No, he can’t. Titus tries to force his blood into Selene's mouth, desperately hoping it will heal some part of her. Selene’s wounds are too catastrophic.
I look at Hector’s small patch of skin that Sable rotted. It’s green and raw, infected, and in need of a mage elixir to heal it before its roots start to spread deeper into his healthy skin. We can’t heal ourselves as fast as vampires can; our inner healing islike a band-aid, good for small cuts and wounds, but it uses all our magic.
“What do we do?” I’m too scared to move, to interrupt Titus and Selene. I look at Hector as he cries; it’s like watching Sable perish again. “Brother,” I touch his arm.
He grabs my cuffs, melting the edges of them so I can slip my hands free.
Suddenly, light pulses in the room. Magic leaves Selene’s body, and a piece of it slams into Titus. Another flare flies to the Vitalis, snapping it open. The pages flip wildly as the wind stirs.
Hector’s body jerks, and he yelps as he rolls onto his back. “Hector!” I grab him, careful not to touch his burns.
What in the world… His tattoos begins to glow, shimmering as some invisible pen traces over the pattern. Frantically, I look back at the Vitalis. An open page stares back at me. The faded ink is now deep and permanent. The stab in the middle of the paper slowly knits closed!
“It’s… healed! Hector!” Just as Everett told us they would be if Selene chose the right path. “Hector!”
He groans as he rolls closer to me. I grab him. “Are you okay?”Shit!
Before I can speak again, Titus roars a sound that will forever haunt me. Heat! All I feel is fire rushing towards us. I cry as I cover my brother. I open the portal, but I’m worried I’m too late. The fire grabs me, covering my back as I push Hector through it. Then myself.
My body arches, recoils, but at first I feel no pain. Just signals to my mind that something is hot!
Screams, shouts, panic. Hector and I hit solid ground. Our kingdom was too far to portal to, so I took us to the closest place I could think of.
Oh no! Now Ifeel.
I scream, trying to roll over, but no! That’s where the pain is. I roll onto my stomach; tears cause my face to slip over the stone floor.
“Fire!” Someone yells.
“Adrian! Move Tristen! Get him out of here!”
“Guards!”
A strong gust of wind shoves me with such violence that I slide over the floor.
“Sofia!” Hector yells, but then he groans. He’s hurt. “Don’t touch her! We’re on your side. Everett sent us. Please! Titus needs your help!”
My fingers curl into the cold floor, trying to dig into it, so I can bury myself. End all the espionage and suffering.
My back’s so hot. “It stings,” I cry, so wracked with pain, I can’t move. Boots come closer, a shadow kneels, lowering his face so I can see his eyes.
Violet eyes. “If you try anything, I’ll peel the rest of your flesh off.”
“Death seems welcomed,” I choke.
“Sofia! Fuck! Her back! Stop, I’m not fighting you. Help her!”
“You can’t move, can you?” Violet eyes state. I shake my head. “Good. There’s no escaping me.”
I close my eyes, pushing out more tears.
I must have blacked out; all I feel is torment as my eyes flare open. “Stop!” I scream at the hands pressing into my back.
“It’s a healing ointment.”
That’s not my brother. “Where’s Hector?”
“He’s not here.”
