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Cora inches closer, and she meets Maddy’s gaze as if to ask if it’s safe now. Clearly, Cora’s figuring out that unintended casualties are still casualties in the chaotic messes of their lives.
Maddy nods. “He’s okay now.”
Caleb’s eyes cut to her, and he glares. “Am I?” He gestures to their surroundings. “Do you see what I’ve done?” He’s yelling now, his eyes wild with pain. “These used to be my people. I was one of them…and now look at what I’ve done.” His voice trails away. “Look at what I’ve done.”
Maddy turns to him, facing him without turning away, without shying from him. “You’re as okay as you’re going to be right now. What happened is awful, but…” She presses her hand to Caleb’s chest. “We’re going to figure this out, but we can’t do that if you run off. No matter how bad it is, we don’t separate. You hear me, Caleb? We’re together until the end.”
The corner of Caleb’s mouth twitches, and he stares down at her hand. “Tell that to one blood-lusty newbie vampire I know. I’m pretty sure she runs off every few minutes.”
His joke is half-hearted, but it’s something, and Maddy turns until she’s beside him. Then she drapes her arm around his shoulders as nonchalantly as though they’re strolling through a garden. Or maybe a graveyard. She fights a shudder and works to keep her tone even, as jovial as she can make it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Sometimes faking okayness is the bravest thing to do.
They start toward the front door. No one is in sight, so Cora brings up the rear, following after them. None of them speak. What could they say in the aftermath of what’s happened?
Maddy puts her hand on the front doorknob, ready to open it.
Something clatters behind them.
Caleb freezes and lifts his chin, a wild expression in his eyes. “What did I do, Maddy?”
“I don’t know.”I don’t know at all.There are so many things she should say, but she can’t think of anything beyond “I don’t know.” So, she reaches for Caleb’s hand and tugs him closer to her. “But we’re going back to Veritas, and we’re going to try to work this out.”
Caleb glances at Maddy. “You going to drive us over?”
Maddy blinks. “I guess so.”
He gives her a weak smile and leans on Maddy. “It’s probably a good idea. I’m not feeling so hot.”
Cora stops beside them. When Maddy quirks an eyebrow, she shakes her head.No Survivors, she mouths, and it’s like a punch in the stomach, a shock she’s not about to let Caleb know.
It doesn’t matter.
Stopping Orion’s plans is the most important thing now.
* * *
By the timethey reach Veritas, Caleb shivers in the passenger seat as though he’s in the frigid arctic. Maddy chews her bottom lip, worrying about her mate. He’s so much paler than he was when they got in.
Maybe it’s a side effect of the surge of obsidian magic and his magical blow up. She doesn’t remember it happening last time, but this surge had been so much more intense, so much more devastating. It’s as if he’s started running a low-grade fever during the drive over. Has the dark magic triggered an infection or something?
She shuts off the car, and she grimaces as she jogs around the SUV. She helps Caleb out of the front passenger seat, and Cora climbs from the rear seat, still clutching the book bag.
Kenna comes out of Veritas to meet them, but as soon as she’s near, Caleb lurches at her, but missteps and throws himself off balance. Kenna barely reacts, and Maddy and Cora easily restrain him.
“What are you doing?” Maddy whispers close to Caleb’s ear.
“This is all her fault,” Caleb mutters. “I could rip her limb from limb.”
“You couldn’t rip anybody from limb to limb right now.” Maddy puts her hand to Caleb’s forehead. “You’re clammy and pale.”
Kenna nods toward Caleb. “What’s wrong with him?”
Maddy frowns. “He had another surge of power, and then he got like this. This time was so much stronger than the last one. Maybe his magic is poisoning him somehow or overwhelming his immune system or I don’t know what.” It’s all a guess.
“Let’s get him inside.” Kenna gives Caleb a long look. “I think Sierra found something which might help.” She strides toward the door and enters.
Carefully, Maddy and Cora help Caleb into Veritas, half-walking him, half-carrying him toward the cushy seats. They lower him and when his butt hits the soft cushions, his whole body relaxes and a sigh seeps from him. Without another word, Kenna’s gone deeper into Veritas, probably to get whatever Sierra found.
