The blessing could heal most wounds, no matter how severe, but there was one thing it could not do and that was bring anything or anyone back from the dead. From the state of his stilted breathing and fading heartbeat, I could feel Jackson fading, teetering over the edge. Outside, the rain was still pouring down, fresh water full of the energy I sorely needed. Laying my hands flat on the ground, I begged the blessing for help, offering myself to save him; whatever it might take, I would do it. Almost at once, the water running down my face stopped; then, as my skin scorched with magic, the droplets began to run backwards. The rain outside defied gravity, rushing towards me instead of falling straight down to earth. Rivulets turned into rivers, flowing up my arms and legs, winding their way around my body, a conduit for its fresh, healing energy.
I placed my hands over Jackson’s stomach, covering the five clean gashes from the wolf’s claws, the fire within me, the rain without. Warmth and water brought life. A pulse rose up through the floor and I closed my eyes to steady myself, saw Jackson’s flesh knitting itself back together, believed he would be healed. Knowing what I could do was half the battle. Apained gargling sound emitted from his throat and I opened my eyes to see his eyes roll back in his head.
‘Hold on,’ I begged, watching the hard muscles of his stomach repair themselves, his soft, unblemished skin coming back together. ‘One more minute and we’re out of here.’
A sharp inhale filled his lungs with fresh air and he jerked upright. I collapsed back on my heels as he pressed his palms to the five tiny silver lines that marred his torso. He was alive. He was scarred but he was here. With a silent thank you, I let go of my magic and slumped backwards, exhausted.
‘We need to leave,’ I said, staring up at the ceiling. ‘Can you walk?’
‘Can you?’ Jackson climbed to his feet and reached out two hands to pull me up as though he hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch.
Beyond the ballroom, there were raised voices, ordered and commanding, either police or paramedics. Neither would be helpful. I really did not feel like sitting down to give a witness statement with my hands stained by my friend’s blood. Yes, officer, I saw the wolf. No, officer, I don’t think it was just a very large dog. Why, officer? Because I’m a witch and the wolf was a Were and I suspect it was here to kill me because it knows I killed its packmate. Any more questions? Who is my legal guardian? Well, I’m so glad you asked …
‘You’re sure we shouldn’t stay and tell them what happened?’ Jackson asked, nodding at the uniformed officers just outside the door. ‘Maybe they can help. Or at least warn animal control?’
If I’d had the energy to laugh, I would’ve been hysterical. It was only two months since I’d said the exact same thing to my grandmother.
‘There’s nothing they can do,’ I said, forcing one foot in front of the other. ‘Unless you want to explain why we’re bothcovered in blood but neither of us are injured, we should probably leave now.’
But leaving was easier said than done. The police were already at the door, looking into the ballroom, and I knew there would be more outside, guarding the terrace.
‘How do we get out without anyone seeing us?’
With a grim smile, I reached out once more and in the same moment the thought passed through my mind, a flash of lightning lit up the sky. The world slowed down until it seemed to stop. All the loud voices quieted and the droplets of water falling from the sprinklers lingered in midair, as if waiting on me. Beyond the terrace, I saw cars paused in the middle of the road, people stopped mid-stride on the sidewalk. The whole world had come to a complete standstill. Jackson gazed at me with something like awe.
‘Are you doing this?’ he asked, looking back out at his static city.
I grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the ballroom and through the hallway, past his friends, his coaches, and more men in uniform than I could count.
‘I’ll explain later,’ I said. ‘Keep moving. Don’t stop until I say so.’
With blind determination, I pushed through the frozen crowds, across the marble foyer, down the front steps. Raindrops burst like water balloons on my hot skin as we wove our way through the living statues on Liberty Street. By the time I stopped and took a deep breath, we were safely hidden around the corner, both of us leaning against a low brick wall on Drayton Street as the rain began to fall again.
‘I didn’t know you could do that,’ Jackson said quietly, eyes on me as his bloodstained shirt flapped open at his stomach.
Flushed with fear, relief and the unwelcome reminder of my otherness, I felt tears well up in my eyes.
‘Heal wounds or slow down time?’
He didn’t reply. Instead he just swallowed hard.
The rain began to slow around us, naturally this time. The worst of the storm was over and through the yelling and sobbing that still rang out all around the block, I could feel the pull of Bell House, summoning me home. She wanted me where she could see me, where she could keep me safe. We both knew this wouldn’t be an isolated incident. The Were would return and any dream I might have nursed of escaping the consequences of Cole’s death had just been extinguished. But that wasn’t why my hands were shaking at my side. The thought of another attack didn’t frighten me nearly as much as the rush I’d felt when standing face to face with the wolf, willing it to attack so I could surrender to the seductive strength of my magic.
‘Hey,’ a voice said. ‘Come back.’
A strong hand cupped my face, long fingers brushing my wet hair away from my face.
‘Where did you go?’ Jackson appeared in front of me as my eyes refocused on the here and now. ‘You looked like you were miles away.’
The rough finish of the bricks behind me sawed into my skin, reminding me of what was real.
‘Just tired,’ I said. ‘I’m here, I swear.’
‘Good. Because I need to thank you. For saving my life.’
I chewed the inside of my cheek as I looked away.
‘Don’t thank me. You never should’ve been in danger in the first place.’
