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“What do you need?” I asked Rhyzkahl.
“To hold her.”
I wondered just how much of that was his personal need versus a requirement to help her, but decided it really didn’t matter at the moment. With care, I tapped into the nexus and did my best to temper the wards so they weren’t quite so painful, though I didn’t dare ease them too much. “We can take her into your orbit.”
“Your adjustments were sufficient. I am here now.” Rhyzkahl dropped to one knee beside Giovanni and Elinor, then lifted her from her lover’s arms. He cradled her close and murmured softly in demon.
I took her hand again to better monitor her condition—and Rhyzkahl’s actions.
Giovanni looked on, his expression a mix of distress and worry.
Rhyzkahl traced three pygahs on her forehead—potent sigils, not thready and pale like they’d been for the past two months. “Kara, simple
support,” he said. “Please.”
I dragged my thoughts from the implications of a fully arcane-functional Rhyzkahl and quickly sketched a half dozen glowing sigils that I set spinning beside him.
He bent to rest his forehead against hers, his hair curtaining their faces.
A gentle serenity welled in me, despite all that had transpired, and despite this surreal tableau of Giovanni, Elinor, and Rhyzkahl. Familiar and comforting. The grove. Rho. I released a soft breath and placed my free hand on Rhyzkahl’s shoulder.
Warmth shimmered through me like a summer breeze and flowed to Rhyzkahl. He tensed beneath my hand, then eased. For a time, neither of us moved and nothing changed, then Elinor’s mental cry softened and stilled, leaving me in strange silence.
Rhyzkahl lifted his head. “I have not the reserves nor the means to restore her,” he said, his voice laden with exhaustion and regret.
“You’ve done enough,” I said, hand still on him.
He kissed her forehead then transferred her back to Giovanni’s arms. “I failed to do enough when it mattered,” he said as he staggered to his feet.
Without another word, Rhyzkahl retreated to the breach, feet dragging as if he barely had the energy to move. The lightning wards slithered from him as he crossed the perimeter, and he collapsed into the remains of trampled purple irises.
Turek padded silently to Rhyzkahl, scooped him into his arms then returned to the tree to settle again at its base. Only a few feet away lay the federal agent’s body. With the immediate crisis past, it felt revolting to leave him there like a pile of garbage.
“Roper. Engen.” A knot built up in my throat. “Please get a sheet from my linen closet and wrap the agent’s body.” His death was on my head. The least I could do was treat him with as much respect as possible. “But leave him by the tree.”
Both men nodded gravely and moved to comply. The moonlight on the nexus shifted, and I looked up to see that the tree had extended its branches back over the slab, as if to shelter the deceased agent.
Giovanni dropped his gaze to Elinor and gave her a soft smile. I pushed to my feet and stepped to where Bryce monitored the DIRT feeds on the tablet.
“Anything?”
“Still no fatalities reported. Seven in critical condition and another dozen hospitalized. Fifteen to twenty are being treated and released for minor to moderate injuries.” His eyes echoed my own mix of sorrow and relief at the toll. “Everyone has been accounted for except one patient.” His gaze flicked to Elinor then slid to the body on the nexus. “And one agent. Richard Knox.”
“I need to set Szerain’s bunker diagrams and get those two secured within them.” I nudged my head toward Giovanni and his gooey girlfriend. “I’ll . . . take care of other matters once Szerain, Zack, Ashava, and Sonny are here and safe.”
He gave me a grim nod. “Pellini and I will mop up the rest.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
A gentle smile came over Bryce’s face. “You make it easy to care.”
Lovely warmth unfolded within me at the unexpected note of approval and support. “Would you mind calling Jill to give her a status update?” I asked. “I’m sure she’s chewing nails by now.”
His smile kicked up a few degrees. “I’ll take care of it.” He gave my arm a light squeeze then moved off to make the call.
Feeling oddly restored, I returned to the nexus and got down to business.
Chapter 40
