My brothers knelt beside us, Zane’s usual playful demeanor replaced by grim concern.
“What the hell just happened? Did that bastard do something to her?”
“Of course not.” Casimir’s voice cut through my anger like a blade, his gaze fixed on Seri’s still form. “Think. Arabesque siphoned her magic dry. She didn’t have anything left to shadow walk with. She was running on adrenaline, and now it’s run out. Not to mention all her physical injuries taking a toll on her body.”
“So what do we do?” I clenched my jaw, frustration and fear bubbling up inside me.
“Wait,” he said simply. “She needs rest. Rest and time to recover.”
I wanted to argue, to demand that wedosomething, but the rational part of my brain knew he was right. Still, it didn’t stop the ache in my chest as I watched her, so small and vulnerable, lying there like a broken doll.
“Hell, even just the little bit of walking she did here probably wore her out,” Zane fussed, growing more upset the longer he talked. “She’s pushing herself too hard too fast. We need to step up our game and take care of her better. Her bruises haven’t even healed yet, and she’s still limping, and her arm’s still weeping infection! Bleeding night! What were we thinking, letting her get out of bed today?”
“We were thinking we wanted to give her sunshine,” I mumbled as a shit-ton of guilt hit me.
After what felt like an eternity, her eyelids fluttered open and relief washed over me, overallof us, until tears streamed down her cheeks. She winced, the heel of her hand rubbing up and down her breastbone as if trying to shove something back inside herself.
“It hurts,” she whimpered. “It hurtsso much!”
Anguish. Utter anguish in my heart. If I could take her pain myself, I would, and I knew my brothers felt the same.
“That’s from the siphoning,” Cas murmured in the gentlest tone I’d ever heard from him. “Your magical well is empty. Every time you try to draw from it, it’ll feel like that until it replenishes.”
She nodded weakly, but the tears kept coming. Her lower lip trembled, and she turned her face into my chest, curling into me like she was trying to make herself smaller.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out, her voice muffled against my shirt. “I’m just a burden.”
“You’renota burden,” I said fiercely. “You’reours. And we’re going to take care of you.”
“Yeah, darling.” Zane brushed a tear from her cheek with his knuckle, his usual smirk missing. “No more apologizing, okay?”
Her gray eyes flicked up to mine. Still watery, but clearer now.
“But I’m causing you problems,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I don’t mean to—”
“You’re not,” I interrupted, brushing a thumb over her cheekbone. “It’s the pain talking. The exhaustion. Arabesque took too much from you, and your body’s still recovering. That’s all. And it’s not a problem, beloved. You arenevera problem for us.”
Cas was quiet, eyes distant as he stared at the water. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head, that analytical mind of his working overtime, but when he finally spoke, his tone was kind.
“Koa’s right, Seri. You’ve been through more than anyone should have to endure. It’s going to take time to heal.”
I was proud of him. Proud of him for talking to her like that, for being gentle. It would go a long way toward helping her realize that he did, indeed, ‘like’ her.
Maybe one day she’ll even be able to look past the mask and see how much he loves her,I thought.
Zane leaned back on his hands, tilting his face toward the canopy of willows.
“You know what you need? A distraction. Like a game. Or cake! Definitely cake! We’ll raid the kitchen when we get back. How does that sound?”
“I like cake,” she admitted with a tiny smile.
So I lifted her carefully into my arms and carried her toward the golf cart.
“Why did I faint, though?” she asked as Cas slid behind the steering wheel.
“Your body’s pissed at you for that whole shadow walking stunt,” Zane scoffed as he took shotgun this time, Brumous on his lap.
“Shadowwalking?” she parroted.
