“Look, I don’t hear any of you coming up with ideas. Lionel isn’t here. I’m all you’ve got.”
Theodon remained silent and unmoving.
“Are you going to keep wasting time, or are you going to help me?”
They all looked among each other with uncertainty.
It was Theodon who made the first move, stepping aside, making way for Helaina to pass. “Tell us what you need.”
She took a deep breath and gave a nod. She grabbed a labeled bottle from the shelf. “Cover his chest in this and hold him down.”
Theodon nodded and proceeded to douse Aaron’s naked torso in the strongly scented alcohol. As soon as it touched his skin, Aaron woke up with a howling scream.
“Aaron! Aaron! Look at me.” Helaina tried to use the most comforting voice she could summon.
His screams died down.
“Aaron, I need to cut you—just once, right here.” She pointed to the side of his ribs below the pit of his arm. His anguished sob was strangled and dry. He had no tears left.
“I can’t promise it won’t hurt, but it’s going to help you breathe, okay?” She made sure her voice sounded confident and sure.
He fluttered his long eyelashes open to look at her.
“Do it,” he muttered.
Fee took hold of his face and cradled it to her bare stomach while Theodon held down his legs. Helaina wasn’t sure if Aaron realized he only had one arm left, but she certainly wasn’t going to be the one to tell him.
Fee squeezed the boy’s remaining hand as hard as she could.
Wasting no more time, Helaina swiftly made an incision.
His shrieks turned wild as he writhed in his comrades’ hold. Breyer jumped in to help. Helaina was shocked it was taking all three of them to hold Aaron down in this state.
“Keep him still!” she ordered.
“His power is brute strength, girl, we’retrying,” Breyer shouted through gritted teeth.
Helaina dropped the knife and began inserting the thin tube into the cut she’d created. Aaron’s anguished screams grew louder. She continued advancing the tube between his ribs. The three warriors strained to keep his body down. He writhed and bucked until his energy finally faded and slipped into unconsciousness once more.
The room went quiet again.
Then they all heard it, a deep, even breath from Aaron’s lips.
They looked down at the contraption angling off the slab of rock. Blood was indeed trickling down the tube and into the collection beaker.
“It worked.” Helaina was completely stunned.
She turned back to the captain, who regarded her, his features actually softening with relief and gratitude.
“Get Callum,” Theodon ordered Breyer. “I don’t care what you have to do.Wake him upand bring him here.”
The fiery fae beauty leaped up from the table. Before she exited, she turned back. “What do I tell him?”
Theodon looked right at Helaina as he answered.
“Tell him his brother is injured...”
Helaina’s eyes flared.Thatwas how the boy had looked so familiar. Aaron was a younger version of Callum.
