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I frowned slightly as the skin of my palm got warmer. Opening my eyes, I half-expected to see blood covering my fingers to explain the heat.
What I found was a soft, red glow. Lifting my hand, the glow intensified. It pulsed under her skin where her heart fought for life, the light slowly spreading out as the rhythm strengthened.
I grabbed Zeke’s arm as hope shot through me. “Can you…?”
Liam lifted his head, his eyes wide. “What is that?”
The sound of Cordelia’s sudden, gasped breath made us all jolt in surprise. I gaped as the glow of light spread faster across her skin and her wounds began to visibly knit together, her breathing strong and steady. And as the scent of magic hit the air, I finally realised what was happening.
“I made her drink the protection potion,” I breathed.
I felt their eyes snap to me as I watched the magic sweep through Cor’s body.
“I found it in her bag this morning and convinced her to take it.”
Zeke’s hand landed on my shoulder as Liam spoke. “I fucking love you, Noah.”
A soft grunt sounded from Cordelia’s mouth as her wrist straightened with an audible snap. The glow that had now spread across her skin began to fade, darkening and dying out as it left behind smooth, healed skin.
I held my breath as her eyes flickered open. A small frown creased her face as she looked up at us, wiggling her hand in the iron grip I had on it until I reluctantly let go.
“Um, what’s going on?” she asked, pushing herself up to sit as we stared at her.
The sound of her voice was the trigger, the three of us surging forward to wrap around her as we finally accepted that she was alive. Her muffled squeak made me grin into her shoulder as I heard Liam quickly explain.
She stiffened as realisation and memory hit her. Anger, rather than the panic I expected, flooded down the bond. Pride shot through me at her strength.
“We need to find that thing,” she growled. “I refuse to be the prey anymore.”
Liam grinned viciously, the same pride reflected in his face. “I’m in.”
“Are you feeling ok?” Zeke asked, brushing his fingers across her jaw. “You lost a lot of blood.”
She rolled her shoulders as she pushed to her feet, taking a second to check before answering. “I feel good. Better than before. Recharged.”
I stood too as relief thumped through me, tugging her close and kissing her. She wrapped her arms around my neck as she pulled me closer, kissing me back eagerly before pulling away.
“You might want to put some pants on, we need to climb,” she said cheekily, gesturing at my nakedness and then the shaft above us.
I chuckled and shrugged. “I didn’t have time to strip down before shifting, and the rest of our supplies are up there, so...”
Liam headed for the wall and began to map out the easiest route up. “Well I’m not looking up at your bare ass, you can go last.”
“Bring up the rear,” Cor corrected, her eyes dancing with amusement.
The others both snorted with laughter as I grinned and shook my butt at her. Her answering laugh was one of the best sounds I had ever heard after coming so close to losing her only minutes ago. Shaking my head, I pushed the memory of her glazed-over eyes away and relished the sound of her happiness. Her giggle was cut short as Zeke grabbed her hips and lifted her, carrying her to the wall and guiding her up the first few feet behind Liam.
The noise of shifting rocks sounded faintly behind me as Zeke followed Cor up, making me spin to face the darkness with a snarl. Nothing seemed to move in the shadows, but I couldn’t see past the ring of blackness outside the boundary of the light. I walked slowly backwards until the wall was at my back, glancing up to see Zeke halfway up to the tunnel above. No sound or movement came from the space ahead, the scent of Cordelia’s blood the only thing I could sense now. Still, it went against every urge in my body to turn and climb.
I moved fast, loose rocks tumbling down as I hauled myself up the unstable rockface. Refusing to look down, I raced toward Zeke’s outstretched arm at the top of the climb, refusing to think about what could be chasing me out of the darkness. I pushed off a small ledge, my stomach dropping as I felt it shift and loosen under my foot. Zeke cursed as he saw me falter, leaning further forward in an attempt to grab me as I lurched sideways. Grabbing blindly at the wall, I grunted in pain as I began to slide and my palm sliced open on a jagged edge. At the last second, my fingers snagged on something solid and my shoulder wrenched as I slammed to a stop, hanging over the shadows far below. I groaned in pain as I pulled in a deep breath and slowly hauled myself up, climbing up into Zeke’s waiting grip.
“You fucking dick,” he grumbled as he swung me up and wrapped his arms around me.
“Aw, love you too, dude,” I joked, wincing as he released me and I rolled my aching shoulder.
“What the hell happened?” Cor demanded, hands on her hips.
I raised a palm in defence, not wanting to move the other as my shoulder throbbed. “I swear that thing was behind me.”
