Page 120 of Enchanted

There was a sharp prick in my neck, and then the sudden sensation of falling.

“Shh, there’s a good boy,” Dr. Hall crooned in a low voice. He didn’t sound sluggish now, but completely alert. “Let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.”

The last thing I saw was Rami’s back as I was dragged behind the counter, his wings now almost healed.

Then, there was only darkness.

Chapter 33

Rami

By the time the last person was healed, I could barely hold myself upright. My powers were utterly depleted in a way they hadn’t been since the crane incident.

But I’d personally saved at least half the occupants of this café from certain death.

That was worth any level of exhaustion.

I was just thankful that Ethan hadn’t been one of the people who needed healing. The mark would’ve taken care of any scratches or bruising long before now.

What he’d been through mentally and emotionally? That was going to take a lot longer to recover from.

Knowing he was safe and physically unharmed had allowed me to fully focus on the people who needed me most. Now, I could give him all my attention. Answer all of his questions.

And pray that he was willing to listen.

“Okay, prepare to leave,” Micah called authoritatively. “Benji and Grace, you’re on compulsion duty. Nate and Theo, gather any evidence you can find. If this wasn’t an accident, I want to know who it was and why.”

My mind was working too slowly for me to be worried about that. There was a pounding in my head as it hung low between my shoulders. God, I just wanted to be out of here. Back at the compound with Ethan. Where I could remind him that he was safe. That I’d always protect him from anything like this.

That he could trust me to be fully honest going forward.

Suddenly, Quill’s voice rang out. “Wait, where’s Ethan?”

As easily as that, the exhaustion vanished. A surge of adrenaline rushed through me, launching me to my feet. I whirled around to see Quill standing next to a lone chair, looking frantic. “What?”

“He was right here,” Quill said, running his hands through his hair. “I told him not to move.”

My stomach plummeted through the floor.

Where was Ethan?

Where was Ethan?

“He wouldn’t have left,” Quill said urgently. “He promised me he’d wait here.”

Every pair of angelic and demonic eyes turned to me.

“No, he wouldn’t have left. Fuck!” I knew in my gut that he hadn’t left voluntarily. Not with everything going on. With all the questions he had.

I searched frantically for the mark, my chest tight. “I can’t…I can’t feel him.”

Micah’s face paled, then he was barking out fresh orders. “Fan out. Everyone searches except Benji and Grace. Join us when you’ve finished.”

I shot into the air alongside my family and friends, fear clutching my heart.

It took under twenty seconds to establish that he wasn’t in the café.

Another thirty to search the immediate perimeter.