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“I’m glad you think that,” I tell him, my voice dead as I lift my arm and swing it down, stabbing the needle into his eyeball with a scream. I shove him away as he bellows.
I make a move to run but freeze when the door slams open. I expect it to be the asshole who was here a moment ago, but it’s Oz and Zig. My legs buckle in relief as we take each other in.
Our split second of distraction is all it takes for Alejandro to pull his gun and shoot Oz in the neck. Blood erupts from his wound as he drops to his knees. Zig roars and dives for Alejandro, ripping the gun from his hands and turning it on him.
“No!” I scream. “I need him to save Oz.”
He doesn’t question me. He just whips the gun across Alejandro’s face, knocking him out, before he drags Oz fully into the room and kicks the door closed.
“Help him,” Zig begs as I drop to my knees beside him.
Zig’s finger plugs the hole the bullet made, but blood still pours out around it. Oz tries to speak, but I shake my head and press a kiss to his lips, which feel far too cold.
I lift my head and stare at Zig. “Let him go. Whatever you do, don’t touch any of us while I do this.”
“Salem—”
“Now,” I yell.
He stumbles back, his hands covered in Oz’s blood. I turn away from him, close my eyes, and try to do something I’ve never done before. I can barely feel Oz’s heartbeat as I pour healing energy into him. He’s too close to death for me to heal alone. It would take all I have to fix him, leaving me nothing left to heal myself.
Which is where Alejandro comes in. I siphon off his life force and use it to feed my own while I fight to keep Oz alive. White-hot pain tears at my throat, making me cry out. I feel Zig move in closer, but I don’t know what effect his touching me will have, so I plead with him through gritted teeth to back off.
Blood runs down my neck, coating my clothes, and I taste it bubbling up in my mouth. Zig listens to me and moves away. Instead of staying behind me, he moves around us so he can see me. My skin flushes with shame as he watches Alejandro’s body begin to decay.
He drops to his knees and looks at me, not with disgust but with understanding. I sob as my arms shake. “It’s okay, little one. Everything is going to be okay,” he reassures me. When I look back up at him, I see his eyes wet with tears.
His eyes drop to my cheeks before they widen in horror. “Stop now, Salem.”
“I can’t,” I cry out, my head spinning.
“You have to. Please, baby girl, trust me on this.”
I can’t read my own body anymore, so I nod and rip my hands away from both of them before folding in on myself. Zig reaches over and yanks me into his arms, holding me tightly to him as I sob.
“What the hell?” Oz groans.
“Jesus fuck!” Zig whispers, rocking me back and forth.
Oz sits up and looks around before his eyes land on Alejandro. He shuffles back, his eyes wide with shock. “What happened to him?”
When neither Zig nor I answer, Oz’s eyes swing to us. When he sees me, his face pales. He crawls to me, his hands hovering as if he doesn’t know where to touch me.
“I’m okay,” I choke out, reaching for his hand.
“Bullshit, you’re crying fucking blood,” he snarls.
I tip my head back and look up at Zig, now understanding the look of horror on his face.
“I couldn’t…he was too far gone. I…”
Zig dips his head and kisses me softly before pulling back. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You did everything right, little one. I’ve never prayed so damn hard in my life.”
“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”
“Alejandro shot you in the neck.”
Oz’s hands jump to his throat before his eyes lock on mine, and understanding dawns. He pulls me gently from Zig’s arms, but he stays close to his brother, sensing I need them both right now. “Thank you.”
