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“I would’ve been just fine.” I feel something spark inside my chest. I’m not sure what, exactly, but something.
“I’ll ask again,” Zephyr says, crossing his arms over his chest. “How are you feeling?”
“Honestly, I don’t feel anything at all, which is precisely how it was before Scarlet was bound to me. I hate it and don’t want it to go back to this. Ever.”
“So, the ether does block the bond, then...”
I nod, watching Scarlet’s chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. Her white hair is splayed across the pillow like a silken halo. She looks so peaceful, so unburdened. It’s a stark contrast to the chaos that unfolded mere hours ago.
Zephyr runs his arm over his forehead, wiping at the sweat beading there. He hasn’t stopped going since the storm hit. “Sebastian.” He grips my arm, forcing me to meet his concerned gaze. “Breathe. She’s going to be okay. Lorian looked her over. She got very lucky. Her magic stores must’ve been high because you stopped her before it could do anything bad.”
I run a hand through my hair, exasperated. “She used a blood grimoire without a sacrifice, Zephyr. We won’t know the full extent of the price she paid until she wakes up.”
Zephyr weighs his head from side to side, contemplating my words. “Maybe, but for now, she’s okay. She’s stable and can be woken up in minutes if you’d like, but she should get some sleep. And you.”
“I don’t need anything,” I grit, but I feel him pulling at the gauze bandage on my stomach and I glare at him. “What are you doing?”
“You have to let me look at some point. You can’t just slap a bandage on and say a magic word. From what I’ve gotten out of the little you’ve told me, you need stitches.”
“I’ll heal. I’m not leaving her. So, if you’re going to do them, then you’ll have to do them here.”
Zephyr lets out a long sigh, digs and his pocket, and produces a small suture kit. “As I anticipated. Now can I do my job?”
Dropping Scarlet’s hand, I sit back. He works the sticky part of the bandage off my skin and I hiss as it tugs on the wound.
“So, still think she’s a witch?” he asks, spraying something into the gash.
I clench my teeth together, trying to ward off the sting. “What kind of question is that?”
“I’m just saying you have an entire collection of shadows in jars within that room. If she was a blood witch, she’d have used one as a sacrifice. Yet, she didn’t. She used herself.”
It’s not something I haven’t thought about. She’d have felt the power within those bottles. Any skilled mage would, let alone a blood witch. She passed right over them as if they were nothing. “I don’t know if it matters to me anymore. Blood witch or not, I can’t lose her. I don’t want to feel like this—numb and empty. I need her...”
“She’s fine, Hook. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“I know... Just I can’t believe it until I can talk to her, until I know that she’s still in there.” I drag a hand down my face, pressing my fingers into my cheekbones to distract myself from the needle going in and out.
“Then wake her up. Like I said, I kept her asleep for you, but if it’s causing more distress, then it’s a simple fix.”
I nod, standing up from the bench before Zephyr can cut the suture string. He rushes to keep up, finishing the knot and slicing the excess off.
“Give me a moment. Please.” He presses his lips together but slips through the curtain, leaving us be.
I reach for the mask sitting on her face. As long as she wears it, the ether will keep her out. It only takes a minute or two for her to slip out of the sedation.
Scarlet’s face scrunches and her eyes flutter open. I hold my breath. I’m not sure what to say or do, but gods... I’m just so grateful she’s not dead. I want to say that’s because, without her, I don’t feel, but I know deep down that there’s more to it than that.
For a moment, she seems disoriented, but then she blinks in rapid succession and her hazel eyes liven up. I stay silent as she takes in the room, and finally, her gaze settles on me. I swear my heart skips inside my chest, like I can finally breathe.
She starts to sit up, but I place my hand on her stomach, keeping her still.
“Take it easy, little lamb.” My thumb strokes over the fabric of her shirt. “You’ve been through enough. Zephyr was right. I should’ve let you sleep, but I had to know you’re okay.”
Her eyes drop down my torso, getting an eyeful of the bandage Zephyr placed just below my ribs. “You’re alright... It worked.”
I flex my jaw, taking a deep breath. “You used a blood grimoire without a sacrifice. You’re lucky you’re alive... but thank you.”
Her eyes light up, searching mine like she’s not sure she heard that right. I reach out to cup her cheek, running my thumb over the softness of her skin.
