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Dallas went to grab one, but winced in pain.
Maximus sat up, face lining with stress as he picked up on her near-inaudible intake of air. “Take it easy, Dal.”
She plucked a cupcake from the box. “Yeah, yeah.” She waved him away, although in truth Loren knew Dallas loved how attentive he was being. Maximus Reacher, killer extraordinaire, was nothing but a big softy for her. “I need my sugar fill.” The cupcake was gone in two bites, which was impressive considering it was bigger than her fist, and then she was licking her fingers clean.
Regardless of how happy Dallas clearly was with the company of her friends—not to mention the eye candy in the form of a looming, heavily muscled bounty hunter seated beside her bed—Loren caught her glancing at her cell phone, the device resting near her elbow.
But the screen didn’t light up, nor did the speaker make a sound. Loren knew she was waiting for her mother; a call or a text, anything that might indicate that Taega cared about her daughter’s surgery. What Loren knew hurt worse, however, was knowing her father didn’t care either, not even now that he was back in town.
Maximus didn’t appear to be unaware of this either. He was watching her closely, a look of concern on his face that he expertly hid when Dallas glanced his way.
Dallas forced a smile. “Any more news?” she asked him.
His expression became guarded.
Loren glanced between them. “News about what?”
Dallas slapped Loren’s thigh. “If you’d been around last night instead of working on your stupid project, you would know already.”
Sabrine said, “Leave her alone. It’s good that she’s concentrating on her studies.” If only they knew what she was really doing. If only she could tell them.
“Is anyone going to spit it out?” Loren asked.
It was Maximus who answered. “We went to Death’s Landing to see what Dominic learned about Blue.”
“And?”
He got up so he could shut the door. “We think she has some type of rare magic,” he began, leaning back against the wall by the door. Loren sat up straight. “Her aura is blue—”
Dallas snorted. “Big surprise.”
“—and Tanner got into the Fleet database and found four missing soldiers called Elementals.”
“What are those?” Loren asked.
Dallas replied, “We don’t know all the details, but Dominic said they’re a Special Task Force for the Aerial Fleet, and it looks like their magic is categorized by color.”
Sabrine chimed in. “The core colors of their auras.”
Loren’s mind went to the imperator and Spirit Terra. Could the missing Fleet soldiers be connected in some way to what he was doing in Spirit Terra? It was all the more reason to figure out how to access her magic and find answers.
Which was exactly her plan—and exactly the reason why she’d made the decision to come to Angelthene General today. Well, aside from Dal’s surgery. There were people here who might be able to help her—Aura Healers who made a living by using their white and multicolored auras to help people who suffered from Surges and the Tricking.
She would just have to find Tanner’s mother first.
—
Loren spotted Doctor Atlas on the second floor of Angelthene General Hospital. She was walking in the opposite direction, clipboard in hand, white lab coat billowing behind her. Loren hurried to catch up with her without breaking into a run.
She reached Doctor Atlas just as she was pressing the button for the elevator. “Doctor Atlas,” she panted.
Tanner’s mother turned, smiling when she recognized her. “Hi, Loren. What brings you here? Is everything alright?”
“I’m fine, I’m just a little out of breath. I was trying to catch up with you. I’m here with Dallas. She’s still recovering from her surgery.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Good, good. They said she can go home tonight.”
