“What did he say?” River asks, his eyes are frantic and his body worryingly still, River is never still.
He cares about her as well.
“In the van,” I say stiffly.
I suppose I did say that I would do anything for her.
Dying would be easier and have less consequences.
“What is it?” Reed asks gruffly, his eyes narrowed and calculating.
We all take our seats as Evander jumps in the front and starts to drive away from the crime scene. There are too many agents around, and Doc can’t just transport us like he usually would, or it would raise too many questions. Van will drive until we are a safe distance away, and then Doc will take us home.
“She needs to be anchored, or she is going to die again. She can not pass over so soon after being there,” I explain.
“Why do you look like you are about to freak the fuck out,” River asks, studying me closely.
Out of all of the guys, he knows me the best, although I will admit there is not much difference between what he knows and what the others know, that small difference is enough, though.
My hands clench as I pull her closer, my magic is already keeping an eye on her spirit, and it is fading fucking quickly.
“He said I needed to let my magic guide me, all of my magic.” I mutter, my eyes darting down to look at her because I can’t look at them. They all know how hard it will be for me. They know why I keep that side of me locked down. It is why I am still a tier-five reaper when I could easily be higher. If I allow that side out, I am going to get summoned, I am going to have to step up and I am going to have to face the trauma that I locked down with my gift. Something that I have avoided for decades, ever since I was a child. An accident that not even my parents know the full extent of. The only people who know about the other side of my magic are the men in this vehicle, and even then, they don’t know everything.
It didn’t seem important to tell them everything because I was never going to use it. I now wish I had filled them in when I had the chance because I am out of time.
“Fuck,” Doc mutters. “It’s okay, Raiden, we can figure something out. Let me scan her, and I can see what I can do.”
“Doc’s right, brother,” Reed agrees, with no judgment in his tone at all.
“We can help her without you needing to tap into that magic,” Evander agrees.
River comes to sit next to me, his hand smoothing the hair off Neith’s forehead, he looks at me with understanding and acceptance in his eyes. He nods, “It’s okay, Raid, we’ve got this. We will figure it out. She wouldn’t want you to use something that makes you so uneasy, you know that.”
I was almost sure that I was going to do it for her. Still, hearing all of my brothers, my chosen family, say those words, all accepting and none of them pressuring me or judging me, letting me know that if I can’t do this, that’s okay, and that solidifies my decision.
My heart thrums in my chest, nervous, actually I am more than nervous I am fucking terrified, but beyond that is a slight thrum of excitement too.
Chapter Four
Raiden
“I’ve got this,” I say.
Shock covers all of their expressions, and I don’t blame them. I never intended to use that magic again. I made my life more complicated by not using it, I had to train harder both at the magical academy and the SID training academy to prove that I was good enough. I am strong without it, but there were a lot of other people that I had to hide my magic from; none of them would have understood why I didn’t want to use it. My lack of magic was also a huge disappointment to my family, my father mainly, and yet not once through all the berating and shitty words that they threw my way did I even consider showing them what I was really capable of.
But Neith needs me, and it's as simple as that, it wasn’t really even a decision. As soon as the moose said that was what I needed to do, I knew that I would do it. I wish I could explain why the decision is so easy, and why I am willing todo something for Neith that I have never even considered for anyone else including myself, but I genuinely have no idea.
Doc frowns, “You really don’t have to Raiden.”
“He said that what we did last time wouldn’t help this time because she has died again too close to dying before. She hasn't had enough time to recover fully, and if she dies again now, which is going to happen if I don’t anchor her, then it is going to be bad, really bad,” I explain what the moose said to me.
Their expressions cloud with worry as they all grasp the seriousness of the situation, and the realization that she died recently. I am sure that they are all connecting the dots about when she last died.
“We need to get inside the wards,” Ransom says. “They should stop the council from summoning you.”
I nod in agreement although if I’m being honest with myself, I am not sure that even Ransom’s wards could stop the council from feeling the power surge and summoning me. Right now though, it doesn’t matter, only she matters, and I will deal with the consequences of what I am about to do after I have saved her.
“Fuck it,” Doc says suddenly, “Van, is there anyone else on the road?”