After I shot him two thumbs-up, he disappeared, and I cranked my head around to assess the damage to Lucia.
From what I could tell, she had landed in the exact position as she had been in.
That was good. Phew. Maybe I hadn’t broken anything else in her.
Either her shifter or fae genes had kickstarted her healing abilities. She wasn’t bleeding out anymore, but she had lost a lot of blood. Enough I might have to donate if we were a match.
As I was checking her pulse, Kierce materialized with an update. “Aretha is on the way.”
“What about the hospital?”
“Aretha believes Lucia stands a better chance of survival with more flexible healing services, given the various attributes of her bloodline.” He stroked my hair. “She’s bringing a coven, so there will be many healers present with specialties treating different factions.”
“You went straight to her.”
“I considered the hospital, but then I recalled Lucia is a mercenary. There might be people searching for her.”
“And people with that kind of reach would be scanning hospital records for anyone matching her description.” I caught his hand. “That was a brilliant move on your part.”
A deep flush climbed his neck, singeing his cheeks until the tips of his ears burnt red.
“I need to...” I groaned when it hit me. “I brought the phone to Abaddon.”
Josie’s phone was as fried as mine had been, rendering it useless to me.
“It’s all right.” He brushed my sweaty hair off my forehead. “I visited Matty before I returned to you. He will drive the wagon to the shop. I located Josie and Carter and told them to come as well.” The edges of his mouth twitched once. “Matty broke Harrow’s nose for letting you go through the portal, but your brother agreed to give him a ride here since Harrow woke me as soon as you left to go after you.”
“Poor Harrow.” I slid my gaze back to Lucia. “Can we do anything else?”
“We shouldn’t move her again until Aretha gets a look at her.”
Just because her wounds were closing on the outside didn’t mean the inside was finished healing. The real damage would be hidden in her bones and organs, and only a med-witch could see the true extent of her injuries. As much as I wanted to hold her hand or offer her comfort, exhaustion gnawed on me.
I was spent. I had nothing left. I couldn’t lift my arm if I wanted to reach for her.
The struggle was real, holding my eyes open long enough for the others to arrive.
“I wanted to set you free.”
Oh, yeah. I was hanging on by a thread if I was doing this now. I hadn’t meant to open my big mouth.
“You did.” He gathered me against his chest. “And, as long as Dis Pater is confined, I can’t be used against you.”
“Are you sure?” I lifted my head, a minor miracle, forcing myself to search his face. “You want to stay with me? You could go anywhere, do anything. You could start over. Have a life.”
“I’ve never been more certain.” A smile broke across his face. “A quiet life with you would be heaven.”
“Fair warning. Life with me will never be quiet. On account of us Marys all living together.”
“As long as I never have to play dress up with Josie again, I can handle it.”
“There’s one more thing.” I owed him the absolute truth before he signed on for life. “I don’t plan on using these new powers outside of protecting the Alcheyvaha.”
“I can respect that.”
“Except for one little thing, I don’t plan to meddle in the divine.”
“Oh?”
