Page 108 of Echoes of the Banshee

How could I think I was the only one with a soul shard. My feet move me. Tears make me blind. The steps crash into me as I attempt to climb them. To get away.

Even if I save Lazlo, it doesn’t matter. They’ll take others in our place.

I don’t know how to stop them. My body shakes as I lose my battle against a full breakdown. I walk out of the building in a daze.

“Thea!” Mavrik calls, wrapping his arms around me the second I step outside. He sends a wave of warmth into me. “Are you okay?”

I nod even though I don’t mean it.

There is no way for me to stop this, no way for me to even tell them what is happening.

No one would believe me.

And Vivien would take me before I find Lazlo.

“Let’s go train,” I tell him. He looks at me skeptically and then agrees. He keeps glancing at me sideways as we make our way to the field. I swallow the fear and force the anger to the surface.

My fist swings as I think of what they did to Billy.

Mavrik rubs his arm where I made contact. I swing again. I miss as I think about the things they did to me. I let out a scream and try and try to kick out Mavrik’s legs.

“Hit me!”

I swing for his head.

“Okay, let’s go,” Mavrik says, dodging out of the way as I throw everything I have at him. He doesn’t hold back. A shot to the ribs knocks the breath out of me. I keep swinging. Neither of us using magic as we pummel each other.

He lands a shot on my jaw that makes me see red. I run and tackle him to the ground, fists flying as I pin him down.

“Fuck,” he finally spits, rolling us over and pinning my arms down with his knees. “You’re gonna have to heal me before we continue. Some of us feel pain.” Our breaths mingle as I try and jerk him off me. Finally my brain clears enough to see him. He’s a mess: lip bleeding, eye swollen.

He could’ve beaten me the whole time, let me win because I needed it. That’s what finally breaks me.

The sobs take the little breath that I’ve found. The tears start to crystalize as they fall. He lets me up and pulls me into his arms.

“Don’t cry,” he rubs my back. “I can handle your anger. Something in my chest twists when you cry.”

Time stands still as the tears stop. Banshees can feel their mates tears.

“Wow, can’t believe that worked,” Mavrik teases.

“Sorry,” I say.

“Don’t worry about it. That was awful what they did to him.” I turn to look at him, our lips centimeters apart. I want to kiss him. I blink.

“How did you know what happened?” I ask as I scoot away.

“I was hiding in the corner.”

I huff out a laugh and shake my head. We climb to our feet and survey our damages.

“Nurse?” he asks.

“Nurse,” I agree. My hands are more broken skin than intact as I pick up my bag and start walking. Both of us are awful healers. Lazlo said banshee’s usually had healing magic. Then again, Mavrik’s shadows aren’t exactly normal.

“I feel pain,” I tell him.

“I know,” he says. “But you fight like you can’t. You didn’t even notice you got cut by the goblin blade in the morgue.”