My eyes fell to my newly fixed blade, thinking that getting it repaired definitely wasn’t worth Molly’s life, when an idea struck me. I fell to my knees beside her, placing my blade on the ground. “Molly!”
“I … didn’t want her … to hurt you.” Blood bubbled on Molly’s lips as she forced words through stuttered breaths. “You’re … more important.”
Tears flowed down my cheeks. I loved this chick more than I realized. She’d become like the little sister I never had.
“Nonsense. You’re important too,” I told her, taking her from Brock’s arms and pulling her into my own. I ran a hand across Molly’s purple hair.
A pink fuzzy hand plopped on my shoulder and I sniffled loudly.
“Yeah, you’re our walking supernatural dictionary,” Cass said.
Molly smiled weakly, her eyes glassy, and my gaze flicked up to meet Brock’s. “I need to get her in the water,” I told him.
He nodded, but looked sad and defeated, as if he didn’t think the water would heal her. His hands and arms were covered in her blood.
Fuck that negativity.There might be a lot of blood—okay, a shit-load—and she was growing cold in my arms, but I refused to believe we were going to lose Molly. I wouldn’t allow it.
‘You got this, Ev,’Cass cheered me on in the way only I would hear.
Without a word, each member of our team trailed to the edge of the pool. Brock helped me by carrying Molly’s legs. Blood dripped from beneath her in a steady flow, soaking into my shirt and jeans. It was so much damn blood.
Even the fae-witch Tianna, who enjoyed making light of everything, was somber as fuck. But the night is darkest before the dawn, right? Yeah, I was holding on to that shit with everything I had.
Even the selkies looked our way with expressions of regret as they put out the last of the fires.
Brock and I lowered Molly into the warm water and I waded in with her in my arms as the selkie we’d first met crouched on the bank next to me. “I’ve never seen it heal a human before. Only supernaturals,” she said, her tone morose.
Fuck.
I didn’t want Molly to hear that. Hell, I didn’t want to hear that. I wasn’t sure if the selkie meant no one had ever tried to heal a human or if someone had attempted it and it hadn’t worked. Either option sucked, so I ignored her.
“How you doing?” I looked down at the purple-haired girl in my arms, blinking away tears, and tried to plaster a semblance of a hopeful smile on my face.
She gave me a drunken lopsided grin. “Never been stabbed by a demon claw before.”
Oh, Molly … bless your supernaturally obsessed heart.
The water clouded with diluted red around Molly’s abdomen. There was too much blood for her to last much longer. Already her ability to focus was waning and her gaze was growing vacant, the spark in those bright eyes fading.
I crushed her against my chest as if the mere action might keep her with us longer. She didn’t even whimper as I squeezed her.
“Hey … um, it’s me again,” I said to the water as if it were alive. I mean, clearly it was some kind of intelligent consciousness since it had just healed my fucking blade like it was no big deal. “I’d be ever so grateful if you would heal my friend Molly. Like you did my blade.” I put on my super sugary sweet voice. The one I used to use on Gran when I wanted something badly.
The water began to stir, churning around where I stood with Molly in my arms. The water swirled around my shoulders, covering her. My crew leaned forward in anticipation along the bank. Brock allowed hope to light up his eyes. Anticipation fluttered through my body and I really had to blink back tears. A jerky sound somewhere between a cry and a sigh of relief slipped from my lips.
Purple magic burst to life around my arms, glowing fiercely … before dying down.
What?
“No,” I breathed. “No, no, no. Please! Please help her. Heal her!”
Molly’s teeth started to chatter even though the water was warm. The life force was leaving her body.
The water sprang to life once more, spinning in fast circles around us. Again purple magic swirled around my arms in a bright, hopeful glow.
Before dying down again.
What the fuck! It wasn’t working.
