Page 110 of Gift from the Wing

“You’re okay?”

“Yep.”

I don’t like the short answer, but he’s responding and nothing in his tone or bond would suggest otherwise.

Every second—okay, constantly—I tap into Oakly’s bond. I rotate from banging to hugging the mental link in our minds, begging her to please wake up, do something. Show Jamie that you’re responding to his efforts.

“Princess,” Corentin breathes, snatching me up and out of my mind. I hadn’t realized they were right on me as I just stare at Oakly.

“Corentin, what do we do? She’s not healing. She’s not responding.”

“They blocked off the exit we came in from. The E.F. members are protecting the hostages, but we’re waiting for the others to get another hall cleared, then we’re going. I promise. He may not be healing her, but he’s keeping her alive, princess. I swear.”

“Can’t me or Caspian just shadow everyone out? I can move through the walls in here, so surely, I can move outside,” I plead. I need her out of here. I need her to open her eyes.

“If it takes much longer for the halls to be cleared, that’s what we’ll do, baby, okay? Roye is keeping Tillman updated by the second,” he says, gently pinching my chin.

I swing my head to Tillman, and although he has his arms crossed, standing strong behind Ry, I can tell by the distance in his eyes, he has his mind elsewhere. Probably in multiple other people’s heads.

Nodding, just as I release an unsteady breath, a cloud of shadows forms a few feet from us and my shoulders sag in relief.

But it isn’t my dark and damaged protector who steps out first.

No…

Gima is slung to the ground with her body coiled tight in shadows and a furious scowl across her face. The heavy rise and fall of her chest match mine the longer I stare at her, and the heat in this room mingles with my flames roaring back to the surface. My anger burns away my worry and my body trembles with adrenaline.

“Brought you a present, Primary.”

My glare swings to Caspian and the twisted smirk on his face is all the permission my darker side seems to need.

In milliseconds, I’m out of the safety of Corentin’s arms, commanding Caspian’s shadows as if they were my own to put Gima on her feet and release her. The moment she steadies herself, I rear back and punch her as hard as I can with a stone-covered fist.

Her howl of pain is music to my ears. The sight of her bright red blood cascading from her nose and into her mouth feeds my fire, and with a battle cry pouring from my lips, I fucking pounce.

My legs straddle her waist and she attempts to hit me with a fire-coated palm, but a quick snatch of her wrist with my flamed fingers has her screaming in agony and I blow her element out as if it’s nothing more than a candle.

Repeatedly, I rotate pounding into her face with one stone hand, and the other I leave bare so I can feel her skin split beneath my fist. I need her to feel the pain she’s put me through. The torture I endured because of her assistance. Whatever is coursing through Oakly’s blood. It’s her fault. And she will pay me back with more than a pound of flesh.

Her eyes roll back into her head and her arms lose the feeble strength she was using to try to push me off.

I let my arms drop to my thighs as I catch my breath for a moment, then shove my magic out to open my pocket dimension in front of me.

Reaching in, I quickly snatch out two healing vials. I despise the fact I’m about to feed this bitch something myGuardriamade with such care and love, but nonetheless, I need her alive for now.

Gripping her jaw in my hand, I pry the clenched muscles open and shove them both in her mouth. It takes a minute for her throat to start working, but after a second, she’s choking and sputtering. I slam hermouth shut, making sure she drinks every drop, and patiently—not so much—wait until her blackened eyes begin to flutter back open.

“Get the fu—”

My palm flies across her cheek, cutting off her sentence, and when she slowly cranes her face back toward me, fear finally flickers in her eyes for a brief second before they narrow on me.

Delusional, yes.

But not completely stupid.

“What the fuck did you give Oakly?” I growl.

“I didn’t give her shit.”

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