holding John in place. As he flopped awkwardly down onto the pile of boxes, blood sprayed across my face.
I gagged, even as panic set in. Obviously, she cut far more than just the seat belt. And if she’d hit a main artery and we didn’t help him, he’d bleed out fairly quickly.
Aiden groaned. My gaze darted down. He raised a hand and brushed the blood from half-open eyes. “Aiden, John’s been hurt. You need to grab something and staunch the bleeding.”
He blinked at me for a second or two before awareness sharpened in his eyes.
“You okay?” he asked, even as he unclipped his seat belt.
I nodded, but a sharp, inhuman scream had my head whipping around. Honor had grabbed the edges of the door and, with another spine-chilling scream, pulled the thing off its hinges and tossed it away.
Need you here fast, Belle!
We’re almost there, but it’s not easy given the thick forest you’re in.
Meaning we must have been thrown a long way in. Maybe that was why she was using sheer strength rather than magic against us. Maybe she’d all but burned herself out hitting the truck so hard.
She leapt down into the gap. Again the magic bent and then rebounded, but its response was even slower. As she was tossed back out, the pokers in my brain began to spread, washing weakness through my body even as my heart rate skyrocketed.
It was then I knew the cost of using the wild magic this way: it would kill me. It would put so much strain on my heart that it would literally tear it apart. I had to release it soon if I wanted to survive.
And if I did release it, we were all dead.
Belle …
Close
Hurry.
Am.
Honor jumped back into the truck. The bending was greater this time, and a gargled cry of pain was torn from my throat. Aiden swore, the sound thick and full of anger, then the air sang with sudden movement.
“Don’t!” I yelled, but far too late.
His fist punched a hole through my magic and smashed into Honor’s legs. She howled, but her claws nevertheless tore into the hole, trying to make it bigger even as my magic tried to stop and repulse her. Pain shot through my body, my breathing now so harsh and ragged it filled the air. Every heartbeat was one long scream.
I couldn’t go on. I just couldn’t …
I sucked in air, closed my eyes, and fought with every ounce of strength I had left, not only to keep what remained of our shield active, but also to resist the instinctive need to reach for Belle. To draw on her strength now that mine was so close to failing.
Then, abruptly, Honor stopped screaming. A heartbeat later, she climbed out of the truck.
Belle.
She was here.
Too fucking right I am, and this bitch is now mine.
Thank fucking God.
I’m thinking you also need to thank my fabulous legs and the speed they produced to get through the forest so damn fast. I outran Tala, you know.
A smile tugged at my lips, as she no doubt intended. It’s amazing what a little fear can achieve.
It is indeed. The backwash of her telepathic energy ran through my mind, a thick, strong wave that was doing far more than merely controlling.
I sucked in more air and released the shield. What remained of the moonlight threads washed back into my body, and a sliver of strength returned. It didn’t ease the madmen with pokers or the quivering weakness in my body, but my heart no longer felt ready to explode, even if its beat was still uncomfortably high.
“Tala?” Aiden said. “Get the medics out here ASAP. John’s throat’s been cut.”
I carefully turned, but the movement nevertheless had the madmen doing a crazy dance. I blinked back tears and then said, “How bad is it?”
“She missed the carotid but got a jugular.” His gaze swept me. “You okay?”
I half smiled, despite the pain. “You already know what my answer is going to be.”
His mouth ticked upwards. “Yeah, but I keep hoping that one day you’ll actually be honest.”
“It’d only make you worry more, and you’re bad enough already.”
A couple of thumps on the side of the truck had me looking around. Tala. She pushed my battered door open and peered in. “You want help getting out?”
“I have to keep pressure on John’s neck,” Aiden said. “But get Liz out.”
Tala’s gaze met mine. “You look like pale shit.”
“Thanks.”
“Welcome.” Her eyes gleamed with amusement. “If I grab under your arms, will you