“Mrtywodahsssss,”I breathe, elongating the spell for death until my illusion rises, bubbles. I’m adding an extra layer, splashing the smell of blood and decay into the creature’s gnarled face before it breaks my original screen. The thing shudders and in a whoosh, it flies off. That’s right: go tell your boss of our demise.
I slump backward, rasping in hiccupping panic.Kalyan!My whole body aches and whines, but I crawl toward him.
“Kalyan? Kalyan?”
He’s not moving.
I feel for a pulse. “Kalyan!”
“Ah, that sucked,” he wheezes.
I gurgle between laugher and a sob as I throw my arms around him. We’re alive. We’re bloody alive.
“Ow!”
Snapping back, I zero in on the hand holding his side, and the blood pumping between his fingers. “Gods, let me see.”
Kalyan pulls his hand away to reveal a slash along his ribs, sternum to stomach. “Does it look as bad as it feels?” he asks.
“No. It probably feels worse.”
Kalyan slouches with a wince. “Yeah, I’m going to agree with you on that.”
“Just hold on.” I tear at his kurta, ripping the cloth and exposing the wound.
“We’ve talked about undressing me like this, Smoke.”
I keep tearing. “Have I told you you’re one of my worst patients?”
“But the best partner?”
I smile at his banter. It’s a good sign. I search on my belt, open a small orb jar, and smear the pink numbing lotion amid the blood.“Ksatleah. Suptaleah.”My magic glows to life and plunges into Kalyan’s skin. “This is going to take some time.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Kalyan falls back and I hover over him, casting, numbing, trying. There is so much blood. Too much blood. But I’ve seen worse.
After twenty minutes of tedious work, the sky opens upon us and dumps the rain it has been savoring. Each drop breaks open my weakening illusion spell as I focus only on healing. My whole body stings with the water’s contact, every cut yearning for attention. My shoulder throbs. The side of my head pounds. There are two massive tears in my flying pants. Within seconds my clothes are both tattered and adhered to my skin. “Blood.”
Kalyan casts under his breath and a white halo instantly surrounds us. Raindrops swerve.
“You need to save your energy,” I say.
“You need to see.”
I can’t argue there.
Kalyan stares off into the distance. “You should have kept following him. He’ll be impossible to trace now.”
“Like I would have just watched you die.”
He stares at me, another understanding lining my words. “Careful, Smoke, or I’m going to start thinking you like me.”
“You don’t make it easy, that’s for sure.”Could there be a more blatant lie?
He reaches out and touches the side of my head and I freeze. “You’re bleeding,” he whispers, concern lacing his voice.
Raising my hand I feel the wetness, the sting, the throbbing I finally clue into. Gods, I feel awful. But having someone in front of me that needs my help dulls the hurt. “I’m fine.”
He frowns. “That’s what you said earlier.”
