Page 97 of Blood Caged

“Fine.” He keeps his eyes on the road. “We’re about to cross the boundary to vampire territory,” he says.

“What?” I say a second before something hits me. An invisible wave so powerful it knocks the wind from me. “Soren!” I choke out. I can barely breathe. The entire cab is lit up like a spotlight is shining into it. Except that it’s not coming from outside; it’s coming from me.

“My magic!” I stare down at my hands, which are emitting a bright, glowing light. It surrounds me. “My magic is back!” I can’t keep the excitement from my voice until I turn to look at Soren.

My heart stops.

“You’re bleeding!” I reach out to touch him and almost jerk my fingers away. His body feels like it’s on fire. Blood is streaming from his nose and his eyes.

“It’s okay,” he grits out.

“It’s not okay!” My voice is edged with fear. I turn to face him.

“It’s the bond.” The words seem torn from him. “I expected this.”

“Youexpectedthis?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Not…important.” He seems to be finding it harder to speak. There’s blood on his bottom lip. He coughs, and it sprays his hands on the steering wheel.

Oh, my God! It’s the bond. The one that bound him.

“Stop!” I tell him. “Stop the car right now!”

“No.” His grip on the wheel is white-knuckled. He’s shaking. No…he’s vibrating, as if his body is being jarred from within.

“I’m serious, Soren. We’re going back.”

“We’re not going back.” His jaw is tight. “You are never going back there.” He coughs again, and the truck veers across the white line before he rights it. There’s blood on the windshield.

I can’t watch this. I can’t!

Do something, Mia. Fucking do something!

I look at my hands…they’re glowing. And an idea comes to me. I set one on his shoulder and another on his chest.

“What are you doing?” He’s frowning.

“Fixing this.” I don’t explain further. My lips are moving in a silent chant as I delve deep into the recesses of my mind for a spell to contain this. A strengthening spell. A healing spell. A spell that takes every ounce of newly rediscovered magic I can find inside me.

He starts to glow. The same blinding light that surrounds me is now shining around him.

“It…it’s working,” he says. “Whatever you’re doing is working.” Relief colors his voice. It doesn’t last long because a wave of pain hits me so hard it knocks me across the cab.

I scream. Whatever is inside him just latched itself onto me, and I’ve never felt such excruciating pain in my life. I clamber back across the cab, reaching for his shoulder again, but he brushes me off.

“Don’t touch me,” he barks. “You can’t handle this. It’ll kill you.”

“Don’t you tell me what to do, Soren Daire!” I reach for him again, but he swerves the vehicle and I’m flying across the cab again.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, “but I can’t let you do this.”

“Soren, please.” There’s a sob in my voice now, but he’s not looking at me. There’s a blinding glare of headlights bearing down on us. Whatever is driving in our direction is taking up the entire road.

At the sight of it, Soren releases a rattling sigh, his body sagging. Blood is streaming from his eyes, his ears, his nose. It’s dripping off his chin.

I can’t watch this!

“They came.” His voice is a tortured whisper. He guides the vehicle onto the shoulder of the road and stops.

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