Page 72
“You want her destroyed? Do it yourself.”
A laugh strains against the inside of my ribs. “Come, now. You know Zephyra. You know it’s going to require more than just me to take her down. Especially now she has the taste for the Fire Bird’s blood.”
He stares at me a moment, entire body taut. Then he says, “Tell me why you want her gone. Then I’ll decide if we’ll work together.”
34
NOVA
“Can you help him?” I take Miranda’s elbow. She sighs and purses her lips.
Thornfield has put Mack in a room in the basement of the building. It has been set up like a bedroom. I haven’t asked who normally sleeps here or why he needs it.
“The elixir takes time to create. We do not have all the necessary ingredients yet. So, whatever I do now will be a temporary fix. And it might, in the long run, exacerbate the timeline.”
“Give him less time?” I shake my head viciously, and my hair falls over my shoulders. “No. That’s ridiculous. We’re supposed to be helping him not making him sicker.”
Mack smooths a hand down my arm. When he meets my gaze, he shakes his head. Then he looks at Miranda instead. “If it’s enough to get me fighting,” Mack says hoarsely, “then do it. I can’t sit by and watch while everyone else fights for me. I need to help.” He eases himself up onto his pillows and grimaces. Then he meets her eyes and says, “And I can’t feel like this anymore.” He takes Miranda’s hand and squeezes hard. “Please. If you can help me, then help me.”
Tears bite ferociously at the back of my throat. Holy stars, seeing him like this is almost impossible to bear. At the foot of the bed, Snow grumbles in a tone that makes me feel as if he’s thinking exactly the same thing I am — that Mack has never been so vulnerable before.
Miranda nods at him then looks at me. “I will do what I can for now, then we will discuss the elixir. I’ll need to prepare. Give me half an hour.”
When she leaves, Mack sinks back into the bed and sighs.
I don’t speak, just crawl onto the bed beside him and nestle into his chest. He is warm, probably too warm if I can feel it this strongly, and feels less like him than he usually does.
I slip my hand into his and close my eyes.
Within minutes, I’m asleep.
When I wake, Miranda is standing beside the bed holding a bottle of completely clear liquid. She sweeps a hand over Mack’s forehead, mutters something, then presses the lip of the bottle to his mouth.
He drinks, wincing, then shakes his head.
Next, Miranda offers the same liquid to Snow, pouring some onto his tongue.
He spits and gruffs but drinks it anyway, and jumps down from the bed to shake himself.
“Give it a few hours, you’ll start to improve,” she says. Then she closes the curtains, stokes the fire, and leaves.
We doze again for a short while before Mack attempts to sit up again.
I sit up too, and cup his face in my hands, stroking his beard. “Well,” I ask. “Are you feeling any better?”
Mack sighs, and twitches his fingers. “Maybe a little.”
Then he frowns at me. It’s as if he’s suddenly noticing the blood caked on my skin, and the bruises, and the teeth marks.
He runs his thumb over the marks on my neck, then my arm. Then he reaches for his phone. He lifts it to his ear and barks, “Tanner, get here now.”
A moment later, Tanner appears, wide eyed. “Are you okay, Baloo?” he asks, striding in quickly.
“I’m fine, but Nova isn’t.” He moves his gaze to me and Tanner follows.
His eyes soften as he looks at me. “Little Star,” he says. “You need cleaning up.”
I’d forgotten about my injuries. They don’t even hurt.
