“Wow, easy tiger. Now’s not the time for sexual advances,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. “But if you want to continue this after we get back, I won’t complain.”
“You’re an incorrigible flirt,” she growled, her focus entirely on my injury as she patted down my sternum with two fingers, searching for the source of the pain.
“Emma,” I said hoarsely, trying to catch her gaze, “you can’t fix me. I need to get to a Healer.”
“Shut up for a second, will you?” she snapped, her tone leaving no room for argument.
She continued prodding along my ribcage with determined fingers until she found what she was looking for, her hand stilling, as realization caught up with her.
My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she began to translate some kind of golden energy into the entry wound. I watched in disbelief as she closed her lids, focusing intensely. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. What she was doing was impossible, yet there was no mistaking it—I could feel it instantly. She was fuckinghealingme.
In less than thirty seconds, it was over. The pain was gone, replaced by a surge of vitality that made me feel better than ever before. I jumped to my feet, my breathing ragged, staring at her wide with shock.
“How?” I breathed, reeling from what had just happened.
Emma stood slowly; her eyes locked on mine. “I don’t know,” she admitted softly. “I found out a few weeks ago I can heal myself. I hadn’t tried it on anyone else yet, but I’ve been reading about it, so I thought…”
“So you thought, let’s give it a try on Caden—no harm, no foul if that asshole dies from it?” I asked dryly, though the awe in my voice was unmistakable.
A smile broke out on her face, and it was mesmerizing. “Exactly,” she replied, keeping her tone light, with a playful glint in her expression.
“You’re a natural Healer? Without any training? How is that even possible? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Emma shrugged, seemingly indifferent but there was a flicker of uncertainty and frustration in her bearing. “I don’t know… I tried to find out as much as I could about my translation, but Jam…” She cleared her throat. “But not everyone was helpful and figuring it out on my own has been difficult.”
“What did your Council have to say about it?” I pressed, curiosity mingling with concern.
“I didn’t tell them.” Her breathing hitched, and then she turned slightly, lowering her head before she whispered, barely audible, “Please… Please don’t tell anyone.” The vulnerability in her tone hit me like a punch to the gut.
I straightened my back, surprised by her request. “Why not? This is incredible, Emma! You should be celebrating this, not hiding it!” My voice was filled with admiration, but she only flinched at my words.
“I…” She bit her lip, her hands starting to fidget nervously. There was a sudden fear in her eyes I hadn’t seen before. “I’m not ready to share.”
Without thinking, I grabbed her hand, pulling it to my chest, right over the spot where she had healed me. Her fingers trembled slightly under my touch as I covered them with both of my hands, grounding her in the moment.
“Emma Thompson,” I said, tightening my grip just slightly, “you saved my fucking life. Do you understand that? You saved me when I’ve only given you reasons not to.” My pulse raced as I held her hand, willing her to see how much this mattered. “Thank you. And I promise to you, no one will hear about this from me. Your secret is safe, until you’re ready to share.”
She tilted her chin toward me, hesitant, but I could feel the shift in her posture.
I meant every word. I’d protect her and her secret with my life, like she had protected mine.
A moment passed between us, a quiet intensity in the air. The corner of her mouth twitched, some unspoken thought rising and fading too fast to read.
We stood like that for a heartbeat longer, her hand still in my own, pressed against my heart. I swallowed as I tried to make sense of the emotions stirring within me, unfamiliar and unsettling.
Then, as if on cue, we let go at the same time.
“You’ve got some impressive fighting moves as well,” I said, trying to keep the tone light, hoping to ease the tension still lingering in the air.
Emma’s smile turned smug, unmistakable pride radiating off her.
I couldn’t help but smile back, feeling myself relax a little. “James must have taught you well.”
The moment those words left my mouth, her smile vanished—like I’d ripped it from her face. Her jaw clenched, and the sudden shift in her demeanor made my stomach drop.Damn it. Wrong thing to say.I shouldn’t have brought him up, not when it clearly still hurt her this much.
I cleared my throat, regret tugging at me as I softened my tone. “Have you heard from him?”
She swallowed hard, and without saying a word, shook her head once. The sadness etched in her features was unmistakable, and it punched straight through me with a force I wasn’t prepared for. I wanted to fucking strangle the guy for making her feel like that.
