Page 46 of The Warlock's Kiss

This time, he expected the darkness within her, the cancer; Merrick blasted into it with full force, roaring in his mind as his magic swelled to beat back the taint. Her illness would not take her. He would not allow it. Even if he didn’t understand his relationship with Adalynn, even if she had not yet truly reciprocated his feelings—feelings of which he wasn’t entirely certain—he knew without a doubt that she washis, and no one,nothing, would take her.

Heat gathered rapidly within him, building to a searing pain that pulsed through his entire body from its focal point in his skull. He welcomed it. Welcomed the struggle. The dark stain on Adalynn’s bright, brilliant soul receded, curling in upon itself, shriveling away from his power, but not before lashing out at him in turn. Merrick growled again and pushed harder, filling his awareness with the blinding blue light of his magic.

The cancer retreated, but it would not be defeated. Not by willpower alone.

Adalynn’s body went limp. Merrick sagged forward, catching himself on a hand. His head ached like it had been hewn down the middle with an ax, and his entire body trembled from the exertion, from the feedback of his massive expenditure of power. He remained beside her, staring down at the floor as he caught his breath.

A drop of blood splattered on the rug.

Merrick lifted his free hand and gently touched his fingers to his face. Blood had flowed from his nose and tear ducts. He felt more trickling from his ears and tasted it in his mouth.

If this is the price, letmebe the one to pay it. Letmebe the one to suffer.

“W-What just happened?” Danny’s voice came from Adalynn’s other side. “What…what’d youdo? What was that?”

Merrick ignored him; he had to focus on Adalynn, had to help Adalynn. He still felt her mana song resonating in his heart even though their connection had been closed, still felt her pull on him, still felt her pain—because her pain wasinsidehim now.

His vision blurred. He shook his head and pushed himself upright, forcing his arms forward and gently slipping them beneath Adalynn to turn her over and draw her against his chest.

“Merrick…what’s going on? Is Addy okay? What’d you—”

“Enough, Daniel,” Merrick rasped. He clenched his jaw. His head throbbed so hard that it threatened to explode at any moment as he slowly got to his feet. When he was finally standing, he leaned forward and lowered Adalynn onto the bed.

He blinked away the pink tint in his stinging eyes and braced himself with a hand on the bedpost as the world whirled and swayed around him. Adalynn didn’t stir; her breathing was slow and even, the pallor had faded from her skin, and her muscles were relaxed.

I just need to be prepared next time…need to anticipate her illness resurging.

The thought echoed in his head loudly enough to cause a sharp pain at his temples. He squeezed his eyes shut until it passed.

“Are…are you okay?” Danny asked.

Merrick opened his eyes and swung his face toward Danny. The boy looked pale and frightened, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. Merrick found himself both unwilling to lie and unable to explain; thinking was too taxing now. He swallowed the coppery blood in his mouth and shoved away from the bed.

As he moved past Danny, Merrick said, “Tend to your sister.”

Merrick staggered into the hallway without a backward glance and walked to his room, keeping a hand on the wall for stability—and still stumbling occasionally, regardless. He’d never experienced such agony, such vulnerability, such weakness, in all his years, and it made him feel for Adalynn even more.

She washis, and he would find some way to heal her—even if he had to defy the universe to do so.

When Adalynn opened her eyes,she was hit by a powerful feeling of déjà vu. She was lying in her bed, the room dark but for the flickering light of a single candle on the nightstand. She’d woken like this before—with the same disorientation, the same confusion, the same sense that she’d just been pulled from the soothing embrace of a dream she hadn’t wanted to end.

There was so much pain…

She raised a hand and touched her fingers to her head. It was still whole. Thankfully, it hadn’t split open despite how it had felt. In fact, there wasn’t any pain at all, not even any tenderness.

She grimaced; even if her head didn’t hurt, her mouth tasted like shit.

A pair of arms looped around her and hugged her tight.

“Oh God, you’re okay,” Danny said.

It was only then that she realized her brother had been lying beside her on her bed. He held her tight, pressing his face against her arm, and something wet soaked through her sleeve. His tears.

“Danny?”

“I thought you were going to die. I thought you were really gone.” His voice was thick with emotion, and his body trembled.

Adalynn’s heart broke.

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