“We should split up,” he said to Maverick. “We’ll cover more ground that way, and I don’t think there’s any threat left here.”
“Neither do I,” Maverick said.
They split up, and Brokk moved swiftly through what little remained of the realm. He opened the flaps of the few remaining homes to make sure no other children hid within. He discovered a couple of bodies but didn’t uncover any other living beings.
When he returned to where he left Sahira and the children, he discovered an open portal Sahira was about to enter. She hesitated when she saw him.
“Go ahead,” he told her. “I’ll wait for Maverick.”
“Stay safe,” Sahira said and ushered the children toward the portal.
They hadn’t found Kaylia, but at least the girls would be safe. The little girl held her kitten against her chest as she walked in while the other girl rested her hand protectively on her sister’s shoulder. The owl flew behind her.
Maverick returned a couple of minutes later.
“Anything?” Brokk inquired.
“No other survivors and no sign of Kaylia.”
“Then let’s get out of here.”
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE
“I’m so sorry,”Lexi breathed.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Cole said.
“What happened?” Orin demanded.
“A miracle,” the woman said at the same time Lexi answered, “Hell.”
It took a few seconds for the woman’s words to sink in, but when they did, Lexi glanced at him before focusing on the woman. Cole studied the woman as she stroked her daughter’s cheek.
“What did you say?” Lexi asked.
“A miracle,” the woman whispered.
The tears streaming down her cheeks dripped off her chin to land on her child.
“I don’t understand,” Lexi whispered.
The woman moved her hand away from her daughter’s chest to reveal the hole in her shirt and the blood staining it. He’d seen the warlock run the child through with his blade.
It hadn’t gone through her heart, but it still should have been a lethal blow. And there was so much blood; there was no chance the girl had survived all that blood loss.
Then, he saw the subtle rise and fall of the child’s chest. His eyes widened as Lexi sucked in a breath. No one else moved or spoke.
The child’s skin remained colorless, and her lips were still blue, but she continued to breathe when such an injury should have been lethal to someone so young. A five-hundred-year-old witch probably wouldn’t have survived the wound.
When Lexi edged closer, he adjusted his hold on her and followed. He wasn’t going to let her near this woman. She was turning into a powerful fighter and learning more about her abilities, but he didn’t trust anyone right now.
As they got closer to the girl, he saw what lay beneath the hole in her shirt and all that blood—perfectly smooth, unblemished skin.
“She was stabbed,” Lexi breathed. “I saw it. I watched him do it to her. I felt her blood pulsing against my hand and pouring through my fingers. Isawit. Ifeltit.”
“I saw it happen too,” Cole assured her. “The blood is still there. They stabbed her; she was dying.”
“And now she’s not,” the woman whispered as she brushed blood-streaked blonde hair away from her daughter’s forehead. “Now, my Morgan is a miracle.” Then the woman tilted her head back to look at Lexi. “What did you do?”
