Page 76 of Tide Touched

‘Rescuing you, dumbass.’ I peer at her face. There are some light bruises, but nothing too bad. I take her hand and face Ella. ‘Where’s Carter?’

Her eyes widen. ‘I—I thought we were leaving.’

‘Not without him.’

To my surprise, Moira nods. ‘I agree. He saved my ass. A lot.’

Ella nods. ‘There are a few places we can check.’

Five rooms later, Ella is becoming very nervous. ‘If the alpha finds me leaving, he’ll execute me.’

‘I promise we won’t let that happen.’ I touch her arm. ‘Come on, where else could Carter be? With Courtney?’

Moira snorts. ‘No. He refuses to be with her.’

I blink. ‘Why?’

Ella flaps her hands at us. ‘Can we do this later? He could be in here. This was his room when he was a boy.’ She turns the key in the lock. Before we know what’s happening, a porcelain jug comes flying at us.

We all scream and duck.

Carter is sitting on the floor. His skin is painted in all different hues of reds and pinks, the pale flesh hardly visible. One of his eyes is swollen nearly shut. His hands shake at his sides.

I push into the room and slide to my knees. ‘Carter—’ I reach for him, but it’s his turn to flinch. He scrambles back. ‘Hey, it’s me, Katie.’

Carter swears under his breath, trying to shove me away.

I reach out and take his hand. ‘Carter. Look at me. Come with us. You don’t have to stay here.’

Moira slowly comes into the room. ‘You protected me, Carter. Now let us protect you.’

His eyes—eye—travels over us. ‘Can’t,’ he breathes. He nods to his leg, which appears to be broken.

Ella comes into the room and quietly shuts the door. ‘I can set it so it heals.’

Carter squeezes his eyes shut, but nods. Moira and I each hold one of his hands. Ella takes his leg and a crack sounds—Carter squeezes—then exhales.

Moira and I help him up. ‘Come on.’

‘Why are you doing this?’ Carter breathes in my ear. ‘You got away.’

I rub circles on Carter’s back. ‘You deserve to run, too.’

Chapter Thirty-Six

Katie

There are a lot of things I’m not great at, including using the fire I was born with, but I’m starting to think escaping from stuff could make up for it. I lost the blade Elijah gave me, so I’ll have to make do without a weapon. I lead us out of the Water estate by Carter’s quiet instructions. Poor guy is about to pass out. Now isn’t the time to kick Julian’s ass for doing this to him, but he is on my list. I won’t forget this.

Moira and Ella follow close behind, sticking to the shadows as we find a side door. A few seconds later, the two guards on the door are out cold. Ella smiles. ‘I’ve always wanted to do that.’

I laugh quietly. ‘I knew I liked you.’

The estate is on a slight hill, but this way follows a dip in the earth I never noticed before, leading to the forest where we’ll meet Killian and Elijah, and be covered by the trees.

Moira keeps glancing over her shoulder for the expected onslaught of guards ready to run us down. But they don’t come.

‘Why is no one following us?’ Moira whispers.

---