Page 64 of Magic Hunted
I cupped his cheek with my palm. “Not without you.”
There was no way I would run and hide. I’d been trained to fight all my life, and I would fight for him. He was who I wanted. This was my choice.
Ashir’s eyes flared as his gaze lifted over my shoulder. He reared up, launching himself over my body and tackling me to the ground. I tasted damp earth as Ashir landed on top of me and a giant ball of blue magic surrounded us. Ashir cried out, his body strained before he went limp.
“Ashir? Ashir!” My heart galloped in my chest as I wriggled from beneath him, hard to do with his limp, heavy form. I pushed out from under him, scrambling to my knees.
“Gods. No…” He was too still. His breathing was too shallow. My hands fluttered uselessly over his back, across his shoulders.
A shadow fell over me. I blinked up at the human, every muscle locking tight as Sinon sneered down at me.
“Hello, vermin. This is payment for Kalos.” My blood chilled as a ball of Titan’s magic grew in Sinon’s fist.
My breath was choppy, instant rage flaring and burning in my veins. They liked hurting me. Liked their power over me and I fucking hated them for it. “Mourning the loss of your fuck buddy, are you?”
Sparks erupted from the magic ball in his fist. “After Titan’s finished with you, he promised to give you to me as payment for Kalos’ life. First, I’m going to remove your teeth and nails. Then I’ll cut off your fingers and toes. Then your hands and feet. Then your forearms and calves. Are you getting the picture, Haera? I will take my time with you. By the finish, you’ll beg me to end your useless life. But that’s after I end this filth and your other twofuck-buddies. You shifters and your packs make me sick.”
It wasn’t the first time the cadre had threatened me. The threat rolled off me but he’d made the mistake of threatening my mates.
“You don’t get to talk about my mates like that.” My claws dug into the ground and fur skated over my skin as my panther writhed, wanting her share of Sinon’s flesh. My veins sparked with fire, my magic erupting, driven by years of abuse. Of being stepped on. Of being a means to an end. I would end Sinon and every human around me.
I rose to my feet, my arms outstretched. My intent drove my magic. My emotions were the door that opened for it to escape. It erupted from me, exploding in a blast of brilliant green.
The shockwave struck Sinon. He crumpled, as though his backbone had snapped. His skin blackened to char and flaked from his bones. His clothing disintegrated, darkening into ash and he vanished before my eyes. I panted, taking a shocked step back and my gaze fell on Ashir’s still form. Sinon no longer factored in my mind.
Ashir lay motionless, then his back rose, a slight movement but enough to spurn me into action. A pulse hammered at my neck as I slid my hands under him and rolled him over.
My gaze poured over him, and all I could see were two gaping wounds, one on his shoulder and the other in his stomach. And blood. So much blood. A wordless whine fell from my numb lips. Shifters took a lot of damage and Ashir was the alpha of alphas, but these wounds were mortal.
A body dropped on either side of me. My head jerked sideways, seeing Savvas on my left and Dias on my right. The silence was thick in my ears. I glanced up to see we were surrounded by the elves. Some stood. Others were on their warbugs but there was no more fighting. In fact, there were no more humans.
“They’re gone. You wiped them out,” Savvas whispered.
Tight lines stood out around his mouth and his eyes were dark in his pale face. He looked back at Ashir, his profile etched with pain. I’d used my magic. It had incinerated the humans and I hadn’t even known, but that meant nothing. Not when another of my mates was dying in front of me.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ashir’s eyes remained closed. He could be asleep. I wished he was asleep, but his skin was gray and droplets of blood scattered over his face. If I could tear out my heart and give it to him so he would live, I would. I’d killed Titan’s army, but there was nothing I could do to steal back time and save him from these wounds.
They were too extensive. Each breath he took was labored. I watched his chest rising, hoping, praying that he’d take another. That he’d wake up and give me one of his heated smirks and kiss me the way I’d been too scared to be kissed.
What the hells had I been thinking? If I’d known there was a time limit on kissing him, I wouldn’t have wasted my time holding back. There was nothing to hold myself backfrom.
My panther whined, rising to peer through my eyes. Her pain was mine. We hurt together.
“Heal him, Haera.” I looked up to see the group of elves part to let Shanyirra through. Her fine white hair trailed behind her and she clutched her cane in her gnarled fingers. “Use your magic and save your mate, child,” Shanyirra said.
I reached down into the sea of green that was my magic. Dipping into the power sprinkled tingles through my body. I’d used the grimoire to heal Savvas, but I couldn’t feel it now. The green magic surging through me was all mine. “How do I use it? How can I save him?”
“Emotions unlock our magic. Intent tells it what you want it to do. Use your bond, child. Connect with your feelings for your mate and direct the magic to heal him. You’re strong enough to do so,” Shanyirra said.
I had to open myself to the bond. To the soul-lights they’d withdrawn so they could show me they desired me without them. I leaned across Ashir, my palm cupping his cheek as I rested my forehead against his. I sought the crack in the bond-barrier and peered into the lightness beyond. There, glimmering beyond the scar, was a pinpoint of orange. A bare whisper. Muddied and fading quickly. Savvas’ and Dias’ yellow and red soul-lights swirled around his, as though they could protect him from fading away completely. But it wasn’t enough. Ashir’s orange soul-light flickered weakly and dissipated like smoke.
Beneath my palm his chest stilled and my silent scream shook the foundation of the barrier. I couldn’t let him go. I wouldn’t let him. He’d given me so much. Patience. Strength. Love. I wouldn’t have been able to name those days ago, but now I could. My panther yowled, her pain mirroring mine. We both wanted it all. One mate was already too much to bear. There would not be a second.
I squeezed my soul-light through the scar, shooting it into the space on the other side, seeking the faint threads of orange. I reached for them, careful not to disturb the fine wisps. Ashir held on, but only barely.
Our light intertwined. Love pulsed with forgiveness. Real and raw and fuck hewas forgiving me if I didn’t want to bond to save him.
