Page 165 of The Book Reader
“You can’t kill her, only one can.”
I go to reach for the head of this woman, the Blood Bringer. Still, my vision shifts, and I am now standing in another street, by a huge fountain made of white and green stone. A young woman comes running down the road; her red hair and amber eyes lock with mine, and she smiles at me. “I wondered when you would get here,” she says to me, making me frown
“You can see me?” I ask, confused.
She laughs lightly and shakes her head a little. “I can’t see you completely, just feel you,” she says, moving to stand in the middle of the road and then turning to face where she came from. “You are not going to like this. I’m sorry,” she says, then fists her hands. A gold glow covers them. I look where she came from, and the color drains from my face, and I step back, shaking my head in shock.
“No, it can’t be?” my voice stunned,
I stumble back in disbelief. A blonde woman comes walking toward us, her lips and chin are covered in blood, as well as her hands. Next to her are both Tate and Macy.
Lucy grins. “You can’t run from us, Book Reader,” she says, her voice the same as it was yesterday.
My sweet, beautiful friend isn’t who I thought she was. The past me turns her head to me; her eyes filled with sorrow. “I die today, I don’t have enough power to stop her, but you do now.” She smiles and then turns to run further down the street. I turn my head, and tears start rolling down my face. How did I not see it was her? How did I not know?
Lucy laughs, then takes off running past me. I turn and am thrust out of my vision.
Gasping, I sit up, my chest heaving as I try to breathe through the pain that is breaking my heart. Panic in my eyes. “It’s Lucy”
“What is?” he asks, frowning as he helps me stand. I go to open my mouth, but pain hits my heart so strongly that my legs buckle and I cry out, the feather on my hand starts to burn hot like I’ve just stuck it into a fire.
I lift it, look at the friendship bonding mark I have, the one from the spell I cast on Mekhi, and gasp.
“The Blood Bringer, it’s Lucy,” I said, the pain and shock in my voice making Gaelan’s frown deepen in disbelief.
“It can’t be her,” he says now, just as shocked as I am.
The mark starts to burn hotter, my eyes frantic as my gaze lifts to his.
“Something is wrong, Gaelan.” My chest heaves with each breath I take.
“Mekhi,” is all I have to say. Gaelan grabs my hand and shimmers us to our home topside.
We appearin the living room of my house, my eyes sting with tears as I look over the state of the room. My furniture has been thrown all over the room, the windows are blown out, and there is blood smeared all over the wall, floor, and ceiling. I can smell Sulphur thick in the air that I almost gag from it.
Not thinking anymore about the state of my living room, I turn and rush into the kitchen, looking for Mekhi and Lucy. Gaelan follows me, his daggers drawn, ready to fight off whatever has been here. The problem with that is... It’s Lucy. She has been here.
“My Rose, I will check upstairs, be careful please,” he kisses my cheek, then shimmers from my side. Knowing I need to find Mekhi. I place my hand over our bonding mark and close my eyes. “Quaerite et sic finitum inveniatur, fiat.”
Seek and so the bonded be found, so mote it be.
I whisper, and my body shimmers as I move from the kitchen into the den at the back of the house. The room has been destroyed; plants are thrown across the room, pots are smashed, and dirt is everywhere. The windows are broken. “Argggg…”
I hear a moan and rush toward the sound. A cry leaves my lips when I see Mekhi on the floor, his face and arms cut deep; there is a puddle of blood surrounding him. “Mekhi?” I shout as I move to my knees next to him and pull his head onto my lap. His eyes flutter open, and he gives me a small smile, then coughs up a mouthful of blood.
“Hitch? Tell me my hair still looks good.” his voice is weak; I must lean closer to hear him; a sob escapes my lips at his attempt at being funny.
“Your hair always looks fabulous. Hold on, I’m going to heal you, okay?” My heart is beating erratically, ready to burst from my chest in panic; there is so much blood. “Gaelan!Gaelan!” I yell in terror.
Gaelan shimmers in and immediately goes to his knees next to me. “Shit, Ari, what do you need?” worry think in his voice.
“Water and some cloth, or something, I need to clean his skin so I can see the wound, so I can heal it.” My words come out rushed, Mekhi groans again, he winces, and his eyes clamp shut in what looks like excruciating pain. I lower and kiss his forehead.
“I told you she would be a bad idea, Hitch,” he whispers, making me cry. “Bitch went crazy on my ass,” he wheezes out and coughs up more blood.
“I know, you were right, always right.” I choke on my words.
I lift my head as Gaelan comes back into the room and places the bowl down next to me. He kneels down before carefully taking Mekhi's head and resting it on his lap. I pick up the bowl and hold my hand over it. My magic connects with the water, making me feel as one with it. The water comes up out of the bowl, heats up, and then moves to run over Mekhi’s body, searching for the wound to heal.
