I chewed on my bottom lip as I stared at the greatly diminished magic hovering around Niki’s body. Warlocks weren’t made of magic. They could survive without it, but not for long. It wasn’t that magic was physically essential. Magic didn’t make a warlock’s heart beat. But it did do something. Witches and warlocks faded without access to magic, just as pixies faded when they were captured and had their dust eaten by ogres. I would be the same without my tails.
I stared at my tails, knowing there was one thing I could offer. “I could give you one of my tails.” I swallowed hard,remembering the agony of removing one for Tenzen. I would suffer that and even more for my warlock.
Niki’s drooping eyes snapped open. “Absolutely not.” He tried sitting up a little straighter. “I will not cannibalize your tails. I would not?—”
“Shh.” I rose, placing a finger across Niki’s lips. “It will grow back. You’ve seen the proof of that.” I wiggled the nub of my eighth tail. “I’ll be okay. Sure, it’ll sting, but you’re more important. I would?—”
“No,” Niki answered harshly, making me flinch. Eyes softening, Niki grasped my chin, cradling it in his quivering hands. “Do not mistake me, Hikaru. The offer is…there are no words to describe it. But I would never wish to cause you such pain and loss. I would rather die first.”
I panicked. “You’re dying! No, I?—”
“I’m not dying. I promise you that.” He ran his fingers through my hair and over a tipped, fur-covered ear. Leaning into his touch, my warlock swam within my watery eyes. “As I said. I will be fine, eventually. I’ve overextended myself before.” Niki chuckled. “Although, admittedly, not for a century or two. At least, not this badly. I’ve had a few close calls with Erasmus over the past couple of years.” Niki shrugged. “It’s what we do for those we love.”
“That’s why I’m offering you a tail.” Niki jerked at my confession before his face softened and his lips tilted in a smile.
“And that is why I’m saying no.” Niki leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. It wasn’t a passionate kiss. It was a kiss that was full of promises and words unspoken. It was a kiss that would have made my knees buckle had I not already been kneeling on the floor.
Pulling back, Niki’s eyes were full of wonder, reflecting my own. “We will discuss this more when we’re back home.”
“Home?”
“Our home,” Niki stated. “Now and forever.”
I laid my head on his lap as tears leaked from my eyes, dampening his pants. I’d completely forgotten where we were and why we came. Fortunately, Niki hadn’t. Fingers carding through my hair, Niki’s deep voice softly sounded above me. “Belle, could you please move closer?”
Twisting my head, I could see Belle hesitantly move around the foot of her sister’s bed. Belle’s eyes were wide as her gaze flicked from me to Niki. With a stuttered voice, she asked, “W-what is…it?” She pointed at me.
I scoffed but didn’t raise my head. “I told you, I’m the transportation.”
Belle’s wide eyes blinked before narrowing. “Uh-hu. Sure.”
“Hikaru is a kitsune,” Niki answered, making me want to pinch his leg. Honestly, Belle didn’t need to know that. “As he said, he’s why I arrived as swiftly as I did.” With a heavy sigh, Niki stared at Martha’s bed. Belle easily caught the gesture.
“What’s wrong with her?” Belle asked. “You know, don’t you. You know, and it’s not good.”
Niki shook his head. “No, it isn’t. I was able to repair the charm that did this to Martha. The charm is now acting as it should and I can tell you that it has relieved her pain.”
“Martha’s not in pain any longer?” Belle sounded so hopeful. “Even without the drugs? The doctors can wake her up?”
“They can.” Niki didn’t sound nearly as excited as Belle. “The human doctors can start weaning Martha off the drugs. When they are out of her system, she won’t suffer any further pain, however…” Niki took a deep breath. “I do not believe your sister will wake. The damage done to her brain is…extensive.”
I finally raised my head, watching as Belle’s expression morphed from shocked, to denial, to unbelievable sadness, and then to rage. “This is all your fault!” She stepped closer, pokingan accusing finger Niki’s direction. I started to rise but Niki’s hand on my shoulder kept me kneeling.
“While there is much more to the story, you are right. This is my fault.”
My head jerked Niki’s direction. “It most certainly is not!”
Belle ignored me and screamed, “Fix her! You’re a damn warlock, fix what you’ve broken!”
Niki’s face fell. “Regrettably, I cannot.” Before Belle could meltdown again, Niki added, “But I may know someone who can.” Attention back on me, Niki said, “I’m afraid I need to ask another favor, Hikaru.”
“Anything.” My response was automatic. I’d already offered Niki a tail and he’d refused. Whatever he needed couldn’t be as big as that.
“I need to make a call first. If Loretta agrees, then it would be beneficial if you could bring her here quickly. I could book air passage for her, but that will take time. Time we may not have.”
“Tell me when and where and I’ll get this Loretta.”
Belle asked what I hadn’t. “Who’s Loretta?”
