Lethal Game

by Christine Feehan

  Immediately, her body tuned itself to his. She felt that too, the way every cell in her body reached for the cells in his. Merged with them. Those tiny spidery lines dissecting his bone, weakening it, glittered and danced like tiny flames, ran through the crevasses. She saw the droplets of infection seeping out, looking like veins of yellow.

  Her heat rushed over those small streams. Steam rose, obscuring her vision. She nearly jerked away.

  “No, no, you’re perfect right where you are. Don’t be afraid. You’re doing everything correctly. Let your body heal his.”

  The voice steadied her. It was soft, gentle even. Encouraging. Even admiring. So calm. She didn’t understand how the other healer could be so calm in the face of such a huge disaster. She wanted him there. To do this himself. He was experienced. She was . . .

  “The power you have is enormous,” the voice continued, as if she weren’t crumbling in the way Malichai’s bone was.

  That steadied her even more. Even she could feel her power. It was impossible not to. She told herself she was born for this. She’d been born with that gift. She was supposed to use it for good. Malichai was not only good—he was the best. The best part of her. She kept her hands moving very slowly up his leg, watching the steam rise as the scorching heat boiled away those long yellow tracks, all that infection seeping out of the spiderwebbing.

  It was exhilarating, terrifying and exhausting. Her body seemed to be burning out the infection, cauterizing the tracks, so the infection couldn’t return and then processing it through her own cells. She felt ill. Dizzy. She wanted to vomit. Fever made her grow hot and turned her hair damp, matting it to her head. She felt very weak, her body swaying and her legs threatening to give out on her.

  “You have to fight it, Amaryllis,” the healer said. “You have more work to do. Your assessment of the bone was correct. If you don’t fix it, it will continue to deteriorate. I don’t believe a surgeon would be able to stop the bone from continuing on its downward spiral.”

  She didn’t believe, even with her working on the infection, that even a surgeon could save his leg. Alarm spread through her. “His brother said a psychic surgeon was coming.”

  “He’s on the way. You get rid of the infection and as soon as he gets there, he’ll do the rest, but that infection has to be taken out now. Concentrate. You’re going to have to fix that bone now, or he’s going to lose it.”

  “Don’t tell her that,” Malichai snapped, shocking her. He sounded unexpectedly strong. His voice almost growled. There was menace in it, as if he would leap off the bed and attack the unseen man on the phone.

  Amaryllis put her hand on his chest to ensure he didn’t try to sit up or move. “Honey,” she cautioned, not knowing how to calm him. He was clearly very agitated.

  His hands surrounded hers. His eyes were glazed with fever, but they looked directly into hers. “Amaryllis, this isn’t on you. If it doesn’t work, or you’re too tired, it is what it is. This isn’t on you.”

  “He’s right,” the healer said immediately. “I misspoke, Amaryllis. I didn’t mean to imply you were in any way responsible. Sometimes when I work on something, I can get it, other times not. I know that. We all do. I’ve never actually talked someone else through the process.”

  “It’s all right,” Amaryllis said. Just that brief respite from concentrating, from using vision that turned inward rather than outward, gave her renewed energy. She leaned down and brushed her lips across Malichai’s. “I got a little scared, honey. It’s bound to happen, but I’m doing this and it’s making me feel as if I’m doing something valuable. He’s really helping me, and I appreciate it so much.”

  Malichai didn’t let go of her hand for a moment, staring into her eyes, searching. “You good, Amaryllis? Really?”

  “I am.” She poured confidence into her voice.

  He slowly, almost reluctantly, released her hand and she moved back down to position herself once more by his leg. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at the man on the screen.

  “I’m ready. Tell me what to do.”

  He sighed. “I’m not there. I can’t feel my way. That’s what you have to do. Judging by the energy coming out from under your palms, you’re extremely powerful. Start with your palms hovering about an inch from his skin. If the cracks don’t come wholly into focus for you, drop your hands lower until you can see those lines perfectly clear. Those are breaks. Start from the bottom of the bone and work your way up. Don’t let your palms touch his skin or you’ll burn him. It will be very uncomfortable for you, Amaryllis. I can’t stress that enough. Once you start up a break, you have to keep going no matter how difficult it is. When you reach the top, that’s when you can take a breath and let yourself relax for a moment.”

  Once more, before Amaryllis could do anything, Malichai caught her arm. He was very strong. Extremely so, and he pulled her away from his leg and back up closer to his head. Once he had her there, he wrapped his arm around her waist, locking her to the side of the bed.

  “What do you mean, it’s uncomfortable for her? Why?” Malichai asked.

  “Honey,” Amaryllis said, trying to extricate herself without actually fighting him. He was stronger because she had pushed the infection from his body. He was no longer feeling those effects. She was tired from using her gift when she wasn’t used to it. Her body felt as if she’d run a marathon. She wanted to lie down and rest. “It doesn’t really matter why it would be uncomfortable, I’m doing it because it has to be done. You have to let go of me.”

  “Stop squirming. You can’t get away from me and you know it,” Malichai said. He used a calm, fierce voice, as if he were immovable. “Joe, explain this to me. Why?”

  “It doesn’t matter why. I’m doing it.” Now it was a matter of pride. Not only was the mysterious healer, Joe, listening, but his brothers and friends on the plane were as well.

  Amaryllis was certain the worst way she could handle the situation was to allow it to become a matter of pride, and she was falling into that trap. She needed to find a way to make Malichai understand. This wasn’t about his brothers, or Joe. This wasn’t about her or her ability to heal. This was about Malichai and what he needed. He was willing to sacrifice himself in the way he always did, for everyone else, but she wasn’t willing to allow him to do that.

  Malichai ignored her. “Is she safe doing this?”

  “Malichai.” That was Ezekiel, warning plain in his voice.

  “You’re not supposed to make a sound, Zeke,” Malichai snapped. “I have every right to protect my woman. Tell me why it’s painful for her.”

  “He said ‘uncomfortable,’” Amaryllis pointed out.

  “You meant ‘painful,’ didn’t you, Joe?” Malichai asked, ignoring her.

  “Yes,” Joe capitulated, knowing Malichai, knowing he would never give in until he got the information he wanted. “For a brief time, the healer transfers the infection, or in this case the fractures in your bone, to his or her bones. We feel the pain the patient feels. It is momentary, but it can be severe and if you’re not ready for it, mistakes can be made during the healing process.”

  “Hell no, you’re not doing this,” Malichai hissed, his face a mask of fury. His arm tightened around her waist as if he could tie her to him. “I should have been told this from the beginning. That meant that the infection in my leg went through your body. Joe, could she have any of that left in her?”

  “No, like I said, it’s momentary.”

  “You’re positive?”

  Amaryllis knew there was no arguing with him. That way, she had no chance of winning. She had to think of something completely different, something he would understand, respect and be unable to get around.

  “I’m as sure as possible, Malichai. To my knowledge, it’s never happened.”

  Amaryllis put a knee on the bed and he immediately loosened his arm enough that she could craw
l onto it. She framed Malichai’s face with both hands and pressed her forehead to his, uncaring that it was possible that Joe could see her, and maybe even those in the plane. The only thing that mattered to her was convincing Malichai.

  “Don’t do this, Malichai. I would always, always respect what you do when it comes to your work. I won’t like it, because you’re going to be in danger, but I know it’s something you’re driven to do. You told me you wanted a woman in your life like Nonny. Would she back away from saving her man’s leg because of a little pain? She wouldn’t. I can’t either, honey. You know you can’t ask that of me. You can’t demand it. I need to do this. It isn’t a want. It’s a need. This is who I am.”

  “Damn it, Amaryllis. Do you have any idea what it feels like knowing I’m causing you pain?”

  She used the pads of her fingers to stroke velvet caresses along his cheekbones and jaw the way he did to hers. His face. She had come to love just looking at his face. There was such strength there. She knew, whenever she looked at him, that he was someone to count on. She wanted to be that someone for him.

  “You aren’t causing me pain. You would never cause me pain, Malichai. You aren’t that man and you never will be that man. You have an injury and I’m a healer. I’m fortunate in that there’s a generous healer willing to teach me when I need it most. I would help anyone through an injury like this, because like you, when others need you, you go. When someone needs me to do this, I’m driven to aid them.”

  She brushed kisses over his eyes and then down his nose to his mouth. “This is you, Malichai. The most important person in my world. This is you. More than any other I need to do this because you’re injured. If pain is a by-product of what I do, then I gladly accept it in order to heal someone. Never for one moment think it has anything to do with you.”

  For a moment she thought tears swam close to the surface of his eyes, but he blinked and then he was kissing her. If there was fire in her, there was equally as much in him and he transferred it all to her. She tasted love for the first time in her life. Nothing had ever tasted so good. The sensation settled deep and wrapped her in him, wrapped her in such warmth and happiness she felt safe and secure at the worst possible moment. That was all Malichai. That was her Malichai.

  She lifted her head, once again framed his face with her hands and looked into his strange, golden eyes. “Are we good?”

  “We’re always going to be good, baby.” He hesitated briefly. She could see the visible struggle in him as he warred with himself. “It’s a go.”

  “Thank you.” She said it simply and then slid back off the bed to go stand by his calf, once more positioning the phone so the faceless healer could see what she was doing. “We’re ready. Thanks for being so patient. We’re new at this.”

  “You’re both doing fine.” There was even more respect in his voice. “Tell me when you’re in.”

  She didn’t reply but let go of her outside vision. Each time she did so, she was amazed at how much faster and more efficiently she managed to get to the place she needed to be. Her “inward” vision cleared much faster as well. She had to experiment a little to find the best place to position her hands. She chose one of the shortest cracks in order to test the amount of pain she would feel before she could take a good breath.

  The crack was jagged, and it ran just to the side of his knee in a zigzag pattern. Glowing a deep red, she saw it was deeper in spots than others.

  “I didn’t realize the depths of the cracks would be different.”

  “Yes, I should have warned you. You’ll have to stick with it until it’s completely closed up,” the healer explained. “Obviously, the deeper the crack, the more intense it is to heal it. You have very good energy, so you have the power to do it, but expect even varying amounts of discomfort with each of those fractures.”

  There were so many cracks running up Malichai’s leg it was a little intimidating. She didn’t waste time, but she did think fleetingly that she should have texted Marie to tell her she couldn’t make breakfast. She doubted she’d be finished in time, or if she was, she wouldn’t be in any shape to do it. If she got close to the time, she’d have to have Malichai text.

  Her hands grew hot and then the fracture lit up bright, hot crimson. She felt her cells reaching for his. It was intimate, their bodies merging on a molecular level. Instantly she felt a jolt of bright hot pain and forced herself to relax into it. He’d been living with far worse, doing dishes, walking with her on the beach, running errands for the bed-and-breakfast. Love welled up and nearly overwhelmed her. Malichai. He was such a gift.

  It took time, and she was meticulous, filling in the fissures until the bone looked completely sealed and she could move upward. Sometimes it was difficult, other times easy, but always, always, it was painful. The longer ones, reaching up the side of his thigh, seemed to be the worst, branching out in every direction, trying to wrap around the bone to places hard to get, but she was meticulous. She had learned patience in a hard school, so she was very steady, ignoring the pain once it settled into her body.

  Light crept through the window, spotlighting the man lying on the bed by the time she was certain she had gotten to every fracture. She made one last sweep, just because she wasn’t going to take any chances that the fractures and infection could begin all over again before the psychic surgeon got there.

  Taking a long, deep breath, she pulled herself back from the merge with him. The moment she did, she landed on the floor, her legs nothing but ragged noodles.

  “Amaryllis?” The healer called out her name anxiously.

  “I’m okay, but I don’t think I’m going to fix breakfast for everyone this morning,” she said and curled up on the floor.

  “We’ve landed,” Ezekiel announced. “We’ll be there in a half hour.”

  “Good.” She wanted someone to take over. If she had a blanket, she’d just pull it over her and go to sleep right where she was.

  “Baby, climb onto the bed. At least lie here with me. If you don’t get up here, I’m going to pick you up and put you up here,” Malichai threatened.

  “Text Marie and tell her I can’t do breakfast this morning.” She was too tired even to give in to his threats. “Thanks, Joe, someday I hope to meet you and thank you in person. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “Yes, you could have, but hopefully I helped to give you confidence. Malichai, you need to rest. Don’t do anything until someone else works on you. We don’t know why that bone isn’t standing up but we can’t take any chances with it,” Joe said. “Rubin’s worked on you once. I did several times and now Amaryllis. It should be enough, but I have this gut feeling. Stay put until Rubin assesses that bone and determines what the problem is. And that, my good friend, is an order.”

  “Will do,” Malichai promised.

  Malichai’s voice was definitely stronger, while she was feeling as if she couldn’t move. She didn’t want to move and never wanted to move again. But she was also feeling more satisfied than she’d ever felt. She’d done it. She’d driven out the infection that was threatening his life and maybe she’d even mended the bone enough to keep the leg stable until the reputed psychic surgeon could get there.

  “Baby, come up here with me. The others will be here soon. I don’t want them to find you on the floor. If you don’t, I swear, I’m coming to get you.”

  Amaryllis had to make a supreme effort to move. Everything hurt. Every bone in her body. Every muscle. Still, she forced herself to ease her body onto the mattress beside him. He wasn’t nearly as hot as he had been, and she was grateful for that. His arm went around her waist and he dragged her back into him until her butt was snuggled in the cradle of his hips.

  She knew it was only a few minutes later before several men slipped into the room. She should have been up and ready to defend Malichai, but there was no tension in his body and no strength in hers, so she lay
passively, but as alert as possible as they surrounded the bed. Two men went straight to Malichai’s side of the bed, while one pulled down the shade at the window and the other locked and stood in front of the door.

  “Zeke,” Malichai greeted. “You got here fast.”

  “What did you think I was going to do?” There was gruff affection in the voice. Ezekiel put his hand on Malichai’s forehead in the way a father might check for a temperature in his child.

  The gesture choked Amaryllis up. She was uncomfortable with Malichai curled around her so intimately with so many strangers in the room and she shifted position as if to get up. All that did was draw Ezekiel’s attention.

  “You must be Amaryllis. Thank you for saving my brother’s life. Just stay there. I know it must have been tough on you. You rest while Rubin does the rest.”

  Rubin. The true miracle worker. She looked at the man. He looked striking. Handsome. Dark hair, dark lashes. If she didn’t have excellent night vision, she wouldn’t have been able to see him in the blacked-out room. She had a feeling that might have been deliberate, but she couldn’t help staring. This man had a skill probably only one or two other people on earth had.

  He didn’t waste time asking questions. Or even speaking at all. He simply crooked his finger at Malichai and Malichai rolled over to lay straight. Amaryllis sat up so she could see better. Rubin spread his palms above the leg and moved upward from the ankle to the hip slowly. There was no expression on his face, but Amaryllis suddenly felt a heaviness in her chest. The pressure was so severe she pushed with both hands against it.

  There was no light bursting beneath his palms. Nothing to indicate he was working, but that pressure she felt told her he was. Just as her body took the brunt of the healing process, his had to be doing so as well. She admired his efficiency, but she wished she dared ask him questions and that she could see what he was doing. It was impossible not to be curious. She could push out infections and bind together a broken bone, but she couldn’t actually perform a surgery on a person. She might hold an artery together for a short length of time, but he could repair it, he could do what surgeons couldn’t when it came to actually putting together a human body.