Page 129 of Of Serpents and Ruins
My gaze snapped to his.
The panicked look in his eye. The terror. It all vanished, swallowed up by madness and hate.
Please, Brandt, fight!
"Quickly!" Elias shouted. "Come help! He's trying to kill her again!"
Brandt’s grip tightened on me. He plunged me beneath the steaming waters, fingers digging into my throat. Burning. Dark.
My blood pounded, my bones groaned, and my throat screamed. I was helpless, my own hands weak. My thighs and hips grated against the stone. The surface was mere inches away, but I was pinned down, blurred, distorted, paralyzed.
Bubbles streamed upward as hot water filled my mouth.
Time ended. It was only this moment. My last breath suffocated within me, an endless scream locked inside.
The curse wore Brandt and pulled his strings at the Gola Resh’s command.
Something massive plunged into the water behind us. Strong arms ripped me out. Brandt came with me, one hand locked around my throat, the other arm tight around my waist. His thumb crushed my windpipe.
A loud crack was followed by an agonized snarl of rage and pain.
Tears and water streamed down my face, blinding me. I gagged and choked, but I was still reaching for Brandt.
Lorna stood in the center of the pool, arms latched tight around him. His arm was broken but already starting to heal. His black-and-red ring rolled across the earth as if she'd ripped it off and tossed it away.
The massive arms that clutched me tight pulled me back. Arjax. His hand wrapped over my left one and guided me to clench my fingers and squeeze the ring. "Deep breaths. Pulse against the ring. Easy, girl. Easy."
My hand trembling, I squeezed the ring. A pulse of energy seared through me. My airways cleared and opened, and the bruises vanished.
Elias shooed the crew away, calling for my privacy. Kine returned with a large blanket. As soon as Arjax set me down, Kine flung it over my shoulders and hugged me close, turning me away from Brandt.
Brandt continued to rage. Lorna held him tight, his head well above the water though he remained immobilized. The waters frothed and surged around them as he kicked and bellowed.
Despite the healing, I kept gasping for breath. My lungs filled with the cold air, and I clutched the blanket close. Curse the Gola Resh. Curse her!
The image of Brandt's panicked eyes was burned into my mind. He had fought so hard against the curse for me, and I had been powerless to help him. Hadn’t even been able to control myself enough to get away.
Kine tried to tug me toward the path that led back down to camp, but I refused. Water dripped down my body and pooled on the ground.
Shivering, I shook my head. "No." I wanted to go to him.
Arjax blocked my path, hands set on his waist as he towered over me. "We’ll help him."
Lorna leaned back against the stones in as she gripped Brandt. Her muscles strained, and her face was turned down with her chin tucked to protect her neck. "Not any kind of shifter disease," she called out. "This is something else." Lorna staggered back in the pool. She grunted, banding her arm tighter around Brandt. "He’s going to wear out soon. Just go rest, Stella. We'll get him to sleep here, and it'll pass."
"How did he even get here?" Kine demanded, bewildered. He stood between Brandt and me, his manner almost helpless.
My muscles trembled. I didn’t want to leave. "What are you going to do with him?"
Were they going to kuvaste him like Hord and Candy had done?
Brandt's bellows intensified as his frustration grew.
Lorna grimaced. "Quiet now," she said, adjusting her grip on him. He raged even harder.
Arjax scowled. "Do you need help, cousin?"
"No."
