CHAPTER 25
Matitus and I have just gone to her room, but she isn’t there. We know she can’t have gotten far because the guards would have alerted us if she tried to leave. Heading toward the library, we can hear frantic voices coming from the kitchen.
Matitus raises an eyebrow at me when Abigail’s voice hits my ears.
“I’m trying, I am fucking trying, Marian; I can’t heal her.”
“Heal who?” Matitus asks. Matitus and I nearly knock each other over as we barrel into the kitchen. Only no one is there.
“Marian, you need to get them.”
I hear Abigail’s voice coming from the pantry when the pantry door opens, making both of us turn our attention to it.
Abigail is hovering over Elora’s collapsed body, her hands bright green and gold as she holds them on Elora’s chest. Marian freezes.
Matitus pulls her out of the way and scoops up Elora off the floor.
Abigail stops in place as I stare at her, however, I don’t have time to deal with what we just witnessed, not when our mate is unconscious.
Swiping everything off the counter, Matitus places Elora gingerly on top.
Her skin is pale and ghostly white, black veins moving under her skin coming from her neck.
Matitus swipes her hair away and I feel bile rise in my throat.
Where I tried to mark her is a hole, black as coal, the veins leading up to it are dark beneath her skin.
“She is still breathing but her heartbeat is slowing down,” I tell Matitus.
I bite into my wrist as Matitus holds her mouth open to let my blood drain down her throat.
Nothing happens, and Matitus growls loudly.
I can feel his burning anger smashing into me through the bond.
Panic seizes me when she doesn’t heal. Nothing makes sense until Marian’s words hit me.
“You did this, she is dying because you took her magic.”
I think for a few seconds, her words making sense.
Maybe if she had her magic, it would undo what I have done.
Her magic. I bolt out the door, crashing into the walls and skidding along the floor.
Fear consumes me as I rip the drawers out from under the bookshelves, trying to find the necklace.
My mind goes completely blank as to where I put it.
Matitus comes in carrying her and lays her on the ground.
Dragus runs in and starts ripping drawers out with me.
Matitus must have mind-linked him because in my panic, I completely forgot about telling him she is hurt.
Drawers crash to the ground as we search.
I finally pull one out and see her necklace.
Snatching it from the drawer, I race over to her.
I scoop her up, her head falling forward limply. I place the necklace in her limp hand. Abigail comes rushing in and gasps, her hands going to her mouth.
“It doesn’t work like that because she needs to be awake,” she says.
“Come on, Lora. You need to wake up,” I tell her, shaking her but she doesn’t respond.
Please, please wake up, I can’t lose you, I think, as I rock her, trying to rouse her awake.
Nothing we do ignites any sign of life from her.
She is dying in my arms. Matitus collapses on the ground beside me and Dragus has his head in his hands, pacing back and forth.
Tears stream down my face as I realize I’ve killed her; she is going to die because I was selfish, and angry.
My anger once again has killed someone I love. I love her and I killed her.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” I tell them, my mates sadness seeps into me, eating away at me along with my own guilt.
Abigail stares down at her, tears flowing from her eyes when she suddenly stops sobbing and rips Elora from me.
Placing her on the ground, I go to reach for her and take her back when I see Abigail’s eyes glow fluorescent green. What the hell is she?
She places her hands-on Elora’s chest. “Abigail, no, it could kill you!” Marian screams, running in and trying to rip Abigail away. Abigail shakes her off, placing her hands back on Elora’s chest.
“She saved me once; I am just returning the favor.”
“Abbie, no, Elora will hate herself if you die,” Marian tries to reason with her. Matitus and Dragus’s head snap toward them as we watch, frozen on the spot as Abigail’s skin starts rippling.
“We just need to wake her long enough to absorb her magic.” Marian runs over, ripping the necklace from my hands and I let her, praying to the fates these two women can save her.
“When Abigail absorbs whatever this is, we need to wake her, enough to absorb her magic. If Abbie holds it too long, it could kill her, and Elora will die with her,” Marian says.
I don’t quite absorb her words, instead I stare blankly.
Marian slaps me hard across the face. “Silas, do you understand, you buffoon?”
Nodding, I peer down at Elora. Abigail starts muttering under her breath.
When nothing happens, she glances around frantically, her entire body throwing off a strange energy.
The air even changes scent to a smell of earth, like mud and leaves.
She mutters some foreign language when her hand suddenly snakes out gripping mine tightly.
I go to rip my arm from her when I feel it; heat rushes under my skin from everywhere in my body racing toward the place her hand is.
Her hand glows red, and I suddenly feel exhaustion hit me like a wave washing over me, taking my breath. Abigail is channeling my magic.
Blinking a couple of times, I force my eyes to stay open, as the black veins move toward Abigail’s hand that is on Elora’s chest just above her bra. The black veins wriggle under her skin bleeding into Abigail’s hand making her scream loudly.
Marian shakes Elora’s shoulders, at first there is no response.
“Come on, baby, wake up,” I tell her tapping the side of her face when her eyes flutter open, and she takes a breath.
“Silas,” she mutters, her head going to the side as she closes her eyes.
I tap her face “Elora you need to take your magic back,” I tell her.
Marian lifts her hand, placing the necklace in it and closing Elora’s hand around it.
“Come on, Lora, you need to take the magic before it kills Abbie,” I tell her.
“Abbie,” she breathes. Looking at Abigail, she starts chanting louder, her voice sounding pained and she is starting to sway.
Dragus rushes over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders, keeping her upright.
Abigail’s eyes fly open turning red and I can feel Dragus being hit with the same wave I was, as Abigail starts channeling him.
“Abbie, you can’t hold that much power!” Marian screams frantically at her as the black wounds of my bite lose color and Elora’s eyes fly open again.
“Abbie!” she gasps, and Marian shakes her hand.
Elora opens it, seeing her mother’s necklace.
Her hand glows purple and eyes start burning brightly, her skin regaining color.
Abigail on the other hand, is sweating profusely when Elora sits up gripping Abigail tightly, absorbing back what Abigail took from her.
Abigail fights against her, not realizing Elora is conscious and has absorbed her magic.
“Abigail, let it go,” Elora screams at her.
“Elora,” Abigail gasps. She stops channeling us.
It is like a vacuum suddenly gets turned on and Elora is knocked back with force as the black veins running up Abigail’s arms return to her.
It zaps back into Elora fast like the flick of a rubber band.
Abigail collapses on top of Elora and they both lay there panting, trying to catch their breaths.
Marian sits back, a relieved look on her face and she sighs.
Seconds later, relief washes over me from Dragus and Matitus.
Reaching over, I grab Abigail, who freezes as I pick her up, moving her off to the side of me.
I lean her against Dragus. Abigail looks a little shocked for some reason.
However, I am more shocked at what she did; she saved my mate.
Grabbing Elora, I pull her breathless body onto my lap. Biting into my wrist I offer it to Abigail. She stares at me like I am deranged.
“What? It will heal you,” I protest.
“Please Abbie, let him help,” breathes Elora.
She looks at me warily then shakes her head.
Matitus grabs a glass of scotch I was drinking earlier that I left on the hall stand.
He takes my wrist, biting into it again, turning it over and letting my blood drip into the glass.
He hands it to Abigail. Her skin is white as snow and her hair damp with sweat.
“Drink it,” Marian urges, Abigail looks at the glass disgusted.
“For God’s sake, Abbie, drink it. It won’t hurt you,” Elora says, grabbing my wrist between her shaky hands showing Abigail, she bites into my flesh.
Elora’s neck suddenly closes completely.
Her skin glows subtly, and her hands stop shaking.
Elora’s tattoos and her Fae markings slowly reform across her face, burning brighter the way they were before I took her magic.
She lets go and Abigail brings the cup to her lips only Marian tips it up further, forcing her to drink it.
When she drops the cup, she starts coughing and spluttering on the alcohol, making me wonder if she has ever drank. “God that shit burns,” she chokes out.
“Thank you,” Elora says to Abigail. I stare at her. I can tell how much Elora deeply cares for the woman. Abigail nods and Marian helps her up. They both hesitate, looking toward the door. And I realize they are waiting to see if I am going to let them leave.
“You can go,” Matitus tells them and they both head for the door. Elora shifts her weight, trying to get off my lap, and I pull her back down. My hands still tremble slightly at almost losing her.
“Abigail,” I call out, just as she goes to walk out the door. She freezes and I can smell her fear filling the air. Abigail glances back at me nervously and Marian’s eyes dart to Matitus.
“Thank you,” I tell her. The words sound strange rolling off my tongue, but I truly mean them. She saved her, saved my mate, and I will never be able to pay back what she just did. Elora gazes up at me, her shock hitting me. Abigail nods, quickly ducking out of the room, leaving us.