Page 75 of Enchanted Crown
My gorgeous and baffling soulmate. Smiling at me with pride.
I swallowed hard, remembering what Malachi told me about our bond and how it would help things. This was an attention I would rather not have. “As you were.”
CHAPTER 27
My boots in the green water of The Aaruk never felt better. I rolled my neck and willed more magic to go to the younger equine shifter before me, one of Malachi’s team. Unfortunately, it was the last of the shifters we were supposed to have healed today.
In less than five minutes, because of the brunt of my power having felt a deep frustration the past few days, the black mass left the man, and he was finally able to shift into a huge black horse. I had healed two of the four. But at least Emric and the Wylan Enchanted not used today could get ahead on the lottery by going again tomorrow.
“Well done,” Emric said with a slap to my shoulder.
The horse was sure to press his head against my chest before taking off at a sprint. He had no wings; he was a black land horse. I was learning it was clear which horses in Dra Skor were shifters and which were normal horses. That sheen that all of the shifters had, yes, but also in just sheer size, the shifter horses were bigger from the size of their hooves to their height.
My first thought had been that they were built like the legendsof war horses. And I wondered if those legends hadn’t been derived from the power of the shifted equines themselves.
My eyes went to Malachi on the shore, making sure that every healed Enchanted who was about to pass out was taken to the castle under guard and protected. He’d left the war room meeting shortly after I had, wanting to be here for The Aaruk healings.
There would be no more attacks on the healed.
“You feel better?” Malachi asked as the shifter moved back into his human form and stumbled toward a healer.
I gave Malachi a shrug. “Can you call a few others?”
He stilled and spun toward me. “You sure?”
I gave him a nod and made no move to leave the water. So naturally he came over to me. His voice dropped to a whisper. “What’s going on, Keir?”
I let out a sigh and quickly looked around to make sure no one else was listening in. “Last night Esta didn’t let me fly with her to make sure Jagen was all right when news came from the cells. It went against everything in me. Add that she still will not use our bond to speak to me, and I’m not just frustrated, but angry. At everything.”
Malachi considered my words as Emric neared us. “So you need to use more of your power?”
“Exactly. I need to be so exhausted from using my power that I am able to sleep for a solid eight hours when I return. Even if my soul bound mate is ignoring me.”
Emric butted in, “If you think I am just going to allow you to push yourself to burnout, you have another thing coming. There must be another way you can get a respite from your anger.”
What was it with Emric and his budding vocabulary? Was he trying to become John? Not that I was angry if he was, but Emric was Emric. He did not need to be like John.
“I do not wish to go to full burnout,” I amended. “Which is why I need your help, Em.”
“So that if you near it, I will take over?” he asked.
The two of them were quiet, one looked to the other as they considered what I asked.
“Fine,” Malachi finally agreed. “But I’m telling Esta.”
“She will likely already know,” I snapped. “If she is even remotely paying attention to the bond.” I let out a long sigh. “I cannot hide my frustration or anger. Likewise, I cannot stop feeling her terror.”
My rant was cut off entirely as Malachi moved to hug me. Not just a slap of a hug, a real one. He pulled back and smacked the side of my shoulder. “If I had a bond like that and was asked not to use it, to go through what you had to the last few days, I would’ve broken something by now. I know Esta has her reasons, but that doesn’t mean she’s right.”
“She’s the queen of Dra Skor, isn’t she always right?” Emric asked lightly.
“Not this time,” Malachi said without hesitation. “But do know that when her grandfather died, Esta went to The Drak to try to speak to Nana Ice on more than one occasion. It was not pretty. I’m sure that is what fuels her terror.” He smacked me again, this time on the other shoulder. “It isn’t fair to you though, brother. So if you want to heal a few more equine shifters, I am going to allow you to, as long as you do not get near burnout in the process.”
I looked from Emric to Malachi, grateful for both. “Are the two of you my sitters or my friends?”
At the same time Emric said, “Yes,” Malachi said, “Both.”
Malachi shifted to give the orders to get me a few more shifters to heal.
