Chapter 25 Serena
SERENA
Afamiliar thrum beneath my skin tickles me awake. The sweet sensation of pinpricks along my legs and the back of my neck. I know that feeling.
My magic.
My eyes fly open to a tangle of dark hair and a perfect profile seated beside me.
“Kai?”
His head whips toward me. “Serena?”
“You’re awake,” I breathe in relief.
As I move to sit up, my hands come into view and the flood of memories whooshes back in.
Burning flesh. Horrible, searing pain. The feeling of fire kissing bare bone. I shiver, trying to blink away the image of my skin melting off. The smell of it.
My hands are wrapped in pink-tinged cloth, but the flesh around my forearms is badly singed.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any crazier. What were you thinking burning the chains off?”
“What were you thinking almost dying on me?”
He helps me sit up and I throw my arms around him, ignoring the burns.
“I’m so sorry, Kai. I’m so, so sorry.” The floodgates open and I sob into him. He holds me tightly, burying his face in my neck.
“Don’t you dare apologize to me. None of this was your fault.”
I pull back to examine him, the tears making my assessment a bit more difficult. His color is better, his eyes not so sunken in. There are a few scars on his forehead from where the rocks pelted him.
“It was, though.”
“Serena, he stopped the beatings.” He wears a somber expression as he searches my face. “What did it cost?”
I give him a mournful look. “Not nearly what I would have paid to make sure you were safe.”
“No one”—he breaks off, eyes filling with tears—“has ever done anything like that for me. No one.”
I look him dead in the eye.
“You are my friend. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Ditto, savior.”
He cracks a beatific, watery smile that melts my heart and I pull him into my arms again, needing to convince myself that we both survived the horrors of Kylian’s captivity.
We survived together.
“Pardon the interruption.”
Mar breezes into the tent with two tiny strips of cloth stuffed up her nose. I raise an eyebrow as she plops down in front of us.
“The things I do for you.”
I give her a smile. “Thank you, Mar.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you Mar for agreeing to burn my limbs off. Let me see.”
I place my grizzly hands in hers.
“Kai, is your leg—” I glance down at the gauzy bandage wrapped around his thigh.
“Loads better, thanks to Mar. Still a little sore, but I’ll be back on my feet in no time.” He pats his leg emphatically, then winces.
I have to hold in my gasp as Mar unspools the bandages around my wrists. They look even worse beneath the cloth, but at least the cuffs are off.
“Your body should start to heal itself without the constraints of the blood ore. That combined with my healing should fix you up almost as good as new.”
“Mar, you should be resting. You’ve used more power in the last few days than you have in decades.”
She shrugs, waving me off. “It feels good to flex the old muscles.”
Tingles work their way up my arms and I pull forth my own healing energy to mingle with hers.
“Does that thing ever get tapped out?” I nod toward her moonstone ring—the one that stores her remaining magic.
“It will never dry out completely. But it does deplete the same way all of yours does. The nosebleeds tell me when it’s running low.”
Zadyn ducks into the tent, pausing in the entrance.
“You’re awake.” There’s a hint of a smile on his face, but it doesn’t reach his dimples. “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad, all things considered.” I hold up my scorched hands in explanation. He takes a timid step closer, pointing to the space beside me.
“Can I sit?”
“Why would you even ask that? Of course.” He settles in next to me. “Hey, you okay?”
“Me?” He sounds surprised. “I’m fine, it’s you I’m worried about. I’m so sorry, Serena.”
“For what? I made you all promise to keep going if I passed out.”
“I had Mar stop healing you so she could speed up the removal.”
I vaguely remember him pulling me out of the fire and shouting orders at Mar as I thrashed and wailed in his arms.
With my magic back, the channel between us is now clear. Another huge relief. I can almost see the memory through his eyes. I can feel everything he felt—regret, shame, anger, fear, frustration. Helplessness.
“It was hurting you to see me in pain. You did what you thought was best.”
I look over his face and tap my forehead knowingly. His expression warms as I lean my head against his shoulder.
“Where’s Jace?” I ask.
“Off brooding, I’m sure,” Zadyn mutters.
Mar and I burst out laughing.
We sit there another hour or so, healing my hands, and by the end of our session, the bubbles have vanished from my skin, leaving behind a smooth surface. Still red and irritated, but manageable, thank god.
As Mar helps Kai out of the tent to exercise his leg, I feel something stirring in my mind. And then a soft little nudge.
Blackblood.
Relief slams into me as the channel clears and that silky voice fills my head.
Furi!
Our bond shimmers as her emotions slam into me—her joy at my safety, her seething rage at those who have hurt me. I push to my feet to go to her, forgetting about my hands until pain lances up my wrists and forearms and I fall back on my ass.
Zadyn steadies me, concern tightening his voice. “Shit, are you okay?”
Fresh tears spring to my eyes and I let out an unsteady laugh. “I can hear her!”
I know she’s right outside and we’ve already had our reunion, but it sucked not being able to talk my dragon at will. There’s so much I have to say.
I can hear you, I repeat for her. Our minds mingle into an embrace.
You must rest, she scolds.
Are you alright? Are you in pain?
I am healing. You are safe now.
Thanks to you. You came for me. How did you even know where to find me?
I followed the scent of your bond.
My bond?
Your familiar.
Zadyn? You followed Zadyn all the way here?
I knew he would lead me to you. He stopped outside my cave while you were gone. He left squirrels.
I glance at Zadyn, stunned.
“What?” he asks, giving me a perplexed look.
I throw my arms around his neck, catching him off guard and taking him down to his back. He laughs breathlessly, holding me against his chest.
What was that for? His chocolate eyes gleam up at me.
You checked on Furi for me. You fed her, made sure she was safe.
Of course, I knew that’s the first thing you would do.
My heart melts.
She followed you to me. She found us because of you.
He breaks into a smile, his thumbs smoothing over my back.
Happy to help.
We stare at each other for a moment, exchanging silent gratitude. I open my head to him and he does the same.
In that quiet conversation, more is said than either of us could ever put into words.