Beforewestop being enough?
That thought sobers me up, and I pull away from him with great effort. His pupils are blown wide as he searches me over, lips still moist from our kiss.
“We were fortunate this time,” I say.
He nods. “The Nephilim are sending fewer to attack. It makes me wonder where the others lurk and what they are waiting for.”
Last time it was six. This time I’ve counted three. I shudder at the thought and the uncertainty of our future.
“We need to find Evangeline. Make sure her, Finnick, and your mother are safe,” Zephyr says and puts distance between us.
It’s for the best, but I can’t help but miss his solid muscles against mine. Even as a part of me screams out for my other mate. Evangeline. She must be okay. I wouldfeel it if something happened, but our bonding is still new. I don’t feel her nearly as well as I feel Zephyr. Still, I won’t feel better until I see my wife before me.
Zephyr and I take off toward the infirmary. We pass other fae, some injured, some consoling crying children. But none dead. A fucking blessing.
“Fuck,” Zephyr curses under his breath, stopping just shy of the infirmary. Still a few paces behind, I jog to catch up with him before bile coats my tongue as I see what he does.
The infirmary stands mostly intact—at least from a distance. But up close, the destruction is impossible to ignore. A gaping hole tears through the side of the building, as if something massive punched straight through. The blast splintered nearby trees into jagged, spear-like branches, some still lodged in the ground at unnatural angles. Part of the ceiling has collapsed, caving in under its own weight and smothering the rooms below in rubble, broken beams, and dust.
How many rooms are hit? How many of the sick and injured managed to get out in time? The silence is unsettling, broken only by the creak of shifting debris and the distant cry of someone calling for help.
Did Evangeline get out?
My thoughts are consumed by my new mate. I’m so driven by my desire to have her in my arms, to make sure she’s okay, I don’t think. I just act. I run past Zephyr. He calls out my name, tries to grab me, but I maneuver out of his grip and race toward the entrance. Not long after, I hear footfalls behind me, knowing Zephyr is right on my tail.
Inside, the infirmary is buzzing with activity. Families escort loved ones away from the rubble. A few tend to the wounded as the healers call out for their patients. Amongst a group of scared fae is my mother. I breathe a sigh of relief, but it’s short-lived when I notice she’s alone.
As if sensing I’m looking at her, my mother catches my eye, hers widening with relief. She whispers something to the woman she comforts, who nods before my mother untangles herself and rushes to my side. We meet in an embrace, and even as I tower over her, she still feels like the largest presence in the room. Her touch comforts me. But only slightly.
“Where’s Evangeline?” I ask once we break apart. “I thought you were going to stay together?” I can’t hide the hint of anger that bleeds through my words.
My mother has the decency to look ashamed. “They were close. She and Finnick went off in the other direction. I haven’t seen them yet, but—” Whatever she is about to say is cut off by Zephyr’s hand on my arm.
“There!” He points toward the south hallway and takes off before I can get my bearings.
Walking toward me from the end of the hallway is Evangeline. Relief rushes over me like a tidal wave. She’s here. She’s alive. But she’s also not alone.
Finnick is flying in front of her, talking animatedly to the other person with them. He speaks to Evangeline in hushed tones, leading her down the hall. I notice my mate rubbing her shoulder, wincing when she moves it. The relief from moments ago vanishes, replaced with a mixture of anger and concern.
Who hurt her?
Seeing her injured spurs me into action, and I race behind Zephyr. He gets to Evangeline before I do, and although he doesn’t touch her, Zephyr reaches for her like he wants to reassure himself she’s okay. Before he allows himself that comfort, though, he pulls back as if remembering himself. Remembering he has no interest in Evangeline. I wonder how long he’ll keep the lie up, considering how quickly it’s falling apart around him.
I have no hesitation when I take Evangeline into my arms, careful of her shoulder and not even glancing at the fae beside her. I need to hold her. To touch her and make sure she’s fine. That she’s here, whole, and not broken.
“Niko,” she says my name with reverence as she sinks into my arms, clutching me. Her heart beats in rapid succession against my chest. Whatever she has just experienced has left her frazzled—and injured, considering she’s also staying off her right foot—so I give her the only comfort I can. My arms wrap securely around her, and she buries her head in the crook of my neck as she lets out a shuddering breath. She doesn’t cry, but it’s clear that whatever happened has her spooked.
Finnick lands on Zephyr’s shoulder, eyes wide. Energy bursts through him as he jumps from foot to foot, clearly sitting on information he doesn’t want to keep private, but he’s waiting for Evangeline to speak.
“What happened?” I turn to the fae who has not spoken. “Are you involved in this?” I blurt before realizing who is standing in front of me.
Jameson.
Before Jameson or Finnick can speak, Evangeline pulls back. I loosen my hold on her, staring upon Jameson as if I’m seeing a ghost. He was damn near a ghost last time I saw him.
“He saved me, Niko. If it wasn’t for him, I would be dead. The Nephilim, he…” she trails off, shuddering at whatever hellish nightmare she just endured.
“The Nephilim was set on killing her. Evangeline did everything she could to survive,” Finnick finishes for her.
