the moan of pain from escaping her at the connection to her sister.
Doing her best to push aside the pain in order to help Lexi, she focused on the violet glow of healing that she pictured in her mind’s eye. She was concerned by its level of strength. It was glowing weakly, so different from her usual level of power when she healed someone.
She had expelled too much of her gift over the past few hours. The many warriors she had helped had taken its toll on her. She hoped she had enough strength to heal her sister because if she didn’t, Lexi’s head injury would certainly be the cause of her death.
She felt herself pitching forward as weakness gripped her, a whimpering cry of frustration leaving her as she realized that the one time Lexi needed her, she wasn’t going to be able to help her. She felt her body giving out and was about to fall on top of her sister when she felt arms slipping beneath her to wrap around her waist and hold her securely against a very strong body behind her.
She felt a soft kiss on the back of her neck. An electrifying charge of power surged through her at the contact. She knew by the feel of the strong chest and the glorious scent she smelled, that the man helping her was Verrick. When he rested his cheek against hers, she closed her eyes and gave in to the tenderness and the strength that he offered.
“Allow me to help you, Callie,” he whispered against her temple. “Draw from my magic to help you grow stronger.”
Power flowed through Callie like fire, lighting her up from the depth of her soul and radiating out through her hands. She felt her strength returning with a vengeance. With that strength, came her healing power at a level that she had never possessed or had been able to wield before.
A violet and golden shield surrounded her and the man who held her, pulsing with power and goodness. She directed her gift into her sister, healing the injury at the base of her skull and closing the open wound that had been bleeding uncontrollably. She concentrated on easing the swelling in Lexi’s brain, relieved when it was reduced in an instant.
“Thank you, Verrick,” Callie choked out through her tears.
“Anything for you, my sweet Callie,” Verrick whispered, kissing her cheek lightly. “You are my life mate. I will always help you.”
Callie allowed Verrick’s support and caring to fill her with strength. She would deal with his declaration that she was his life mate later. It wasn’t that she didn’t think that they were mates—in fact, she was certain that they were. It was that she wanted to discuss their future privately. She wanted to get to know him at her pace, which she had to admit was probably the slowest in the history of relationships.
“Do not allow your mind to take you to a place where you have worry, Callie,” Verrick whispered against her ear. “We have all the time we need to explore this bonding.”
Callie nodded just once, releasing her nervous energy to the universe so she could concentrate on healing her sister. Directing her gift into Lexi, she felt the warmth rushing from her and entering her sister’s body. The violet light of healing that surrounded Lexi was encouraging. It was bright and strong.
Sebastian watched in silence as the woman who owned his heart teetered between life and death. He could not imagine living without her. His future with her was filled with hope and possibility. He wanted her by his side to help him watch over the people of Altavesta and the worlds that they protected. He wanted to create children with her, feel their babies growing within her womb, and help her when it came time for them to be born. Now that he had met and bonded with her, he knew how empty his life had been before. Without her, he had no joy or love. With her, he had everything.
“Sebastian,” Lexi groaned softly, lifting her right hand and searching for him.
Sebastian gripped her hand at once, bringing it to his lips and kissing it lightly. “I am here,” he whispered. “Fight to remain with me. Open your eyes, my love.”
Lexi’s forehead scrunched up as she struggled to understand what Sebastian was saying. She didn’t understand why she was so tired.
“Are you okay, Lexi?” Callie asked, never stopping the flow of her healing gift.
“Callie? D
id I get hurt?” Lexi asked, confused.
“You did,” Callie told her. “I don’t know how it happened, but you injured your head. It was really bad, Lexi.”
The glow of healing slowly dissipated, letting Callie know that she had healed Lexi fully. Easing back, she rested against Verrick’s body and sighed with relief. She felt his magic still coursing through her and knew that she had regained the full power of her gift, because of him. She squeezed Lexi’s hand in reassurance, saying a silent prayer of thanks that she had been able to heal her sister.
Lexi opened her eyes slowly, looking at Callie first and seeing the panic on her sister’s face. “Callie,” she whispered, reaching up with her free hand and tugging on her sister’s brown hair. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m okay. Just really tired.”
She tried to sit up and found herself scooped up into Sebastian’s arms and settled sideways on his lap, breaking the connection that Callie had with her. Before she could say a word or utter a protest, Sebastian kissed her lips gently. He ended the kiss, but pressed his forehead against Lexi’s, breathing heavily.
“I’m fine, Sebastian,” Lexi told him, feeling his heart pounding against her side. “Honestly.”
“My lady, you were nearly lost to me,” Sebastian told her, his voice gruff with emotion.
“Callie healed me. Don’t worry.”
“Not possible,” Sebastian interrupted her. “You are everything to me.”
Lexi couldn’t get upset. He cared about her. She would have been just as concerned and worried if he had been the one injured. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she rested her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck lightly.
“I feel the same way about you,” she whispered, loving the way he tightened his hold on her and breathed softly against her forehead.
“Sebastian, we should get back home,” Torin interrupted, not comfortable with having all of them out in the open. “The Gorin have a way of sneaking up on us. Until we can prevent that, we need to get behind castle walls and speak with our technicians. Bryden needs to help us design a new warning system.”
Alexa's Warrior Mate (Guardian Warrior Mates, Prophecy of Salvation Book 1) Page 38