Page 6 of Outcast

“Meet at the house!” I shouted. “Answer that you hear me!”

A cheetah’s loud yelp responded.

Taking a deep breath, I stood, focused my attention on Branson’s body, made a gripping shape with my hand, and activated my magic. His body floated up off of the ground and I cringed at the amount of blood dripping down.

“Okay, buddy, let’s go.” Keeping my hand curved, I carried his body through the trees, careful he did not bump into anything, which was pretty hard to do with such a large bear. By the time I made it to the front of the house, my body shook and sweat poured down my face and back.

Kieran ran outside and ran his hands along my body. “Are you injured?”

“Bran is,” I gasped and continued beyond the house, to the barn which also served as a treatment room for my patients that were animals. Bran wasn’t an animal, but he was too large in this form to get into the house right now.

Tremors wracked my body as I slowly and gently set him on the table, and when I was finally able to let him go, I nearly collapsed to the ground.

Riddick caught me and held me against his body. “Ember? Ember, what’s wrong?”

“She’s not supposed to carry anything that much larger than her, her magic is based on her strength, but she can use bursts to move heavy items. Carrying Branson that far was a huge strain,” Kieran explained.

Pushing away from Riddick, I set my backpack down and took out my medical kit. “I’m fine. I’ve got to help Branson.”

“His body is already healing,” Kieran argued. “I don’t see anything life threatening.”

“Then why is he unconscious?” I countered. Taking my pen light, I lifted one of his eyelids and shone the light on his eye.

Branson’s eye focused on the light and his teeth snapped closed a hair away from my face, only missing me thanks to Riddick jerking me backwards, out of harm’s way.

Branson growled for a second before his nostrils flared and he looked at me, sorrow in his eyes.“Sorry.”

I shook my head and smiled. “Don’t apologize. I know better than to do that without strapping jaws closed first. I was just too worried about you.”

Branson shifted into his human form and grunted as he almost fell off the table. Kieran caught him and helped him sit upright. “Thanks, Kieran.”

My ears started to ring and blackness encroached on my vision.

“What happened?” I heard Kieran ask, but his voice sounded far away.

Riddick scowled down at me. His mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear him.

My eyes rolled up into the back of my head and I felt like I was floating, until darkness took me and I was the one who became unconscious.

Chapter

Four

“Ineed more time,” Riddick whispered. “I can’t explain it, but I think there’s a connection.” A long pause. “Yes, she is pretty.” Another long pause. “Stop laughing.”

Opening my eyes was hard, but even harder was trying to move my arms. I moaned and several hands touched me at the same time, Riddick and Kieran called out my name. Their yells echoed inside my skull, making it hurt immensely.

“Everything hurts,” I whined.

“That’s what happens when you over work yourself,” Kieran snapped. “Your muscles are practically destroyed from you carrying Branson.”

I hated that my muscles took on the toll like I had physically carried him when I’d used my magic. “Magic is dumb.”

“Yes, well, it has its uses, but only when used appropriately,” Riddick said, and I knew without seeing him that he was frowning.

“Why have magic if not to save my friends,” I argued back. Trying once again, I was able to open my eyes. The room was dim, only light seeping in under the curtain giving me anythingto see. Judging by the light, it was midday. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Thirty hours,” Kieran answered.

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