They’d failed to avenge Kalinda … or save Silva.
Zahara raced to Giuliana’s side. “Let me see, chile.”
Giuliana kept Kalinda in healing stasis but moved over to let Zahara examine her. The witch doctor touched Kalinda everywhere.
“Her soul is fading.”
“Then bring it back,” Romano cried.
“I’m going to, pup. But not here. This place messes with magic. We need to get to my home. Torin, you have a portal you can create?”
The Guardian shook his head. “Not my gift. At the edge of Scorched Earth, there is one there who can.”
“Then we run. It’s Kalinda’s only hope.”
“What about Silva?” Giuliana wasn’t leaving her behind.
“Carry her. I’ll pack Kalinda,” Romano ordered.
Their charges in hand, they raced for a chance to save at least one of their pack members.
Chapter Seventeen
The portal deposited Zahara, Silva, Kalinda, Romano, Pasquale, and Giuliana in front of what looked like a log cabin built into a forest. Giuliana had never seen anything like it and knew of nowhere in Encantado like this. Even the Greenwald didn’t boast such a beautiful space. Where the hell were they? A massive tree full of deep roots grew through the center of the house and made up the stairs to the main door.
Zahara took the roots faster than lighting. “Stay out here. Lay Silva to the right side of Kalinda on the ground. Make sure their hands are touching. Giuliana, don’t stop working on keeping Kalinda here.”
They moved, not asking a single question. There wasn’t any time to think of anything else. Silva wasn’t breathing, and Kalinda was struggling to suck in any air. With each passing minute, their situation got worse. Still, Giuliana was surprised Zahara wanted Silva to be part of the healing process for Kalinda. How could the dead assist?
Romano cleared an area and laid his mate on the soft grass before Giuliana lowered Silva next to her. Giuliana didn’t want to focus on how cold Silva was. She knew the circle would have only been broken by her death, but she didn’t want to imagine the Fae gone. Everyone groaned when Silva showed up with her spell phone in hand, ready to take the craziest pictures, but they all loved her. There was no doubt of that.
She’d been too vibrant, too full of life.
And everyone had heard Kieran’s accusations against her and her responses. Romano would never stop hating Kieran—Heath—after he’d harmed Kalinda by taking Silva’s life, but Giuliana couldn’t ignore the pain in his voice.
Could any of them say they’d do anything differently?
Giuliana pushed away thoughts of Kieran and stationed herself at Kalinda’s head. The Ales was fading quickly, her body cool to the touch. But Giuliana only focused on holding her heart here. She’d never used her gift to this level. For her, healing was reknitting the skin, veins, and bones back together from the inside out, holding that picture in her mind. But with Kalinda, there was no wound to put back together.
What the hell was she supposed to do?
She pushed harder, reaching deep into her reserves to anchor Kalinda’s soul to her body. It wanted to escape, to travel with Silva. Giuliana now had a deeper understanding of what it meant for Silva to be Kalinda’s Cosantiór. To be soul-tied like that was similar to mating between shifters.
Like mates.
“Pasquale!”
He was at her side instantly. “What do you need?”
“Do you think you can do that thing with me for my healing like you do with your scenting ability?”
He frowned. “I don’t know, but we’ll try.”
He surrounded her, putting his arms next to her and intertwining their fingers. The green light from her healing wrapped around his hands lovingly. After a moment, it spread up their arms, and he inhaled deeply next to her ear.
The world brightened, impossible so, colors so vibrant they hurt. The leaves on the trees weren’t just green. They were all over the palette of mixes—gold, orange, red, and even blue. Each pulsed with life.
The tones bled into the air, twisting and turning much like scent did, but Giuliana saw it differently. It was the life of the earth, right there for her to use. She sank against Pasquale, pulling on his power more.
