“My parents finally told me why they did it.” Nate’s lips twisted into a scowl. “All because of—”
“Enough!” Thorn yelled, holding the sword up at him. “I don’t even care what the reason is anymore. There was no reason for us to end our friendship over a problem we didn’t create!”
“Friendship?” Nate frowned, stumbling back a few steps with pain in his expression. “No. We are our family, and what your brother did can’t be forgiven. You carry his burden, Thorn. I know I can’t kill you one-on-one, but maybe I can weaken you by weakening your mate.” He turned and set his sights on Trixie, who was a couple of feet from where he stood completely unaware of the threat. “How would she handle her best friend dying?”
“No!” My magic flooded from my system. “Trixie!” I screamed, and Thorn phased into the wind as Trixie kept chanting.
Nate’s sword impaled Trixie from behind, piercing directly through her chest and about an inch into Tabitha. Their chanting stopped, and their eyes opened wide.
“Trixie!” Tabitha screamed for her sister before glancing down at her own wound.
Nate pulled the flame sword from her chest cavity as Thorn appeared behind him, thrusting the ice sword into his heart. His red gaze widened on Thorn, and he smiled. “Knew it would be you.”
“You did this,” Thorn croaked, emotion welling in his voice. “How dare you attempt to hurt my mate by killing her best friend…”
“Attempt…” Nate chuckled weakly. “She’s dead.”
“No.You’re dead.” Thorn pulled the sword from his body and kicked him back to where Norman’s silver-scaled claw stepped down, crushing Nate under his weight.
I recoiled from the grisly scene, but my best friend needed me. I ran to her, dropping on my knees and pulling out a few salves from my bag.
“Put this on yourself. It’ll speed the healing.” I handed one to Tabitha, who was still conscious, and she slathered it on her chest. I pulled Trixie’s head into my lap before yanking her top open so I could see the wound. I scooped up half of the jar of healing salve and slathered it all over the wound.
My eyes stung as hot tears flooded down my cheeks and a sob lurched from my throat. “Trixie, please don’t die.”
Norman shifted back and dropped down next to me. “She’s still alive,” he said.
I sniffled. “What more can I do?”
Callie moved beside me. Her hair was as soaking wet as the dress she had on. “My special power is healing.” She planted her dripping hands on top of the salve on her wound. Her hands and the salve lit up white as she poured her power into Trixie’s chest.
Norman threw up his palms, slicing enemies with ice spikes in a manner I had seen Thorn do in the past. Thorn fought around us as well, keeping us protected.
Samson ran up next to us with a gun in his hand. “I’ll cover you.” He pressed a kiss to Callie’s lips before getting to his feet.
I sobbed, clutching Trixie’s hand as Callie poured her power into her to heal her. I prayed the Fates had helped me make the best healing salve possible so Trixie stood a chance. But that sword must’ve obliterated the majority of Trixie’s heart. Callie’s healing powers were theonlyoption.
I didn’t want to lose her. My friends had become so special to me. Icouldn’tlose Trixie. My throat was raw from the sobs, but once I looked under Callie’s hands, I noticed that the wound was closing.
“Callie, you’re incredible,” I murmured.
“It’s your healing salve,” she said. “Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to heal her alone.” She pulled back her hands and swayed a little bit. “I used up all of my magic. So I can’t help with anything else right now, but she’s going to live.”
“Thank the Fates,” I breathed, smiling down at Trixie, who was still unconscious. I lifted my gaze back to Callie. “You really saved her life.”
Callie’s lips spread into a smile. “We’re going to be—”
A blast hit my ears, followed by a sickening crunch.
Callie’s eyes widened, and my eyes were drawn to the hole in her forehead, where the tip of a bullet stuck out. I clutched my chest as pain exploded in my heart. The smallest trickle of blood dripped down the bridge of her nose, and then she fell forward into my lap.
Flashes of the past assaulted my mind as my magic tore through me, rendering me incorporeal as I screamed the most blood curdling painful scream I could. Images of my mom’s blue eyes widening the same way Callie’s had smacked into me.
Callie’s body fell right through my lap onto the ground next to where Trixie was unconscious. But Callie wasn’t unconscious. The way Callie’s white-blond hair was soaked red in the back where the bullet entered her head was just like Mom’s. She died instantly. The same way Callie did, and it wrenched my chest cavity open and crushed my heart to bits. I couldn’t stop screaming.
Callie was dead.
Kian rushed to where Callie was with Shade on his shoulder.
