He looked as if he was about to pass out, his eye swelling and instantly turning black and blue. The rush in my body told me to get up and dance and sing, but my brain saw what was happening in front of me in agonizing clarity. Theo’s shirt was now soaked in blood, the cut to his side deeper than I had thought. He was losing consciousness and while Ignara wasn’t looking much better, she had the upper hand.
I straightened, deciding with my last remaining free will that I would use this rush for good.
I watched on as she bent down towards Theo, and to my horror, she didn’t lift her sword to hurt him, but did something far worse—she actually touched him. First, she put her hands on his face, running them through his hair, but then went lower, over his shoulders, across his chest and abdomen. Theo’s eyes widened and he put up a protective hand, but the movement caused him so much pain that he nearly toppled over. She caught him under his arms andpulled him upright again, but he was barely there.
“Now, don’t just go unconscious on me, bookworm,” she crooned. “Enjoy being touched for once. I promise it will feel so good, boy!”
I had had enough, the anger and magic overdose in my blood mixing into a dangerous elixir in my blood. How dare she touch him like that? How dare she hurt him and for what? I could feel the bubbly energy in my veins transforming quickly into raw anger. My heka responded instantly.Fucking finally! Use me! Hurt her! Kill her!
I shook my head, pushing away the sinking feeling of impending dread in my chest.
Ignara was so focused on tormenting Theo, practically reveling in the agony in his nearly closed eyes that she did not see me coming.
“Do. Not. Touch. Him.” I said from behind her with so much anger in my voice that I almost scared myself. The rush of blood in my body started roaring, the drunk magic pushing against my skin, begging me to hit her with my heka again so I could get lost in the ecstasy that followed.
Ignara turned around in surprise, and Theo shot up to his feet. With the last of his strength, he kicked her in the back. Ignara stumbled forward and I reached for my dagger. She fell towards me, and I rammed my outstretched dagger into her stomach.
Her eyes opened in surprise and shock, but no words left her mouth when she fell to the ground and went up in flames. Theo was panting hard and looked as if he was close to toppling over. I stepped closer but didn’t touch him.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
He nodded, but slumped to thefloor.
I was barely able to form words, my heka was going wild and demanded me to set it free some more. The rush was nearly overpowering, I was barely holding on. Theo rolled onto his back, coughing up blood and holding the left side of his stomach and flank. Ignara’s hit had gone deep.
“Theo, can you tell me which injury is the worst, is it your flank?” I asked.
He nodded, coughing up more blood and trying to speak. I held my finger up to my lips. “It’s fine, don’t speak, lay still.”
One breath. One act. One choice.
I sat down next to him but didn’t touch him.
Do good. Stay clean. Hold steady.
I held my palms over his stomach and silently repeated in my head:
“Fates, I call upon your age-old wisdom.
Heal his wound and leave no trace.
As I command, so it goes.”
Warmth pooled in my palm, the rush I felt instantly tripling, nearly knocking me down. But I remained seated there, next to him, holding my hand steady, losing myself in the feeling of happiness and headiness. I was barely aware that sentinels arrived via the Pathways, Caelan leading them towards us. They pulled me back from Theo and everything went black around me, thank the Fates.
Chapter 18
It was the second time in two days that I woke up with a huge hangover, only this time I woke up in my bed. The late afternoon sun was coming through the window and it seemed like peace and order had returned to the house. My head was throbbing, but I didn’t feel nearly as wobbly as I had the first time around.
I sat up in bed, noticing the water bottle on my nightstand and another small bag with the white powder in it.
I emptied the contents into a glass and filled it up with water. After downing the glass I went to take a bath and when I emerged I finally felt a little more human again. I got dressed in a simple blue dress with long sleeves and made my way downstairs. I steered straight towards Theo’s office, hoping to find out what happened after I had passed out.
The door to his office was open, but when I entered it was only Caelan who looked up from the desk.
“Mae, you are awake! How are you feeling?” he asked and got up to guide me towards the sofa.
“I am fine, just a little headache and generally feeling a little off. Where is Theo, is he all right?” I asked.
