Page 112 of Destined for Dreams
It was then that he finally scanned their surroundings. His father, Remiel, Caius, Lucas, Melena and others stood watching them—most with amused expressions. Even the human troops and authorities were starting to come out of their nearby shelters. Cori had never been more horrified and embarrassed by such a huge audience, but she wouldn’t take back what she’d done. If she’d had to strip down naked in front of a thousand people and dance seductively to help her mate get his sanity back, she would have totally done it.
“How did…” Bartol grimaced. “What happened?”
“You lost control, but it’s okay because your father and friends kept you from hurting anyone until I could get here,” she explained.
Alarm entered his gaze, and he looked her up and down. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” She smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Is the demon dead?” he asked.
She pointed at a body twenty feet away that she’d noted when she’d first walked onto the scene. It fit the description, cane next to it and all. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s not rising again.”
Bartol pulled Cori into a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“I’m glad you won,” she said, smiling up at him. “It would have sucked if you’d let that guy rule the world with his love of bugs and fire.”
He reluctantly pulled back from her. “The battle was close. Speaking of which…where is Tormod?” She followed Bartol’s alarmed gaze as he searched the area. “He was here before, but I don’t see him now.”
“I don’t know…” Cori began, both relieved to hear they’d found the nerou and worried that he was missing again.
Lucas moved toward them. “Yerik and Micah have already taken Tormod back to the house.”
“Is he alright?” Bartol asked.
“I don’t know,” Lucas replied, shaking his head. “Melena had to give him some of her blood to help dispel the demon’s influence, but we’re not certain how much it helped.”
Cori caught the sensor heading off to deal with the authorities, who were beginning to organize cleanup now that the danger was over. There were a lot of bodies littering the area as well as several wounded calling out for help now that the danger was over. She had no idea how many people came from each side and prayed most weren’t from theirs.
“What about Kerbasi?” Cori asked, noting the guardian’s absence. She’d spotted everyone else she knew.
Caius joined them and pointed toward the side of the warehouse. “He’s over there.”
Cori squinted in that direction, sifting past countless dead insects, scorched areas on the ground, and a few unfamiliar bodies before she found the guardian’s. He lay there, still and lifeless.
“Oh, my God, has anyone checked on him?” she asked, giving them all reproving looks.
Lucas shrugged. “We were going to get around to it sooner or later.”
As much as she hated the guardian, he had come as a volunteer to fight and risk his life for their side. That counted for something in her book. She raced over and knelt next to him.
“He’s not dead if that’s what you’re worried about,” Bartol said, coming close behind her.
She scanned Kerbasi’s body. “How do you know?”
“He’s breathing.”
Cori focused on the guardian’s chest, ravaged by a terrible burn wound that left a deep crater across most of it. The rise and fall of his breaths were barely perceptible, but Bartol was right. Kerbasi wasn’t dead.
“He’s in bad shape,” she said, touching the guardian’s forehead softly.
Bartol kneeled next to her and pulled her hand away. “He’ll survive.”
“What happened to him?” Cori asked.
“He took a couple of lightning strikes from Haagenti while protecting Patrick.”
She gave her mate an incredulous look. “He fought the demon one on one?”
