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“How about you be the one to explain it to me then, Shadow.” I’d rather she was doing it from my lap, but that doesn’t look too likely, and the glint in her eyes tells me she’s doing that more for my sake than her own.
Why does she think I want distance between us?
“I don’t think explaining it is going to be so easy because I don’t really understand it myself, but you deserve to know.” She takes a step toward me, keeping enough space between us that I want to evaporate.
“Get to it, Raven.”
Her name on my tongue instead of her nickname seems to be the shove she needs. Her hands twitch at her sides as she gulps, steeling her spine as her eyes latch onto mine.
“I got my magic, Brax.” My eyebrows furrow, not remembering that during the massacre, but her next words explain that to me. “You were gone, sword and all, and it hurt beyond words. The pain was…colossal. I didn’t really know what I was doing until it had already happened.”
“Raven,” I warn when her words slope off. She went from speaking so fast I couldn’t register a word to silent once more.
“My magic… is necromancy, Brax. I brought you back from the dead.”
THREE
RAVEN
His eyes are wide and his jaw is slack as he gapes at me. I don’t know if blurting it out like that was the right idea, but fuck, how else am I supposed to say it? Besides, Brax isn’t really the kind to listen to me talk a load of bullshit in the lead-up to it, either. And as much as I want to lighten the mood, I don’t think humor would be a good alternative for him.
Hey, honey, you’re sucking on that air right now because I went crazy as fuck and used my necromancy abilities to kickstart your heart. You’re welcome.
It might have made me chuckle, potentially even Zane at least, but it’s not going to get me the desired effect from Brax, whose stare only seems to intensify as he leans forward again, bracing his arms on his thighs. “You did what?” The vein at his temple throbs like it’s about to burst at the absurd crap coming from my mouth.
I roll my eyes. “Don’t make me say it again.” I sigh. Whether I did a good job of explaining it or not, he knows exactly what I just said. Repeating it would be for his benefit alone.
“Brax—” Eldon states from behind me, but the grumpy gargoyle is quick to shake his head, cutting off whatever his friend is about to say.
“No. I want to hear it from her.” He doesn’t even glance away from me as he scoffs. “I would fuckingknowif I died.”
It’s my turn to huff. This man. This. Fucking. Man. I should not have expected any different, but it doesn’t mean I’m prepared for it.
Giving him a pointed look, I keep my mouth shut, continuing to say nothing as a frown slowly knits his brows together. His hooded gaze is still a turn-on, despite the circumstances, and I find myself shuffling from foot to foot as I try to tamp down the thought of a distraction.
Creed, Zane, and Eldon remain just as quiet, waiting for this mess to continue to unravel until Brax stretches, arching his back when a wince twists his lips. He lifts a hand to his side before running it over where he can touch his back, seeking out the wound we all know existed earlier.
He clears his throat, eyes dropping to the floor for a split second before they find mine again. “My back?” I nod, nibbling on my bottom lip as I watch the confusion continue to morph his face. “But…”
Zane takes a step forward, emotion swimming in his hazel pools. “You were gone, man. Likegonegone, sword and all. We would have likely all followed you too if Raven’s griffin—”
“Ari.”
“What?”
“My griffin, his name is Ari.”
Zane nods in response, thankfully not getting pissed at my ridiculous interruption, but I couldn’t help myself.
“We would have been just as dead, too, if Ari hadn’t shown up. Everything was a blur until I saw Raven drop down to her knees beside you, sobs wracking her entire frame. It quickly turned into screams or gurgles, fuck, whatever that noise was, and then…poof, your eyes opened.” The back of Zane’s hand grazes against my own as he looks down at me and I offer a weak half-smile in response.
I’m almost tempted to get to the bottom of what this sound is that I made, but that’s not what I should be focusing on right now. Brax is.
Another throat clearing from Brax draws my attention back to him and I’m startled to see worry in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
I glance around in confusion at first, but I quickly confirm he’s talking to me. “AmIokay?” He cocks a brow at me like I’m being dumb and I manage to refrain from rolling my eyes at him again. “Brax, I’m not the one who—”
He waves his hand, cutting me off. “I’m obviously fine. I’m right here in front of you, aren’t I?”
