Page 139 of Fangs
“Yeah,”I carefully tried to keep Clarity from my head. I didn’t want to open that can of worms right now.“We can talk about it later.”
“I should warn you, Lana is… not happy about this.”
My anxiety surged at the serious look in his eyes.“Is she… aware of what’s happening?”
“Enough to know you’re involved.”
I winced.
“She’s…”he trailed off, his mouth pressing into a hard line.“I just want to remind you that you don’t have to do this.”
“What symptoms does she have?”I needed to think like a healer. It was easier to ignore my own emotions that way.
“Started with a fever and vomiting, I guess. Now she’s real weak, can’t keep anything down, and the fever comes and goes.”He paused.“It reminds me of the sickness, which is why I didn’t want to bring her into the hold like this.”
“Is anyone else feelin’ sick?”I asked, dread creeping over me as I remembered how quickly the sickness had swept through the hold.
“No, and we’ve been tryin’ to be careful, but you should probably check everybody before we go back.”He gestured up ahead, and I saw part of the other rover between the trees.“You ready?”
I nodded. The worry lines on his face deepened, but he didn’t say anything. We pulled up beside the second rover to see Raven and Griz sitting in the front. Griz’s face broke into a smile, his white teeth flashing against his dark brown skin as he ran a hand over his close-cropped black hair. Raven didn’t smile, but the tension in her face eased. She flicked her long black hair behind her shoulder. The bare side of her head looked freshly shaved.
“Hey, Em,” Griz called.
“Took your sweet time, Mac,” Raven grumbled, but her eyes scanned me carefully like she needed to ensure I was alright.
I hopped out, and Griz enveloped me in a warm hug. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you about the radio.”
“It’s okay,” I assured him.
“You sure about healing Lana?” he added quietly in my ear.
Didanyonethink this was a good idea besides me? “Yeah,” I said, hoping I sounded like I believed it.
Raven had also climbed out of the rover, but she crossed her arms and glared at me. “You’ve made a lot of stupid decisions, Boney, but this one might take the cake.”
Guess that answered that question.
“Good to see you, too, Raven. I’m great, thanks for askin’,” I surprised myself by saying.
Her eyebrows rose, but her mouth twitched.
“Well, you ready?” Griz asked.
I nodded and followed him to the backseat of the second rover. They had converted the seat into a makeshift bed, and Lana lay in a pathetic ball on a pile of blankets.
She was asleep, but her face was sunken and pale and shiny with sweat. Her lips moved, muttering something too faint to make out. She hadn’t been as muscular as Raven before, but she’d looked strong and healthy. Now, I could see her bones protruding, and my stomach dropped. Part of me had wondered if she was faking, but there was no faking this level of illness.
I took a deep breath and climbed into the backseat, kneeling beside her and gently peeling the blanket back. She shivered violently, and I maneuvered her arm out and covered her back up, trying to focus. I wrapped my hands around her arm and let my healing power flow.
I immediately knew it was the same thing as the sickness from before. My powers collided with the darkness oozing through Lana’s body, and it immediately fought back. I gritted my teeth. It was strong, and I couldn’t tell if it was worse than all the previous versions or if I’d forgotten how it felt. If this damn sickness was going to keep coming back, it needed a name. My mind idly ran through possibilities, trying to distract myself from thinking about who I was healing and the strain on my powers.
“I like that one,”Mac suddenly said.
I blinked and looked up at him. He was standing outside the rover with Raven and Griz, watching.
“Which one?”
“Shadowbane Fever.”
