The effort to say anything triggered a caustic stinging at the back of my throat and brought tears to my eyes.
“Cai can explain once we land. And Frazer’s been carrying your stuff for you.”
My stomach dropped an inch as her wings angled into a soft glide toward the forest beneath.
“You should know you’ve been out cold for two days. The eerie’s dead. You killed it.”
She sounded odd. Was it awe or fear inflecting her voice? How did I kill that thing? Auntie’s words trickled in. Magic—my magic. Not hers. It was contained, and now it’s released? Now it was inside of me?
Consequences.
That word reverberated through my bones, shaking my core. She told me there’d be repercussions for doing it then, and in that way.
Questions circled, getting jumbled in the fuzziness. Whenwhathow?
I shuddered.
“It’ll be all right,” Adrianna said soothingly.
I peered up at her from under my lashes. “Things must be bad for you to be so soft with me.”
I’d meant it as a joke, but Adrianna cringed.
“Sorry.” My voice was paper-thin, barely more than a whisper.
“Don’t be. I deserved it.”
She didn’t elaborate. I didn’t ask. Sleep called, a warm hum lulling me back into its embrace. The whisper of leaves against wings and the musty scent of pine filled my senses. I pinched myself and propped my hot eyelids open.
Adrianna’s landing rattled my bones. I hissed through my teeth. Viola’s pain remedies now seemed like a light-blessed gift.
“She’s awake.”
“She is?” Liora choked.
“Thank the sisters,” Cai said, sounding hoarse.
I craned my neck and saw them dash forward to encircle me. Frazer held back, looking positively wraith-like. As if he’d been swallowed by his own grief.
What’s wrong?
No answer.
“How are you feeling?” Liora asked.
“Alive,” I croaked. What else was there to say?
Cai followed up. “There are things you need to know.”
Fear pumped through my veins, making me cagey, alert. “Like what?”
Adrianna cut in. “I’ve told her about the eerie, and that she’s been out a while—”
Cai held up his hand. “That’s not what I was going to say.” He peered down at me. “Serena, after you passed out, I had to make a decision. We could’ve had Adrianna take you back and risk failing.”
Nausea, fierce and grim, struck me. “You didn’t do that though, right?”
Liora shook her head, causing her red curls to catch the sun. “No, but only because as soon as we’d done some basic tests, it was obvious you weren’t hurt; you were suffering from a burn-out—”
“Not ‘we.’ Liora figured out what was wrong,” Cai said, glancing at his sister. A mixture of pride and awe settled over his features. He looked to me again and said, “The body often goes into a hibernating state if it uses too much magic. It’s a common problem among young witches, but I hadn’t thought to look for it in you.” His head cocked to the side at this.
I almost sighed. My body and mind felt close to collapse, but I knew we’d have to have that conversation soon. No way could I kill an eerie and not explain how.
Liora went on. “Now that you’re awake, your body will catch up with itself. You’ll need to drink a lot.”
“And piss,” Cai said with a smirk.
Liora rolled her eyes. And Adrianna said, “I’ll take her.”
Before I could protest, she’d skimmed across the ground with the help of her wings and bounded a healthy distance from the others.
I bristled. “I wanted to talk to Frazer.”
Adrianna just shrugged. “Well, maybe you can get something out of him. We haven’t been able to. He’s retreated into his self-absorbed silence again.”
It would’ve been easy to see only the irritation in her words. But there was something else. Something wholly un-Adrianna. “You’re worried about him?”
She blinked. Damn. What had I missed these past two days?
Adrianna’s azure eyes regarded me. Calculating. But I didn’t see someone unfeeling. Not this time. It felt more like she was weighing how and what she should say.
She began slowly. “When that thing came for you, Cai had already collapsed, and Liora was stashed away up a tree, despite serious attempts to scratch my eyes out.” A faint curl of the lip, which vanished the moment she added, “But Frazer and I had to watch while it choked the life from you. We couldn’t move. And his screams …” Her eyes closed; she looked pained. “You should try talking to him.”
An echo from the attack rang inside me. I remembered his fear. Not for himself, but for me. Heart in mouth, I replied, “I will.”
She gave me a curt nod. “So, d’you need help to piss, or—”
“No!” That loud rasp had my throat aching.
Adrianna’s eyes danced in cool amusement, and she lowered me without a word.
I wobbled, but my legs didn’t give way. Choosing a tree, I hid behind its thick trunk and lowered my leggings. Cai had been right. My body did need to catch up; I was behind that tree for a while. When done, I hobbled out toward Adrianna. My body stiff and aching, I didn’t resist as she lifted me and flew back. The others now sat, resting up against a dead log with packs and weapons beside them. Liora and Cai smiled the second they saw me. Frazer, however, didn’t move. When his eyes traveled to mine, it was a slow, tired movement.
A blank stare.
My throat got stuck. I tapped Adrianna’s shoulder. She didn’t need me to explain. Walking over to Frazer, she set me down and sat opposite me, stretching out her legs.
I let my head fall onto his shoulder. We’re alive.
The reply echoed. As if from a distance. Barely.
I didn’t have an answer. He was right.
I couldn’t get to you. I couldn’t move. It was a whisper, one filled with guilt and fear.
I nodded against his shoulder.
Your mind’s been closed to me while you slept. I couldn’t reach you.
My heart ached something fierce. He’d been left alone again—left in silence. I reached out and entwined our arms. There weren’t words.
“Serena.” Liora was there, crouching in front of us with a flask. “You need water.”
Frazer shifted. Gently, he untangled his arm from mine. “Take it slow. Just sips for now.” He sounded as bad as me. Nothing but hoarse whispers and grating rasps. At least he was speaking.
Thanking Liora, I reached out and tipped the canteen to my parched lips. It hurt to swallow, but the water’s touch soon turned soothing, and a terrible thirst gripped hold. But instead of gulping it down greedily, I did as Frazer suggested. I sipped and sipped until I’d drained the flask dry. Eventually, Cai slipped in beside Liora and handed me his bottle. I didn’t hesitate. Handing Liora back her canteen, I took Cai’s and repeated the process. After that second flask’s-worth, my tongue no longer felt so swollen, and I breathed a little easier.
Cai appeared at me side and took the flask back. He placed it beside him and stared down at it for a moment, lost in thought. I could sense something coming. He turned to face me. “Serena,” he began with a tone.
Oh, rats.
To my surprise, it wasn’t a demand to explain myself that came next. “I owe you an apology.” A bleak statement. “I should’ve held it off—”
“Stop.” I raised a hand in front of me. “You don’t owe me anything. The eerie …” A slow, measured breath. “No one could have done more. No one messed up.”
I directed that last bit at Frazer as well as Cai. It didn’t seem to make much of a difference. They both still looked haggard and a touch nauseous.
“I could’ve done more,” Liora retorted.
For the first time since touching down, I saw the rage there, boiling away underneath a calm visage. Adrianna stiffened. Uh-oh. Liora didn’t level a glare in her direction, but in her brother’s. That was new.
Cai spoke through gritted teeth. “Li, we’ve been through this. Bound or not, you couldn’t have defeated the eerie.”