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A surge of power ran through Raven, filling the room before disappearing into the ether. This time, her body didn’t bow and her limbs barely moved. I had a moment of panic that it didn’t work.
“Don’t,” Hugo ordered. “We won’t restrain her unless necessary.”
I looked down at my hands, nearly touching Raven’s. I pulled them back and waited. Her eyelids fluttered open and one corner of her mouth lifted.
“Wow. You should bottle that up and sell it. I feel amazing.”
Kree giggled. “I’m so happy to help, Raven. Your energies are brimming but I’m thinking one or two more of these sessions and your lifeforce will be back at normal levels. Right, Hugo?”
“Right.”
“Why was her reaction so different this time?” I asked.
“Because her body only absorbed a fraction of what it absorbed the last time,” Hugo explained. “It isn’t an exact science and Kree has to try to tailor her dosage to give just enough but never too much. She’s replenishing both lifeforce and magic stores, the latter being the easiest to refill. A little at a time will prevent us from total overload on both fronts. Magic and energy reserves are easy to expel, so we aren’t gauging anything other than the lifeforce. I think she’ll be back to normal by the end of the week.”
Raven’s violet eyes sparkled. She sat up, holding onto the sheet saying she’d like to get dressed. We left the room and closed the door.
“I know you’re both anxious to get this over with, but I would like to space out her sessions a day or two apart to make sure she’s not having any adverse side effects. Sometimes Kree’s magic can cause Shadows to get a little overwhelmed or feel overly energized.”
Kree bit her lip. “I’m not sure the overwhelmed part can be avoided, not when she’s a stranger here and thrown into a new reality like she was. Even if my magic worked perfectly, she’s still going through a lot.”
“You think I’m overwhelming her?” I asked.
“No, but I think the situation could. A lot has happened in her life in recent months, more than most beings experience over the course of years. Or ever, really. I mean, how many beings have ever been taken hostage and tortured?”
“Three of the four beings in this infirmary have,” Hugo reminded.
“Yes, but that’s not normal.”
I laughed. “What do any of us know about normal? Our lives have never been normal, not even yours, Kree.”
The golden-haired female sighed. “Forget I said anything.”
Shit. I hadn’t meant to insult her. Kree had been mated once and the fucker had abused her ruthlessly. Loathing that I’d made her feel bad, I clasped her hand between both of mine. “I appreciate you worrying on Raven’s behalf.”
“I worry for you, as well, Cas.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
Her shoulders lifted. “I fear it cannot be helped.”
Kree patted my cheek with her free hand and I knew she wasn’t upset. A throat cleared behind me and I twisted to see Raven standing at the door I hadn’t heard open.
The sparkle was gone from her eyes. They looked darker as she eyed me critically. Our delicate bond flared and I felt like my soul had been scalded. Gently, I lowered Kree’s hand back to her side.
“Raven—”
“Hugo,” she cut me off, “could you direct me to an available training area, one where a guest such as I would be allowed to spar or maybe release some magic? I think expending some of this … energy is just what I need right now.”
“You want to fight?” I asked.
“Or just hit something,” she answered coolly. “Repetitively.”
Was she upset that Kree had touched my face? Possessiveness between mates was common, but Raven had to know that I would never cross that line.
“I’ll take you outside,” I pronounced.
“Hugo?” she said, ignoring my offer.
