“What did you do?” I ask Seraphina.
She shrugs. “My blood heals wounds and sickness. I didn’t do anything to you apart from that. Whatever those markings are, you’ve always had them. They were just locked away or hidden. I do feel an increase in your magic, though.” She tilts her head, assessing me with those eerie dragon eyes. “You are a very powerful witch.”
“No shit,” Kai snorts, running a hand over his head.
I look over at him and falter—he looks tired.
“Are you okay?” I ask, scanning him from head to toe.
“Yeah, I’m just done with this place.”
My heart feels heavy, sinking in my chest. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t be here. Kai’s quiet groan breaks the silence, instantly capturing my attention. In the next second, I’m standing directly in front of him.
“Is it the wounds on your back?”
“I’m fine,” he replies, his voice tinged with a hint of exhaustion. “Just do your thing so we can get home. Because I don’t plan on letting you leave my bed ever again,” he whispers with a mischievous smile.
“Seriously?” I mutter, exasperated. “Turn around and show me.”
Kai releases his grip on me, his movements strained as he turns and slowly lifts his shirt. My heart thumps painfully as I catch a glimpse of his battered and bloodied back. The sight sends shivers down my spine, and I tentatively reach out, gripping the fabric of his shirt with my trembling fingers. Anger wells up inside me, mingling with the hot tears that blur my vision.
How could I not have noticed my mate’s pain?
He isn’t healing at all anymore.
“Hey, baby, I’m fine. Calm down before you put us in the dark again.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat and realize shadows have begun to swirl aggressively around us, taking up the small entrance of the cave. I suck in a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and release his shirt.
“I can heal him,” Seraphina says from behind me.
“Yes . . . yes, you can heal him,” I whisper, trying to pull myself together.
I’m unsure if it’s panic or shock, but the sight of Kai in this state unsettles me. I tightly grip Kai’s arm, guiding him over to Seraphina.
Chapter thirty-five
Kai
“To be, or not to be.” -Hamlet
Ilet Ash firmly grasp my arm and tug me over to Seraphina, despite the pain pulsating through my body with every step. While I long for a quick recovery, the thought of getting close to that woman unnerves me. Her reptilian eyes are incredibly unsettling, as if they’re permanently fixed in her dragon-like state. It’s incredibly freaky—as if she has merged her very being with the creature.
Ash is the only other being I know who possesses the ability to half shift. Shifting is typically an all-or-nothing transformation.
As Ash brandishes her dagger, a metallic glint catches my eye. The scent of blood fills the air, mingling with the faint smell of my own fresh cut on my palm.
“Hold on, not so fast, turbo,” I murmur, gently pinching her side.
“I can’t handle seeing you like this . . .” Ash complains, her form becoming more shadow-like as she stands there, waiting.
I eye the gold bands that have formed over her body. They’re fading gradually, as if soaking into her skin.
Seraphina slices her palm, and I watch, transfixed, as blood wells up, rich and red. The previous cut has already sealed itself, leaving only a faint trace behind. Her healing is almost instantaneous.
She extends her hand toward me, the fresh blood still glistening on her skin. I hesitate, my instincts screaming at me to hold back.
I don’t like blood magic. There’s something about it, something primal and unsettling that has always made my skin crawl.
