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But the Doomsday Diary is still against me—exactly where I need Marrok to be. He’s still safe with Bram, thank God.
“What happened?” I murmur, rushing to his side.
Frowning, Duke scans the tunnel. “They retreated.”
Caden nods. “They tucked their tails between their legs. We won the battle.”
Ice tucks his gun away. “Maybe, but time will tell if we win the war.”
* * *
Back at Bram’s estate an hour later, I hover beside the bed, across which Marrok lies frighteningly pale and still.
On the other side, Duke, Ice, and Caden stare with bleak faces. No one has said a word, but I know by their expressions that my mate’s condition is grave. Bram, keeping watch at the foot of the bed, called for a wizened old healer, magickind’s answer to a doctor. In the corner, the old man mixes a poultice, says a few words, and waves his hands.
While we waited for the geezer to show up, I washed away Marrok’s blood, carefully avoiding his jagged wounds. Sabelle helped me dress him in fresh clothes. He’s resting now. But I’m terrified. The gaping slash from heart to belly is mending faster than the average human, but far slower than before.
Why isn’t he insta-healing into his protective, pushy self?
As the old wizard examines Marrok again, Bram watches intently. I hold in a scream. The not-knowing kills me. Will my mate, the man who holds my heart, die for saving me? And how did he suddenly become mortal again?
“What’s going on?” I demand.
Still bloody and ragged, Bram looks as if he fought a pack of bears and lost. To his credit, he hasn’t once mentioned cleaning up or getting help for his own injuries. He hasn’t even asked about the diary.
“If he lives, it will only be through sheer will,” the old healer says finally as he returns his implements to his bag. “Most would have gone on. Something holds him here.”
I nod. “Immortality.”
The healer tucks away the last of his things, then turns to me slowly. “No. That’s why he’s so near death. He’s quite human again, so there’s little left I can do for him. I’ll be by to check on him later.”
His pronouncement sucks all the air out of the room. He leaves, closing the door with a quiet click.
Oh, god. If Marrok isn’t immortal anymore, he could truly die. He could pass from this life to the next and leave me forever.
At that realization, it takes all my will not to sink to my knees and grip Marrok tight, as if my arms can keep him from slipping into death.
“Don’t give up.” Bram squeezes my hand, then thumbs away the tears I didn’t realize were running down my cheeks. “I have an idea for healing him. Lay your hands on his chest.”
Why? I don’t know, but I’m not going to pass up an opportunity to touch my mate and feel his heart beat under my fingers. These moments with him may be my last.
Marrok’s warm flesh smooths some of the jagged edges of my worries. He’s so warm and rippling with muscle. Touching him feels…normal. I can almost fool myself into believing he’s merely sleeping.
But the angry gash that nearly cut him in two and his shallow breaths tell me that’s delusional. As pale and fragile—a word I never thought I would use to describe Marrok—as he appears, I don’t know if he’ll even survive another minute.
Turning, I frown at Bram. “What good will this do? And what if I infect his wounds with my germs? He needs a human hospital.”
“Imagine filling out that form.” He clears his throat and mimics a female nurse’s voice. “Patient’s date of birth?”
Good point.
“Just keep your hands on him, near his heart, and close your eyes. Good,” he murmurs once I comply. “Remember that burst of energy you had in the tunnel? How did you know to do that?”
“After Caden tossed me toward the exit, Shock grabbed me and barked at me to gather and focus my energy. Once I did, he demanded I blast it. I wanted to tell him to pound sand, but I was so angry I ended up spewing colored beams all over the place.” At the memory, I cast an apologetic glance at Bram. “But I almost hit you. Thank God, my magic skirted you and—”
“Skirted me? It went around me?” At my nod, Bram looks nothing short of stunned. “How did you do that?”
“I-I don’t know. I just kept hoping it wouldn’t touch you, and it didn’t. That’s not normal, is it?”
