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“She’s alive,” Jay said. “She needs a healer, and there’s not much I can do. I think she’s stable.”
“What can I do?”
“I need time. Cover me. She might have healed herself already, but I need to make sure there isn’t more damage.”
Nick’s heart was racing, but even as he calmed down, his fear was quickly replaced by anger. It sparked to life, fueled by the dregs of the terror that filled him before he saw her breathing. His hands were tight around the handle of the weapon, knuckles white from his grip, and he saw the skin change.
Black veins rose on the back of his hands, and they snaked up his wrists and across his forearms. The void was in his chest, too, and it found his anger and roared to life. The black lines moved faster, racing across his skin, disappearing under his sleeves.
He knew it was spreading, and he glanced at Jay. His focus was on Cara, and she was already improving. The patches of skin that weren’t covered in blood looked healthier, less sickly.
“She came from this room,” Nick said, and his voice didn’t shake. In fact, he sounded calmer than ever, even though the weapon was shaking in his hands. “I’m going to check it out, make sure that whoever did this is gone.”
Jay grunted his response, and Nick pulled open the door.
Rage and fear filled his head, screaming at him, and he searched the room, looking for answers. Somewhere to direct everything he was feeling. The room was dark, but his vision adjusted, and the light from the hallway gave him enough to see through the darkness. The room was filled with smoke, burnt husks of furniture and piles of ash. Vampires.
There was a bloody, pointed piece of wood in the nearest ash pile. Nick stepped closer, examining it, and he wondered how Cara managed to shove a stake into a vampire. He looked around, realising the level of destruction in here. Fire and ash and blood were everywhere he looked.
Nick went back to the corridor, but there was no one there except Jay and Cara. Her eyelashes were fluttering, and she started to open her eyes.
Nick stepped back, and he stared down at the black veins criss crossing his arms. The void wanted more. It was hungry. It roared and thrashed inside him.
“Cara? Can you hear me?” Jay’s voice cut through the cacophony in Nick’s head.
She mumbled something.
“Cara?”
Her eyes opened. “Jay?”
“Thank god. I thought you were...”
“Fine,” she said. “I’m fine.”
The black lines faded, retreating down Nick’s arms and swirling around his hands.
Cara sat up slowly, helped by Jay, and she finally noticed him. “Nick? Are you okay? You look pale.”
She brushed a hand over the side of her neck. It was covered in dried blood, but there was no wound. No source to explain the blood covering her.
Nick smiled weakly. “You look worse.”
“You know exactly what to say to make me feel better.”
***
Chapter 23 - Nick
Several minutes later, Nick spoke. “You two should go on without me.”
Cara was standing on her own, and although she was clearly exhausted, the magic had done its job. Jay looked tired, too, but his eyes were sharp.
“Those monsters,” Jay said for the tenth time. “We should burn this place to the ground.”
“It’s not a good idea,” Cara said. “And we’re not leaving, Nick. We came here to find your brother.”
“You’re both about to collapse,” Nick said. “You almost died, Cara. Get out of here. I’ll finish this.”
