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Oh gods, what had she done?
Think later. Move now.Staying frozen with fear wouldn’t help anyone. Raising her head, she scanned the room. The guard that’d almost killed Alexei? He lay in a heap against the wall, his blood smearing the white paint in a wash, his bones twisted at odd angles. The others looked the same—as if a giant had come into the room and thrown each like dice. Blistering burns covered much of their skin.
Alexei lay sprawled on the ground.
No.
She had done this to him. Scrambling to his side, she checked every inch of him. No obvious broken bones or burns unlike the guards. He had a nasty gash on his cheekbone, more cuts on his hands, and blood covering him, but those had been there when he arrived.
The cuffs weighed heavy, and the chains got in her way,clankingand chafing against the burning on her wrists. Feeling for a pulse, she kept her touch gentle. The last thing she needed to do was trigger some sort of magical trauma response that might catch her in the crossfire while she tried to heal him. She didn’t even know what his powers did, and now wouldn’t be the time to find out unless he had rejuvenation talents.
Moving her fingertips against his wrist, then neck, she prayed that the blood covering him belonged to someone else.Why couldn’t she find his pulse?The thick fabric covering his chest didn’t let her check for his heartbeat.
“Don’t you dare die on me,” she told him, crying harder. “If you do, I’ll find my way to the hell dimensions and haul you back to me. I’ll…I’ll make you haunt me.” Cupping his cheeks with her hands, she put her forehead to his, pushing aside her fear of her newfound magic to flare it fast and hard. “Stay with me.” She didn’t drip her powers into him slowly as she had done for so many others before. No, she flooded her prince with healing light, wrapping him in the glow.
Sliding her fingers to his neck, a slowthump…thump…thumpcame beneath her touch.Thank the gods. His pulse thudded an unsteady beat. Another push of magic, another plea, and the rhythm evened, grew stronger. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
“Angel?” His sandpaper-rough voice melted her.
She half-laughed, half-sobbed at the tangled mess created inside her by hearing him say that endearment. “Still not an angel.” Not even close. Not with what Noxx had revealed.
“Myangel.” His demanding boss-voice told her he wouldn’t listen to any arguments. He put his arms around her, and she wanted to hide there forever…safe in his embrace. But the two of themweren’tsafe. In her terror at almost losing him and with the hush that had fallen around them, she’d almost forgotten the dangers beyond the door.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
“No.” He tightened his hold. “I just got you back.”
“And I won’t leave your sight.”
He blinked and squinted. “Why’s it so dark in here?”
“I think the power’s out. The ship’s quiet, and the lights are off.”
“No…”
Using his momentary distraction to pull out of his embrace, she stood and backed off the magic, but her shine stayed the same. Dimming the symbols would have to wait. “Give me a second. I’ll see what I can do.”
“It’s not safe.” He grabbed for her, but she danced out of reach.
“It will be.”
Forcing herself to her feet, she quickly checked the guards. No signs of life. She tried to distance herself, to not attach emotions to what she found, to not let the fact that she had killed for the first time slow her. They wouldn’t be coming after her or Alexei any more.
She passed by the table.Poor Kyle. He had come here with such noble intentions, had tried so hard to save his mom, had done so without knowing how dire the consequences might be. Brushing her hand over his face, she closed his sightless eyes and whispered a wish for safe journeys to whatever better afterlife might await him. Maybe now he would be reunited with his family on the other side.
Running to the door, she locked them in and, more importantly, kept the rest of the Order out. She couldn’t chance an attack, and given the thick steel door, no one could break in unless they had a rocket launcher stashed somewhere. Trying not to dwell on the death in the room that she couldn’t undo, she focused on their survival.
“We’re good for now,” she told Alexei, easing to the floor beside where he’d managed to raise into a sit.
“No, the guards—”
She cut him off, willing him not to rush himself. Not wanting to admit what she’d done. “You need to recover.”
His muscles went tense beneath her touch on his shoulder as she felt for injuries. “We don’t have time for that.”
“We do.” Guilt rolled through her. She—a healer—had taken lives. “I locked us inside with…”
He stilled as if the sadness in the chilling statement she couldn’t finish had broken through his struggles. “Come here. Let me hold you.”
