The sound of branches cracking made me tense. I sat up, eyes focused in the direction of the noise to see Jace returning alone, his youthful face pale and stricken.
I tensed. “What’s wrong?”
“Dead,” he croaked.
I blinked. “What? There was no time for her to?—”
“Magic around their bodies. Not the same as…” He waved his hand around the clearing.
My shoulders slumped. No wonder the magic I’d first sensed hadn’t seemed familiar. “She had help.”
Jace sank to the ground beside me. I let out a huff of breath. “Oh, Jace. I’m so sorry.”
He leaned against me in the way all shifters did when they needed comfort. They were a physical species and needed touch to thrive. I wasn’t the touchy feeliest of people, but I wasn’t heartless.
I raised my arms and drew him closer, tucking his head against my shoulder. “We’ll find those responsible. I promise.”
Jace drew in a shuddering breath. “I need to call someone, but I forgot my phone.”
I fished mine out of my pocket. “Here. Ask them to bring enough to help us bring everyone back in one trip.”
Jace took my phone but stayed where he was. He smelled like fur and shampoo. I stroked my fingers through his hair and let him lean against me for a while. A hot tear dripped onto my collarbone, so I squeezed him a little tighter.
Worry for Ethan warred with my instincts to murder my mother, but she could wait. The here and now was more important than any future payback. I dropped one hand to rest on Ethan’s chest so I’d know if he stopped breathing. Mom was too smart to kill a Lord.
She’d use them before she ever harmed them, but the length of his unconsciousness was a cause for concern. Ethan, like all Lords, possessed powerful innate magic, as well as a strong resistance to many spells.
Mom, unfortunately, was a powerful witch and had immortality on her side to learn all she needed to know in order to circumvent a shifter’s natural protections.
Jace finally lifted his head and scooted away, taking my cell with him. He spoke quietly into the phone while I watched Ethan closely. He seemed like he was sleeping. I brushed my fingers over his forehead and tried to sense anything off, but all I could smell was my mother’s presence.
The way she brushed up against him and held him so possessively made my claws slip from the tips of my fingers. She was gone, I told myself.
I could always kill her for it later.
And make no mistake. I would.
“They’ll be here in a little while,” Jace said. “Ethan never wanted to clear any paths out for ATVs to avoid damaging the ecosystem, but this might change his mind.” He pushed his knees up and plopped his chin on top, wrapping his arms around his legs.
His worried gaze lingered on Ethan.
“He’s going to be okay,” I said. “My magic is unique. I’d know if he was in danger.”
Jace blinked and looked at me. “Really?”
I nodded.
“How come you didn’t know the others were?” His tone wasn’t accusatory. More curious than anything, but the words stung.
“It’s not precognition. When someone is injured, I can touch them and know if their wounds are mortal.”
Jace let out a sigh. “That’s a good power to have.”
“Maybe,” I said. “It feels a little like being a god.”
“At least you can help them if you know how bad it is.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, even as I had no idea how to help Ethan. “It is.”
