Page 57 of Luck Be a Genie

I loved all of my brothers. I truly did. It was only sometimes that I wanted to drop them into an active volcano.

Lucky nodded at King Asharien, and then he placed his hand on her chest and closed his eyes. As I watched, he became brighter and brighter, filling the room with a warm glow, while at the same time, the skies outside grew darker and darker with the approach of a massive storm.

Lightning flashed, the afterimage a bright solar flare across the room, then the thunder rolled its echoing answer. As the minutes passed, the flashes picked up speed until all I could see was a flare of light so bright it seemed to have no beginning or end, and the thunder was one continuous roar, as though nature itself was in agony, and this was its only form of expression.

Declan jammed his shoulder solidly against mine, giving me some of his strength and letting me lean on him. I sagged against him, still shaking so bad I felt like an overcaffeinated hula dancer.

Through my magic, I could see the elemental essence the king was transferring from himself to Lucky, and I could literally see it trying to rewrite Lucky’s DNA.

Her chaos magic kept flaring as if in resistance, but it didn’t stop the transference, although I could see the king starting to sag in the chair I’d set for him close to the bed. I would have gone over to help him, but he’d specifically warned me not to touch him.

Both of them were glowing brighter than the room now, and they were putting off a heat so intense I could feel it from where I was sitting. I closed my eyes for a moment to try to lock in on my connection with Lucky, but I couldn’t. It was muddled. It usually took several hours at least before the full bond formed, and we’d had maybe an hour.

It was maddening that I couldn’t feel her. I needed to know if she was okay.

She wasn’t crying, or crying out in pain, so I hoped it wasn’t painful, but looking at the way the cells in her body looked red hot to my magical eyes, I couldn’t imagine it was anything but excruciating. It would be just like her to keep all that locked inside so she didn’t add to my terror and pain.

I drew a shuddering breath in, trying not to cry. I didn’t want to see this. It was awful watching your wife have to endure a pain so intense I couldn’t even imagine it. I wanted to blink myself to the furthest corner of the galaxy and stay there until it was all over.

But I couldn’t.

Because I loved her. So much. And you didn’t let the people you loved go through terrible things alone, even if it killed you to do it.

It’s okay to cry, Nick, Declan said telepathically.

I glanced over to find my grumpy, emotionally stunted brother with tears running down his face. He took my hand, and I almost fell apart, but somehow managed to hold it together.

Forget tossing them into a volcano; I seriously loved my brothers.

When I turned back to Lucky, her glow was dimming, and my heart dropped when I saw why.

Her cells had started rejecting the elemental essence. They weren’t fully human anymore, but neither were they elemental. Her chaos magic was swirling through her body so powerfully that it looked like a storm was swirling within her. I couldn’t tell if it was blocking the elemental essence, or if it was just too much for her human body to handle, but she was fading.

Please, God, don’t take her from me.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw a tantrum so terrible that it would make even the universe shudder. Instead, I sat there with my brother’s hand gripping mine tightly, tears streaming down my face, pleading with God to let her live. I couldn’t even formulate thoughts anymore. It was just one formless, endless plea.

Her glow dimmed, and then dimmed further.

The king, sensing she was fading, rallied, and threw everything he had left into the transfer. And he was long past gentle. He gathered whatever remained into one massive mass of power, and then shoved it forcefully into my wife. She flared brighter than a supernova for a moment, making me have to shield my eyes. But when I turned back, her light was completely gone, and the king had collapsed back against the chair, breathing heavily, every muscle shaking as though he’d just run a marathon.

“It’s up to her now,” he whispered, spent. “You can touch her again.”

She looked so pale and lifeless I was afraid to; I was afraid she was already gone.

“I’ll help the king to his bed,” Declan said softly, rising to help the king out of his chair, then throwing one of the king’s arms over his shoulder so he could take more of his weight. Asharien slumped against him, his head lolling, his neck too exhausted to support it. Declan did his best to help him before he turned back to me. “Can you let me know?”

I knew immediately what he was asking. He wanted to know either way... if she lived or died.

I nodded, moving like a zombie towards my wife. I heard the door shut as I climbed into bed beside her and took her cold body into my arms. She only had a sheet on, so I pulled the covers up over her, and then, because her chaos magic was completely gone, I blinked a heated blanket on top of that one.

Her pulse was thready, but her heart was still beating. Before, her body had looked like a storm was raging inside. Now, it was completely calm.

Almost lifeless.

I was so terrified. I cuddled her to me and buried my face in the crook of her neck. My tears were getting her wet, and I wanted her to get up and sass me, and tell me to stop drenching her. That she’d already had a shower today.

My short, hiccuping laugh turned into sobs.