stepped out. A person with long red hair and a crown made of crystals and shells. KELTIE. A whirlpool of water swirled around her. She threw her arm out, pointing toward the horizon. “Go.”
The kraken hissed and dove back under the water, disappearing faster than it appeared.
Blue light flashed brighter beneath me. I gasped and looked down. “NO, NO, NO! SAVANNAH! SAVE HER! SAVE HER!”
“Saraphina! Saraphina, move aside!” Riah shouted but I couldn’t.
I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t stop until I had nothing left to give.
“KESSLER, get her off! NOW!”
Massive hands gripped my waist and then I was lifted in the air. I kicked my legs and thrashed but then an even larger arm snaked around my body and held me against someone’s chest. I knew it was Kessler but I was beyond reasoning. I had to get to Savannah. I had to keep trying.
Riah slid down beside her and slammed both hands to her chest. Bright silver magic exploded out from under his palms and wrapped around her body. The muscles in his arms pulsed. His silver wings popped out of his back. A dark, black shadow slid over her and then a soft golden glow shimmered from beneath his palms…inch by inch it pushed the shadow off.
That blue light faded away.
Her face flushed with color.
The hole in her abdomen sealed shut.
She gasped and her big blue eyes flew open.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Riah
I sighed and sat back on my heels.
Tegan dove for her. With blood-stained hands, she checked Savannah’s body in search of a wound. It was no longer there. I’d healed it. But I understood her shock. Everyone who witnessed my gift reacted the same way.
Cooper sat back and shoved his trembling bloody hands into his hair.
Tegan looked up at me with wide pale green eyes. “You healed her.”
I exhaled and nodded.
The rest of The Coven just stood there staring at me.
Tegan blinked down at Savannah, then looked back to me. “She was dead.”
I nodded.
Tennessee walked up, still carrying Michael’s sword with his gold wings fluttering in the breeze. He narrowed his mismatched eyes on Savannah and then back up at me. “You healed her.”
I nodded.
Savannah sat up and wobbled, but Tegan and Cooper steadied her. Then her blue eyes turned to me. She blinked, then licked her lips and nodded. “You…still deserved that punch.”
I grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay,” she said on an exhale and started to fall forward.
And then Saraphina was there, catching her in her arms. “Savannah.”
The two held each other tight as the rest of The Coven crowded around. I glanced behind us and saw all the Crones standing there. Myrtle moved through the crowd, making her way to us.
Saraphina pulled back and sniffled. “I thought I lost you.”
“I think you did,” Savannah whispered back. “I heard you yelling at me, saying this wasn’t the hill I was gon’ die on.”
“I tried to save you, but I wasn’t enough—”
“It wasn’t your fault, Safferella.”
“No, it was mine,” Gigi cried and dropped to her knees beside her, tears streaking down her face. “Savannah—”
“It’s over now,” she whispered and put her hand on Gigi’s shoulder. Savannah cleared her throat and then looked back to me. She smiled. “I don’t know what you did…but thank you, Riah.”
I smiled. Truth be told, I wasn’t really sure what I did either. It was merely a gift I’d had since birth. “Could hardly let a right hook like that go so soon.”
Saraphina spun around to face me with wide, tear-filled lavender eyes. “Oh, Riah.” She tackled me, coiling her arms around my neck with force. “Thank you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I wrapped my arms around her waist and just held her to my chest. I would have saved Savannah whether she was my Saraphina’s friend or not, but it still felt good to give her her friend back.
“Bugger, we are definitely bloody keeping him,” Jackson said with a sigh.
“Remind me to always fight near him in the future.” Easton chuckled.
Deacon scoffed. “You’ve got metal body armor, you don’t need to be that close. Let the rest of us get in there.”
Saraphina pulled back and her breaths hitched. “Thank you for saving her, however you did it.”
“So…am I okay now?”
I leaned around Saraphina to meet Savannah’s worried gaze and nodded. “You will live now.”
“That’s not exactly the same thing, but dammit I will take it.”
Saraphina looked over my shoulder. “Mother? Will she be okay now?”
Myrtle moved in beside us and crouched down. She pressed her palm to Savannah’s forehead and closed her eyes, then she sighed and smiled.