Page 202 of Fangs
“It’s okay, Clare,” Mac said in his soft voice. “We’re all okay.”
“I saw something right before you got back,” she said, her voice trembling. “I don’t remember all of it, but…”
“Is Em okay?” Raven cut in as Clarity’s voice trailed off.
“Okay enough to eavesdrop, apparently,” Mac answered.
I huffed, prying my eyes open. “Not my fault you’re all bein’ so damn loud.”
Mac chuckled, but Clarity’s eyes were swimming with fear.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m just tired,” I tried to sound reassuring.
She moved through the crew to sit beside me. “Do you remember what I said?”
“Um, you said ‘beware the shadows,’?” I tried to remember what else she’d said, but I’d been so focused on the rovers.
Clarity worried her lip between her teeth.
“What’s wrong, Clarebear?” Mac asked.
“I don’t know. I just… I just keep feelin’ this sense of… of doom,” she admitted.
“Isn’t that kinda normal now?” Raven asked, and I’d never heard her speak so gently before.
Clarity frowned, and she looked so miserable that my heart ached. “Yeah, but this is worse than normal.”
The door opened again, and Jax popped inside. “Mac, Nemo wants a debrief.”
Mac sighed but removed his arm from around my shoulders and stood. Sam immediately took his place, and I turned to examine him more closely. Sam rolled his eyes and held out his wrist.
“Okay, fine, check me over.”
I smacked him in the shoulder. “Don’t pretend you didn’t just almost die, you dumbass.”
“For the record, I was not expecting chemical warfare.”
“Black fog came out of his body?” I asked as I took his pulse.
“Out of his mouth and nose and ears and eyes,” Griz answered. “Sam and your brother’s crew all dropped immediately. Except for Lee.”
“What’d the Voiceless do then?” I asked, my heart pounding.
“They left,” Mac answered from where he lingered by the door.
I met his gaze, my anxiety spiking at his grim expression.
“I’ll be back soon,” he added before slipping out the door.
I turned my attention back to Sam. His vitals and appearance were about the same as before he’d left. He was still skinny and gaunt, nowhere near his regular, healthy self, but he didn’t look like he was seconds from death anymore. I frowned. It was like I’d healed the weaponized Shadowbane, butonlythat. I hadn’t healed any of the damage I had done to him when I healed myself through his body.
“Can I try something?” I asked him.
He narrowed his eyes, brow furrowing, but nodded, so I wrapped my hands around his forearm and let my healing power flow into him. Immediately my powers slammed into the wall, the pain making me suck in a breath through my teeth.
“Shortcake?”
