Page 85 of Counting Quarters

Chapter Thirty Six

Blaire

Mylegscouldn’tmove me fast enough through the dense woods. Trees whirred by, only inches from colliding with me, but never making that connection. Grammy’s strained voice called out behind me, pleading for me to stop. To wait for her and the Quarters.

But I wasn’t stopping. Not when every second counted.

The earth crunched beneath my feet, obeying the orders I mentally threw at it to shift and get me there. To him.

My hair whipped against my cheeks, my braid loosening from hand-to-hand combat. The wind whistled in my ears, whispering directions. The forest knew where he was. It knew I needed to get to him—my Counter. And my gifts worked seamlessly to bring us together.

His guttural screams grew louder, the aching from before morphed into full-blown agony. I absorbed the pain, hoping it would somehow take some from him. Maybe we could share the burden. Maybe I could buy him some time until I could get there.

I recognized the curved trees that appeared before me. The smell of the wildflowers that bloomed nearby. It made sense that Rayner took him here, to our place. It made sense that the gods would have this be where I saved him. Or where I lost him.

I pushed that thought from my head before it manifested into something real.

“You could have joined me,” I heard Rayner’s rough voice call out, followed by another grunt. “Mason, too. We could have done so much together, but you two chose them. Despite every single time they’ve wronged us all.”

Another groan, and this time, the pain shot through me like a bullet. I rounded the familiar willow tree and broke through the clearing breathlessly. Rayner’s head whipped around, his face a vision of pure evil.

I didn’t give him more than a second of my attention. Instead, my eyes searched for him. For the other half of my soul, which was lying in a heap, nearly completely camouflaged by the overgrown grass.

We locked eyes, and he sent a storybook of images into my mind. And I saw it—all of it. I only risked breaking his stare long enough to find his mom and sister’s bodies lying limply near the spring, confirming what he had just shown me.

Rayner was after him this entire time, playing a sick little game to get retribution for things that happened years ago. Before most of us were even thought of.

In a tantrum over the attention not being on him, Rayner let out a loud growl. A wicked smile cursed his lips as he lifted his hand and Kyle's body flew into the air, floating there until he slammed his hand back down, and whatever force of magic he was drawing from dropped him to the ground again. Bones snapped, and Kyle let out an agonizing groan that had me screaming at Rayner to stop. To end this now.

But the sadistic coward turned his attention toward me, and watched my reaction as he repeated the motion all over again. Breaking more bones. Drawing more blood from the man I loved.

My throat was raw from protests. I didn't realize I was screaming. It only seemed to be fueling Rayner, though. Grammy warned me not to go against him without her or the Quarters to support me, but I had no idea how long they'd take to get here. I only knew Kyle couldn't take much more.

I took one step forward and Rayner's smile grew wider, accepting the challenge. But I wasn't focused on him anymore. My eyes fell to Kyle's broken figure lying on the ground between us, his face coated in crimson and his nose going in two different directions. His arms were hugging his torso and his legs were curled up in a fetal position. I swore one of his shins had been broken in half, but I wasn't brave enough to walk around and get a better look.

And his breathing… gurgling sounds were coming from his throat as his lungs wheezed. I was able to feel every ache and pain in my own body through our connection.

It only took a few seconds for me to realize he was now in grave condition. Rayner grew impatient as we stood there, unmoving. He wanted me to take the first shot, but I couldn't risk Kyle getting hurt in the crossfire.

When I didn't act quick enough, he raised his hand again, watching my reaction as he made a fist and Kyle screamed in agony once again.

I felt it, too.

Pain radiated from my head all the way down to my toes. It took everything in me not to fall to the ground beside Kyle and scream with him. I shouted again, commanding him to stop, but Rayner enjoyed our agony too much. He smiled even wider and continued to wield his power against us.

Just as I was about to give up and surrender, everything stopped.

The pain.

Kyle's screaming.

All of it just stopped.

Rayner's face fell as he tightened his fist, and Kyle's body remained limp, no longer straining against the torture. The black tentacles behind his back slinked down to his side.

I realized what had happened and released a long, blood-curling wail.

Fury burned through my body like molten lava, searing the earth beneath my feet as I stepped toward my target with wisps of smoke wrapping around my ankles. The absence of Kyle's pain brought on a wave of power that I'd been holding back.

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