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“Oren, hold her!”
It felt like I’d been shoved backward, then I nearly lost my shield, but somehow I was able to hold on. I didn’t know how. I just concentrated on the lines of energy still winding through my protection spell.
“Take a deep breath, Ayla.”
Take a deep breath? How was I supposed to do that? My stomach couldn’t contract, and lava filled my lungs. I was dying. I was dying, I was dying, I was dying, I was dying, IwasdyingIwasdyingIwasdying—
Suddenly, I felt a firm pressure on the bolt sticking out of me. “I’m going to need to push it through so we can break the head off.”
I looked up at him blearily, unable to even see the features I knew so well. “Wait, wh—”
Then he shoved it through me.
I screamed. Oh, did I scream—the entire world spinning around me until it felt like it would collapse in its entirety and swallow me with it. My legs buckled, and the only way I stood was thanks to Oren’s grip on me. Everything was a mishmash cacophony of pain and fire, and I knew I had to hold on to my spell or everything would be so much worse.
Because there was no way they had just one silver crossbow bolt. That meant there were multiple guards or soldiers just a dozen or so feet away, armed with weapons specifically designed to kill three of the four of our party. It made it clear that King Nathaniel wasn’t interested in peace or even justice. He was out for blood.
So, I held onto my spell, and despite everything, I managed to keep it steady so they couldn’t hear or smell us.
Of course, the horror wasn’t finished there. I felt Kai’s strong hands in front of me and behind, both gripping the shaft. Then there was an awful amount of pressure and a jerk as he snapped the head off. I screamed again, but it was like all my strength was stolen away from the force of the first push. All I could do was writhe and whimper as he yanked the bolt out of me.
But by the gods, the relief I felt once it was out of me was immense, and indescribably so. It was like I’d gone from the direct fires of Hades into a regular burn. I was still in pain. It still felt like lightning was coursing through my body in the most malicious way, but it was so much less intense than the immense agony that’d been eating me alive just moments earlier.
“It’s okay, Ayla. I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” Kai said soothingly as he took me fully into his arms. Although, it was more that I was collapsing into them once Oren let me go.
Together, my mate and I sank to the ground, my entire body shaking. It took me a moment to realize that I was crying—no, sobbing—into Kai’s chest, my face soaked with my own tears, and my chest heaving with hiccups.
I was a mess. A combination of snot and blood, and I knew it was important that we staunch the flow of the wound, considering it was silver and wouldn’t heal with any shifter speed, but I couldn’t get my head together enough to say so.
“Take her to the cottage,” Oren said, his voice gentle, respectful even, but firm. “Darla and I will distract these guards and lead them away.”
“I’m not going to risk the lot of you. We can all go to the cottage together.”
“You’ll need time to patch her up. Besides, Darla can always use her convincing ability if we get into a pinch.”
“I just want to remind you that the effectiveness of that is not guaranteed,” Darla said, her voice strangely close. It took her gently brushing my face for me to realize she’d crouched down next to me.
When had that even happened? Was I still crying? I couldn’t tell. I felt strung out, twisted up, and all sorts of confused on top of it. I’d gotten a few silver knicks in my life, but nothing, nothing, had ever prepared me for the excruciating pain I was in. It was all encompassing. The only reason I was still able to hold onto my spell was because I was half-witch. It looked for once like having “tainted” blood was working in my favor.
“I’m sure you’ll come through,” Oren said, his hand resting on Kai’s shoulder. “Kai, let us help you. Get her to safety while she can still maintain the shield. Let us lead the soldiers away from her blood so they can’t track you while you’re still patching her up.”
Kai looked like he wanted to object, and as much as I didn’t want to put my friends in danger, they were making some great points. I would keep my magic up as long as I could, but I was already shaking, with sweat dripping down my forehead, making my skin clammy. There was only so long I’d be able to hold on while I was still in pain and bleeding heavily.
“All right. Just be safe.”
“We will; we swear it. As soon as we run, you head in the direction of the cottages, then try to make it to the smuggler’s spot. We’ll meet you there.”
“Swear to me you won’t let them capture you so you won’t be hurt.”
I wasn’t used to hearing Kai sound so panicked, so afraid, and it made my heart truly ache for him. But I couldn’t comfort him. I just didn’t have the capacity to. I wasn’t even sure I could speak.
“I swear it. Now, go, Kai. Protect your mate.”
With that, Oren held out his hand to Darla. The two of them exchanged a long look, then raced out perpendicular to where we were standing, quickly disappearing out of our vision into the thick bracket.
“There! I knew I heard something!”
“Go! Come on. We don’t want to let them lose us in the trees!”
