Page 18 of Gargoyle Defender

“Stay with me,” Ronen murmured, though he knew Tanner couldn’t hear him. “I refuse to let you die.”

Chapter Six

Ronen banged on the door of the lair, shouting for Levon, the Miami Sentinel, to let him in right fucking now. He’d shifted back to his human form, but Tanner still felt impossibly light in his arms. The door flew open, Levon’s eyes going wide as he took in the sight of Tanner’s limp body.

“Get out of my way,” Ronen snarled, pushing past Levon and rushing inside. His heart thundered as he cradled Tanner closer. The tremors had stopped, but Tanner’s breathing remained shallow, his skin clammy and pale.

“What the hell happened?” Levon asked, slamming the door shut behind them and resetting the locks.

“Some sort of demonic magic. I think whatever they’ve done to cloak the mate bond is fighting back. Or maybe they simply want to eliminate him from afar. I-I don’t know.” He could barely catch his breath. “Where’s the healing room?”

Levon’s eyes went wide. “Mate bond? Holy shit.” He pointed toward the eastern corridor. “Third door on the right.”

Ronen gave him a quick nod. “Thanks. Be ready. Cassiel and the others should be here any moment.”

The stone walls blurred as Ronen raced through the corridors, his heart thundering. The shallow rise and fall of his mate's breathing was growing weaker with each passing second.

Ronen kicked open the door, his gaze frantically scanning the space before he gently laid Tanner on the examination table. The room wasn’t very different from the others in the lair. However, dark wood, antique cabinets, and shelves lined the walls, and, in addition to the examining table, an elaborate birthing chair stood in one corner. A long, rectangular table that could’ve once been used for dining was covered with glass jars containing what Ronen assumed were various herbs. He also noted that ancient runes had been carved into the ceiling, undoubtedly meant to ward off dark magic.

“Come on, Tanner,” he whispered, brushing sweat-dampened hair from his mate’s forehead. “Fight this. I know you can.”

Tanner’s face was ashen, his lips tinged with blue. Ronen pressed two fingers to Tanner’s neck, relief washing through him when he detected a pulse. Weak and erratic, but there.

“Hang on, sweetheart. Help is coming.”

Cassiel burst in and rushed to Ronen’s side. “Holy…” She clasped Ronen’s shoulder. “It’s okay, bro. Zeke is on his way. It won’t be long.”

“I'm going to kill them,” Ronen growled, his hands shaking as he checked Tanner’s pulse again. The faint flutter beneath his fingertips was the only thing keeping him from shifting and flying straight back to the demon stronghold. “Every last one of those bastards.”

“Save it.” Cassiel moved to the opposite side of the examination table. “Right now, your mate needs you focused.”

Ronen nodded, swallowing hard. She was right. He couldn’t afford to lose himself to rage, not when Tanner’s life hung by a thread. He took his mate’s hand in his, squeezing gently, willing his own strength into the frail body.

“What can I do?” He hated how helpless he felt.

“There should be some basic healing potions in the cabinet, part of our first aid kits.” Cassiel rummaged through one of the cabinets, pulling out a few corked glass bottles. Various symbols were stamped on old labels of the colorful containers. Cassiel’s brow furrowed as she examined each one. “Damn. Should’ve paid better attention in that class we had last month.”

The sounds of hurried footsteps approached, and Ronen said a silent prayer that Zeke had arrived. When he raised his head, he was met with the sight of Ezekiel charging into the room. He rushed to Tanner’s side.

Without glancing up, he barked out orders, his focus one hundred percent on Tanner.

“Ronen, give us space. I’ve been briefed already.” He rolled up his sleeves. “Cassiel, give me the green bottle you’re holding. I’ll also need one of the kyanite slabs in the second drawer of the cabinet. We need to clear any negative energy from the room. He’s got more than enough inside him already.” Ezekiel finally looked up. “Once I stabilize him, I’ll need you both to leave.”

An eerie familiarity, like a buzz coursing through Ronen’s body, made him shiver. His spirit seemed to recognize a similar scenario to the one he’d endured, one he had very little memory of. Ezekiel had been the one to bring him back from the edge of death after the rogues had tortured him.

“I'm not leaving,” Ronen announced. He kept his hand firmly wrapped around Tanner’s cold fingers, unwilling to break contact even for a moment. “I can’t.”

Ezekiel’s features softened. “I know this is difficult, but the healing ritual requires isolation. The connection between you both is working against him right now.”

“What?” Ronen’s head snapped up. “How is that possible?”

“The demonic cloaking spell is fighting the soul bond.” Ezekiel arranged the crystals around Tanner’s still form. “Your presence is strengthening the mate connection, which is causing the spell to retaliate more aggressively in response.”

Ezekiel’s words were like a gut punch. He was hurting Tanner simply by being near him. The thought was unbearable. Ronen reluctantly released Tanner’s hand, his fingers lingering for a moment before he stepped back.

“Will he survive?” The question stuck in his throat like shards of glass.

Ezekiel’s hands moved methodically, as if they had a mind of their own. “I believe so, but we need to act quickly. The spell is attacking his Nephilim essence, attempting to snuff it out completely.”