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Indigo closed her eyes, wrapping herself in magic, the air around her cooling. Her chest heaved with each breath she took, each word she spoke. She sent a spell toward Roark. As she tossed his blankets aside, she envisioned her witchcraft burrowing inside, stimulating his lungs, his heart, his mind.
She rested her fingers on his temples, pushing the spell deeper. Then she inhaled while demanding he awaken.
Nothing.
She repeated the process with a different incantation, each time her urging louder, more forceful.
Nothing.
After hours of failed spells, Indigo slumped into the chair, exhausted from spent energy. Later, she would need to feed, but lots of friends at the stronghold would allow her to channel power from them to store what she required to cast magic. Not now, though. After she called Fin, the next sitter on her list, she portaled to Alarik’s to get the names of cutting-edge mages from the succubus Zora.
“Who’s the best?” she asked her brother’s secretary.
“These two are your only choices. If they can’t do the job… Well, then it can’t be done.” With one hand, Zora fluffed her blonde hair. With the other, she tapped a bright blue nail on the names.
“Are they at the ministry now?”
“She’s in the infirmary working on a Firebrand who was gravely injured. He’s teaching a quick lesson on triage to a novice group of healers we had to bring onboard before they were ready. You’ll find him in classroom D.”
“Thanks, Zora.”
Indigo cajoled, pleaded, and threatened both mages until they accompanied her, probably just to shut her up.
With arms across their chests, both Aeternals studied the patient on the bed.
“He isn’t one of us,” said the male, his white lab coat wrinkled.
“No, he’s not,” said Indigo. “Does it matter?”
“Of course it does.” The witch, who was snazzy in ragged jeans topped off with a pink tank, tightened her high ponytail.
“At least, try,” said Indigo.
The warlock extended a hand, resting it on Roark’s head. He closed his eyes, his nostrils quivering as he drew air. “I can’t see inside. I perceive darkness. A vast nothingness.”
“Let me,” said the female.
He stepped to the side, giving her room to work. She glanced at her fellow healer, her palm on Roark’s shoulder. “You’re right. An impenetrable, cold, dark wasteland. I’m sorry. He deserves better.”
Indigo didn’t note their leaving. She sank into the chair beside Roark, clasping his hand in hers. He was so still. So unnatural. She wanted him to explode into bright colors, becoming the raven. Or to sprout fiery wings, taking to the skies where he belonged. He had no business being a lump of gelatinous nothing when he was life itself.
She leaned forward, whispering in her lover’s ear. “I won’t give up. You will never lie here for a millennium. You have my word.”
****
Indigo jerked awake. She’d fallen asleep with her head on Roark’s chest. A change in the air startled her. On the other side of the bed stood a huge, scary male with a black patch over one eye. Stygian wings unfurled from his back, spreading from wall to wall. He looked dangerous as hell and on a first-name basis with killing.
She jumped to her feet, casting a spell which should knock the intruder on his ass, but he lifted a palm to deflect the blast.
Undeterred, she prepared another bomb. “Who are you?”
“Be unafraid. I am Dominion, Ohngel’s Feard brother.” He brushed aside her attempt to set him on fire.
“Yeah? Well, stand back. You guys have done enough damage.”
“This was not our decision. It was Ohngel’s. We had no stake in the fight between humans and Aeternals.”
“Maybe if you had, he wouldn’t be lying here.” She gritted her teeth, not liking Dominion a bit.
