“To the spring,” Elias answered.
***
I had never been inside the underground spring, though I had heard stories about it from both Elias and Emma. It was beautiful. Light from nowhere streamed down onto a ground covered in soft, vibrant moss. The water glittered blue and silver, as if under moonlight. The stone walls were smooth and damp to the touch, and a soft, trickling sound of flowing water filled the room. The water itself was clear, and looking in, you could see a myriad of colors down below, and the craggy bottom fartherbelow, deeper than I would have anticipated. A small stream flowed from the spring and through a small hole in the wall. At some point, it would twist and turn until it spilled out into the waterfall that fed into the oasis on the side of town.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, despite everything, despite all my fear and concern.
“It really is,” Elias agreed.
He placed Sam in the water, just enough so that the water washed over his wound, wiping away the final smears of blood, the pink in the water vanishing into nothing as if by magic. His eyes stayed closed as he breathed in and out.
“Is he going to be all right?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
“We’ve done everything we can to give him the best chance,” Elias said. “I’m not sure what will happen. But if anything can heal him, it will be this spring.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, unable to take my eyes away from Sam as my heart continued to thunder and my stomach twisted and churned with dread and worry.
“It healed me,” Elias said.
I didn’t answer, unable to tear my gaze away from Sam.
“You care about him, don’t you?” Elias said. “More than just as my friend or a forced mate?”
I nodded, unable to hide it any longer. I wasn’t going to shy away from it anymore. “For a long time now,” I admitted.
“I wondered,” Elias said. “But I wasn’t sure.”
“Are you mad?” I asked, my voice tight.
“Shocked more than mad,” he said. “Once I got over the shock, at least. I once told Sam that I was glad that if you had tohave a forced mate, I was glad it was him. I guess the same logic applies to you falling for a guy. I’m glad it’s him.”
Relief and gratitude washed over me, a huge weight that had been weighing me down for weeks finally lifting as I took a deep breath.
“Thanks,” I said. “And sorry for not telling you.”
I kept staring at Sam, praying he would open his eyes. That’s all I wanted. After a long moment, Elias’s hand rested on my shoulder.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get some rest.”
“I’m going to stay here,” I said. I couldn’t leave him alone.
Elias’s brow creased as he frowned, turning to look at me. “There isn’t anything you can do right now,” Elias said, keeping his voice calm and soothing. “If you need to get some rest—"
“Then I’ll sleep on this moss,” I snapped. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until he wakes up.”
He didn’t answer for a long moment, instead studying me speculatively, as if seeing me for the first time.
“Do you want some company?” Elias asked.
I shook my head. “You go be with Emma,” I said. “She needs you. So does Grace.”
Elias hesitated, licking his lips as he turned to look back over his shoulder toward the tunnel exit. Sand still speckled his hair, and the cut along his temple still trickled blood. I could understand his reluctance, having to choose between his sister and beta, and his mate. In the end, though, it was a no-brainer. He took a deep breath and turned to look back at me.
“I’ll be back in a few hours,” he said. “Oz and Drake are going to be just outside the tunnels until I get back. Call on them if you need anything. Do you understand?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
He gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze, then walked to the tunnel entrance. Without looking back, I moved toward the edge of the spring, dipping my fingers just below the surface. The water cooled my fingers, soothing the heat still pulsing through my hand. I looked down at Sam, still breathing those unsettlingly shallow breaths.
