Page 51 of Cursed Shadows

Can you heal this pain?she asks, her voice weak, even inside her own head.

I smile down at her.Yes,I respond.

Reaching out, I shift her cloak over her shoulder. I pull the fabric covering her breasts down to her navel before placing the palm of my hand above her wounded bones. Then I close my eyes and channel my power through my arm and into my hand. Heat travels through me, warming her and I feel the broken bones fuse themselves together. This causes no pain. The female only feels the warmth of my life energy as it flows into her.

When I am finished, I stand up and step backward. I glance down at her and see her blue eyes fixed on mine.

We will meet again,I say and cleanse her mind, watching as her eyelids drift down and she fades into a healing sleep that will restore her. I then dissolve into the mud, once again becoming one with the earth.

***

EILISH

When I come to, my head is strangely clear. The pain that had been a permanent resident of my body for the last hour is now long gone and I can breathe without incident.

Glancing upward, I notice the sky is dark, but the light of the flickering fire before me casts light onto my surroundings. I’ve been tied to a tree, my arms restrained behind me. They’re numb and tingling due to the lack of circulation.

In the light of the fire, I can see my four companions also bound to trees. My breath catches as I spot Cambion, who’s farthest away. He must have been in the front of the truck with the driver. The relief I feel at knowing he’s alive is overshadowed by my dismay at realizing he’s been captured as well. At least we’re all still alive.

For now.

Anona’s voice sounds from beside the fire; it’s still raspy as a result of the smoke she inhaled earlier.

“Riverineis a full day’s journey,” she says to Dravon. “The little shit will never find us.” I realize they’re talking about Flumph and the information I supplied them when I was under the power of theTruth Serum.

Dravon responds, his already low voice even more rough when he speaks, “I still think someone should teach the little bastard a lesson.”

“I said to forget about the sprite!” shouts Anona. I see the shadow of her figure lower its head to its hands. “The sprite is no threat to us.”

Her statement is returned with somber silence.

“It’s a good thing I was standing ready, eh?” asks a third voice, one of Anona’s other henchmen.

“You poisoned an already poisoned vampire, Grenid; that don’t make you a hero,” retorts Dravon.

“Better than you could do, piss ant!” returns Grenid. “You didn’t even know thatSwamp Breathincapacitates the undead.”

“An’ the only reason you knew it is ‘cause Anona told you to use it ‘gainst him!”

“Knock it off! Both of you,” Anona shouts and then returns to her position of staring at the fire. Her men look at her, as if waiting for further instructions. When she looks up, she sighs. “Without a vehicle, it’ll be nearly a day’s walk to Precinct Three.”

“Ain’t no vehicles ‘round here,” Dravon says.

She nods, looking over at Dragan, Thoradin, and Baron. “We won’t be able to carry them, so one of us will have to go to Precinct Three alone.”

“Why don’t we tell Variant ta send us some damn trucks?” Dravon asks.

“Stop your fucking talking!” Anona snarls at him. The aggressiveness of her speech sends her spiraling into another violent coughing fit. She spits something out and then turns to face him, her face scrunched into an angry mask. “If we succeed, we’ll be back in the King’s favor. That’s priority one. I don’t intend to bother Variant with tales of our incompetence.” She takes a deep breath. “You should have been watching the vampire more closely.”

“The angel’s the one who said the spell.” Dravon’s retort is somewhat mumbled with his hesitation. I’m surprised by his response as I don’t recall saying or thinking anything, let alone a spell. I rack my mind, trying to remember what happened just before the truck caught fire. I remember Anona trying to forcethe truth out of me and the voice, known as Morrigan, inside my head getting more and more upset.

I’m not sure how I know the voice’s name is Morrigan but I do, all the same. It’s an established truth within me, so I just accept it.

Then I remember Baron’s foot tapping mine and Morrigan calling out someone’s name, but I can’t remember whose name it was. Could that have been the spell Dravon is referring to? If so, it wasn’t a spell at all...

“Does it look like I fucking care who started it?” Anona yells. The fire appears to respond to her energy, the flames rising higher. “We don’t need Variant’s help. We’re going to do this on our own and earn the rewards on our own. Mark my words: tomorrow, these fuckers are going to meet their king.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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