Page 34 of Empire of Dark

The blood had already stopped flowing out of the stump of Jacob’s arm.

Dammit. Jacob was the second-best guard I had on staff. The man wasn’t even crying right now about his limb being severed. And he was due to take over security when Albert was to retire.

But one-armed? I looked at Jacob’s face. Pain, lots of it there, but the man was a machine, holding it all in.

Maybe I could get him a hook. Menacing if nothing else.

Sudden movement behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder.

Ada was stumbling to her feet. Stumbling away. Fast.

I stood, looking to the guard that was running into the area with his sword drawn and I pointed to Jacob. “Look after him. Get him into the castle.”

The man nodded and I took off after Ada.

She was fast—too damn fast, but I cut past the outer edge of the labyrinth and caught her before she made it to the castle door.

Triaten had said speed was one of her powers, but this was garden-variety fast. Not terribly impressive.

I reached out, grabbing her flailing arm, and yanked her to a stop just as she reached for the door.

She spun toward me, stumbling. Unsteady even after three steps to right her balance. The entire top half of her body swaying in wide circles she tried to steady.

“Damen—no—no.” Her words stammered as her free hand moved out to swat away my hold on her arm, but she fumbled, missing my hand completely.

I dropped her arm, studying her face. Her green eyes refused to focus on me—couldn’t even find me.

Fuck. Had Jacob gotten a blow in while I was coming down?

She twisted from me, trying to make a break toward the door, but her right foot moved while her left foot stayed in place and she stumbled again.

“Shit, Ada.” I rounded her, grabbing her by both shoulders to keep her upright, my look frantic on her body, looking for blood. “What’s wrong with you? Did he strike you?”

“No…I…” Her voice trailed and her right hand lifted to her forehead, her fingers dragging across her brow as she winced. “Just let me pass, please. I need to go.”

“No, you’re in pain. I can see it radiating off of you. Where is it?”

Her mouth clamped closed and she bowed her head. Stubborn woman. She hated me that much then.

My fingers dug into her shoulders. “Tell me where the damn pain is, Ada.”

Still not looking up to me, she shook her head.

But her fingers were her tell and they swept again across the right side of her forehead.

Knocking her hand out of the way, I set my thumb directly in the center of her forehead and wiped it across her brow out to her temple.

The pain there—I could feel it. So much of it. Whirling and angry and vicious.

My head snapped back in surprise. There was no wound on her head, no bump. Just the pain.

I moved my thumb to the center of her forehead again and swiped her skin once more, wiping the pain away. My fingers dug into the strands of her hair that she had pulled back into a ponytail, my thumb hovering over her hairline, ready to take another swipe at it if necessary. I could feel the energy of it dissipating under my fingers.

Her lips parted in a quick intake of breath and she blinked.

Stunned.

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