He kissed the side of Charlie’s head. “I know.”
“Come, everyone!” Raven gestured to the others. “You have to see. You have to hear this.”
Colin and Leena hugged each other beside her. Rowan beamed next to them, adjusting her dress and her hair as she smiled at the crowd. Sylas, Alexander, Nathaniel, and Tobias stepped to the edge on the other side of Gabriel; Clarissa joined them, tucking herself into Nathaniel’s side.
“Where’s Xavier and Avery?” Raven asked.
“Avery?” Xavier’s growl rumbled behind them. “Whit’s happening to ya?”
When Raven looked back, Xavier’s face was bloodless, and Avery was draped across his arms, unconscious.
“She just collapsed!” He squeezed her jaw. “Come on,mo ghaol, open yer eyes!”
Raven let go of Gabriel and rushed to her sister’s side, where the others had gathered. Xavier pulled her hair back to reveal a bloody gash in the side of her head.
“When did that happen?” Raven tried to think back but the night was a blur.
At her side, Tobias swallowed hard and addressed Xavier. “May I examine her? She’s human. I’m a human doctor.”
Xavier nodded. Tobias helped him lower her to the ground and began assessing her. When he lifted her tunic to press on her abdomen, he made a low grunt. Her left side was purple and swollen down the back of her hip. Tobias’s fingers felt along her bones, evaluating the damage. He dropped his ear to her chest.
Raven was impressed at Xavier’s restraint. As a mated dragon, his instincts must be tempting him to take off Tobias’s head at the moment.
“Her heart is failing,” Tobias said softly, his voice cracking. “Her hip is most certainly broken, and she’s likely been bleeding internally.”
“How? Why?” Raven blurted.
Clarissa spoke up. “The resurrection spell. We were all thrown against the walls of the cradle. You and I healed but—”
Raven made a sound like a gag. “She can’t take Xavier’s tooth.”
“Wh-why didna she say anythin’?” Xavier asked, in obvious torment.
“She always puts others first. It’s who she is,” Raven muttered. Goddess, Avery. She should have known this could happen to her sweet sister. How could she be so stupid?
“Maiara and Nick stayed at the palace in Rogos,” Rowan said, “to help heal injured soldiers in the infirmary there. Alexander or I can retrieve her and her healing amulet.”
Alexander ran his fingers through his wild dark hair. “I can be there and back in less than an hour.”
Gathering her strength, Raven shook her head. “Don’t bother. I’ve got this.”
Xavier’s pleading eyes met hers. “You can heal her?”
“Yes, I can. The same way I healed Leena.” Raven mumbled the incantation. Her palms glowed purple. But as she lowered them toward Avery, a soft breath passed over her sister’s lips. Her hands connected but the magic fizzled.
Avery didn’t breathe again.
Chapter Thirty
Franticly, Raven pressed her glowing hands to Avery’s chest again and again. It was like touching stone. Like her magic had nowhere to go. She jerked her hands back.
“No…” Ice filled her veins. “Tobias, do something!”
Tobias placed his hands over Avery’s heart and started CPR.
“Whit are ye doin’ to her?” This time there was a warning in Xavier’s voice. Even Raven could hear that he’d been pushed to the brink.
“Trying to save her life.” Tobias tipped back her head but hesitated. “Xavier, you need to blow two breaths into your mate. Human breaths.”
