Page 124 of Gift from the Wing

All I can muster is a mouthed thank you and I suck down a sob ready to escape me when I feel his shadows circle my wrist.

“Willow, start out soft and slow. Build up as you go and as Jamie pushes his magic into her. The rest of you, keep skin to skin contact no matter what. Keeper, you’ll be able to tell when the transfer needs to begin?” Corentin asks.

“I will. Adored, I will slice your wrist and Oakly’s, if that’s okay?”

“Do whatever you need to.”

“Okay, princess, begin. You got this,” Corentin says firmly and I nod to him before seeking out each of Oakly’s men.

The look in their watery gazes speaks a thousand words.

One way or another, they’re going to be with her. It’s decided by more than their own love for her. Their souls have spoken. If this doesn’t work and we lose her, we lose them as well. They’ve accepted that and they’re okay with it. They’ve made peace with it.

I haven’t.

I don’t believe the five of them realize what they mean to us.

That’s the weird thing about grief. It’s a selfish emotion.

I know as well as anyone in this room, the space Elementra would have ready for any of us in the beyond is just as magical, just as perfect as this physical plane she’s created, yet we aren’t willing to let them go there. We don’t want to be here without them.

I’ll be selfish enough for all of us to admit that.

I’m not losing any of them.

“We’re going to heal her. I’m not going to lose any of you today.”

“We know, Willy,” all four say as one, and a mixture of a sob and a snort escapes me.

“Go on, trouble. Bring my firecracker back,” Ry commands as a lone tear finally drips from his eye and I nod.

“Come on, Oak. You heard your most bossy of men. You’re in so much trouble with him.”

Leaning down, I lay a kiss to her nose and rub my hands down her arm while simultaneously encouraging her to fight and apologizing for what I’m about to do to her. This is going to be so painful. I know it without a shadow of a doubt, but it’s what must be done.

My flame slowly travels through my veins, and I squeeze my eyes shut tight as they pierce through her skin. Her nerve endings cause her body to twitch and the agonizing gasps I hear from her men make my heart thud wildly, but I can’t risk peeling my lids open to check anything for myself.

Heavy hands lay on my shoulders, though the weight feels like feathers, and suddenly, the sounds become mere whispers in the wind. There’re no thoughts. There’re no fears.

There’s nothing but Oakly.

Draken’s magic washes over the room and forces me to take a deep breath from the abrupt fullness I feel. I use the extra boost just given to me and push a little harder. The heat that’s coming through my palms is a mixture of her fever and my flame, and a bead of sweat travels its way down my neck until a cool breeze stops its path.

The multitude of emotions filtering through the room tramples my chest, but I can’t shift my focus enough to block it out.

I embrace it.

I allow the heightened sense and feelings of everyone in this room and the hall bolster my resolve, then I shove it out.

I push. And push. And push harder.

The heat intensifies to unmeasurable heights and the multiple groans from around the room ring loudly in my ears, but I don’t relent. I don’t pull it back because even though I know my flame is blazing, it won’t truly hurt anyone in here.

Other than Oakly. She will be the only one who may be burned beyond repair if I’m not careful.

The hisses that are falling from the lips of Ry, San, Jamie, and Nikoli suddenly morph into agonizing screams, and it takes me a moment to realize my throat is roaring right along with theirs.

Heart-wrenching pain engulfs me as I feel the threads that keep Oakly’s soul stitched to mine begin to unravel.

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