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I wonder why she isn’t picking him up like she was planning to when I first found her—holy crap!
When I opened what I hoped was the final door to the basement, I had to pass in front of Oleander, where I saw the streak of crimson red on her shirt that hadnotbeen there when we first started this moving venture.
“You’re injured!” I blurted out.
“Yes,” Oleander acknowledged.
“Why didn’t you say anything?!”
Oleander smiled, and I noticed she was blinking more. “It’s not a bad injury. It’s merely growing to be very inconvenient.”
She staggered a step, making her and Jaqleon tilt alarmingly. I hurriedly tucked myself under Jaqleon and again grabbed him by the back of his pants, attempting to take as much of his weight as I could.
“You should have said something,” I said.
“It wasn’t worthy of notation,” Oleander said. “It’s only because I’m not used to blood loss these days. I’m getting lazy in my old age. Although I imagine being cut off from my magic isn’t helping the situation. It’s a good experiment, I suppose.”
“You’re crazy,” I muttered as we staggered toward the glowing portal. “All of you elves are crazy.”
“Crazy fun!” Oleander declared with a laugh that was all too carefree for my comfort.
I eyed her with concern.Just how hurt is she?
I really didn’t want to set foot in Calor Villa, but Noctus had returned me to my apartment when I was a cat, so I was pretty sure I could consider this a similar situation. The real risk was that Pat could return to the car at any point and realize I wasn’t there. My phone wasn’t ringing nonstop, so I was safe for now, but I wasn’t sure how far my luck was going to hold out.
More of Jaqleon’s weight abruptly shifted onto me when Oleander tripped on her own feet, making up my mind.
“Should I go through the gate with you?” I offered.
Oleander’s forehead puckered with worry lines. “Perhaps,” she evasively said. “If you don’t mind the portal traveling?”
“I’m used to it. Come on. Let’s go.”
I tried to march faster—we were so close to the gate that the glowing doorway cast a green glow on Oleander’s hair.
“I should train more,” Oleander said. “I am getting quite soft to be this badly affected. Jaqleon is going to be embarrassed about this after he is treated.”
“Less talking, more getting through the gate,” I said. “Come on!”
Oleander was letting me take more and more of Jaqleon’s weight. I was hoping this wasn’t a sign of collapse, but I wouldn’t be able to drag one elf through the portal, much less two.
“This is a battle, right?” I asked. “Conquer it! Think of…victorious thoughts.”
“I do miss bashing heads,” Oleander wistfully said.
I almost lost my grip on Jaqleon at that statement. “Elves really are made differently. Hold on!”
I stepped into the portal, and for a moment the world around me went black and my senses dulled as I was unable to tell up from down.
I barely noticed it, though, I was so determined to hang on to the two injured elves.
The portal spat us out into the weak morning sunlight. I barely had enough time to register the ring of elves around us before Jaqleon’s weight crumpled on top of me and the cobblestone ground rushed up to greet me as I staggered.
“No! Nope!” I strained, my arms and legs shaking, but we stayed upright.
Elves wearing armor rushed forward, catching Oleander before she fell and relieving me of Jaqleon’s weight.
Other elves—wearing human clothes with their sleeves rolled up—immediately got to work, popping potions out of leather bags and tiny vials off leather belts.
