Page 96 of Elora and the Crow

“They fixed it at the hospital,” Jonah said. “It isn’t dislocated anymore.”

“Sure, but I’ve dislocated my shoulder a time or two and know how fucking painful it is,” Ronin said. “So, let’s make things totally weird and awkward between us by having me cry on you.”

Jonah smiled faintly. “Yeah, okay.”

Ronin helped him remove the sling and his shirt, then had Jonah sit on the side of the bed. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Jonah said. He kept his gaze on Elora’s pale face as Ronin leaned over him. Liquid splashed on his shoulder, and a burning pain shot down his arm. He grunted, clenching his hands into the quilt and trying to breathe through the pain.

Slowly, the pain dwindled, and he armed the sweat off his forehead before giving Ronin a grim smile. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Ronin said.

Jonah pulled on his shirt, but before he could sit beside Elora again, Ronin clapped him on the back. “Come downstairs and have something to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” Jonah said.

“I get it, but you’re no good to Elora if you’re weak from lack of food,” Ronin said.

“I don’t want to leave her.”

“She isn’t going to wake for a while,” Ronin said.

“It’s my fault she nearly died,” Jonah said. “My fault that my brother was kidnapped by that fucking witch. Elora had to fight her all alone because I was too fucking weak and scared to shapeshift.”

“Considering the last time you saw the witch, she trapped you in an animal form for three years, is it surprising that you couldn’t shift?” Ronin asked.

Jonah slammed his fist on his thigh. “I can’t shapeshift, and I can’t protect the people I love. What fucking good am I?”

He stared at Ronin. “I killed people for a living, and I was very good at my fucking job. Now? Now I’m a useless piece of shit who got my brother kidnapped and nearly got the woman I love killed. I stood there and watched her almost die because I couldn’t shift.”

“Past trauma and fear can fuck a person up in ways they don’t realize,” Ronin said.

“No offense, but what do you know about fear? You can’t fucking die,” Jonah said.

“Fair point,” Ronin said with a grin. “But just because I can’t die doesn’t mean all the ways I have died didn’t fuck me up. Trust me, there’s a lot of trauma that goes along with dying repeatedly. Not to mention how much it fucking hurts.”

“How do you deal with it?” Jonah asked, his gaze slipping to Elora again.

Ronin shrugged. “Meth and a smartass attitude, mostly.”

Jonah stared at him, and Ronin laughed. “I’m kidding. Mostly. I do use humour to ‘mask the pain,’ as a therapist would say, but it works for me, and I’m also very aware of how fucked up I am. It’s been better since I started dating Kat. She’s the first person I could open up to about my fears, and just talking with her has made a huge difference.”

He clapped Jonah on the back again. “Look, I get what you’re going through. Kat was kidnapped and nearly died because of my shady fucking background. I tried not to fall in love with her, tried not to drag her into my fucked-up life, but you know what my mistake was?”

Jonah shook his head, and Ronin gave him a rueful grin. “My mistake was believing that I could tell Kat what to do or how to feel. I didn’t think once about what she wanted, just what I thought was best for her. And that, buddy, was a huge fuck-up on my part. Kat is a strong, capable woman who doesn’t need some asshole man making decisions for her. Just like Elora.”

“I just want to keep her safe,” Jonah rasped.

“I know you do, but pushing her away and pretending you don’t love her isn’t the answer, my friend,” Ronin said.

They were quiet for a moment before Ronin said, “C’mon, let’s get downstairs before the others start to think the two of us are falling in love.”

With one last look at Elora, Jonah followed Ronin out of the bedroom and downstairs. He and Ronin had been upstairs with Elora for nearly two hours, and he blinked in surprise at the number of people in the foyer.

The makeshift altar from the living room had been dragged back into the foyer. Cece and Charissa were standing by it with three women and two men. The five strangers wore matching dark blue robes and stood in a neat line in front of the altar. Their hands were clasped, and they chanted in low voices in front of three burning candles set on top of the altar.

“Bring it up a little higher, Judd.”

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