The only enemy here was the stone, and the shadows couldn’t destroy it. And thatthingmight be the only chance he had of saving her. He didn’t care what it took; the crones would break the curse.
Already at Lexi’s side, Sahira knocked Lexi’s hand to the side, and the stone tumbled out. “Lexi?” Sahira whispered as she brushed the hair back from Lexi’s face.
Clasping Lexi’s cheeks, she lifted her head to peer at her pale face and nearly bloodless lips. He’d seen dead bodies that weren’t as pale as her.
Orin and Varo hovered in the library’s doorway while Del knelt at Lexi’s other side. Brokk remained standing between him and Lexi. The look on his brother’s face, as he glanced nervously between them, said he’d prefer to crawl into a pit of vipers.
“She’s alive,” Cole stated as he stalked toward them.
For how long, he didn’t know, but he would save her.
Brokk held up his hands and backed away from him. Orin and Varo remained where they were. Varo watched with frightened eyes while Orin’s gaze went from Cole to Lexi and back again. His brother was calculating exactly how close Cole was to losing it.
“Yes,” Sahira said. When Del leaned closer to her, Sahira waved him back. “Don’t touch her. I’m not sure how the curse works now that it’s activated. If you touch her, it could spread to you.”
Sahira turned her attention to the stone. The brilliant glow was gone, but when she tried to lift it, she yelped and jerked her fingers away. She stared at it in disbelief.
“It certainly no longer welcomes my touch,” Sahira muttered.
She turned her hand over to reveal the nasty burn in the middle of her palm and two on the tips of her fingers.
“What is going on?” Del demanded.
“I don’t know,” Sahira said. “She should be dead, and because she touched it….” Her voice trailed off as she looked at Brokk.
“We’re next,” he said.
“We’re next,” she confirmed.
“Who put the curse on the stone?” Cole growled.
Sahira turned toward him, and when her gaze met his, her mouth opened, but she didn’t speak. He didn’t know what she saw on his face, but she leaned away from him.
“Cole….” Orin started, but he closed his mouth and glanced at Brokk, who shook his head in warning.
“Who controls the curse?” Cole enunciated.
“Kaylia gave us the stone.”
“Take me to her.”
“I… uh… I don’t think it’s such a good idea for you to enter the crone realm right now. I’ll go—”
“No,” Cole said. “Take me to her. Now.”
Sahira glanced nervously at the others.
“Cole, the crones won’t take kindly to you… ah… entering their realm like this,” she said. “You have to calm down.”
“I don’t give afuckwhat they take kindly to. They are going to save her.”
“I’ll go with you,” Brokk offered.
“Um… yeah… ah… okay,” she whispered.
“I’ll come too,” Varo said.
“No,” Cole said harshly. “We did all of this to ensure everyone believed you were dead. Even if they know the stone was supposed to be used on you, you’re not going to waltz into the crone realm and confirm it.”
