Ezra’s fingers dug into my hair, holding my face tight to him. “Let her go.”
I heard Elder Venclaire groan, his hand sliding off me, then the bed wobbled crazily.
Cahal cursed by my feet as he released me, and I felt the bed move again, and he was shouting sharply, “Venclaire! Venclaire!”
Elder Jacobs interjected, “He’s fine. That’s what happens. He has only passed out and should recover in a few hours. His Core will take longer, but he’ll be up and about in a few days.”
Antonio’s voice was closer than before, virtually beside me, asking softly, “Lil? How are you?”
“How do you think she is?” Ezra growled, his grip tightening. “You were in the fucking room.”
I tried to fortify myself, but it came out a croak when I said, “I still can’t move.” It was driving me crazy. It was claustrophobia on a whole different level. “It’s worse than before.” Before, I knew I was dying. It made sense. Now, my Core was semi-filled and I felt somewhat better, and it felt like I should be able to move. But I couldn’t, and my wolf was snarling in boxed-in anxiety, no longer at peace to die.
As the room went silent, Elder Jacobs stated quickly, “That’s what happened to the kid I saw before.” He paused. “She needs a Mage’s healing massage to revitalize her muscles.”
“Makes sense,” Antonio murmured, even as I felt the bed dip. “Ezra, you’re going to have to let her go while I do this.” Ezra growled a little, the vibration in his throat tickling my nose. “It’s not up for discussion. I’ll do her back first, so place her on her stomach.”
“Ezra, let me go,” I whispered, my wolf riding my voice hard. “I feel trapped like this.”
I felt his chest heave against me, but he nodded, gently laying my limp body next to him and turning my face on the bed so I could see him, his face stoically blank, with the others in the room. “Your wolf’s going insane?” He knew enough to deduce the issue.
“Yes,” I growled, my wolf literally pushing at my mind to break free, my eyes glowing fiercely and my heartbeat no longer lazy, instead skyrocketing. “And honestly, it’s freaking me the hell out.”
“Alright, sweetheart.” Ezra brushed hair off my cheek, glancing over my head. “Do it, Antonio.”
The bed moved again as Antonio readjusted himself, and I sighed as magically healing hands began massaging my shoulders, making my muscles twitch as his power jolted them.
Ezra glanced at Elder Jacobs, demanding, “This will heal her?”
Elder Jacobs nodded slowly as Antonio’s hands started moving down my arms. “She’ll be sore, but her Core and body will be back to normal within the week.” He nodded to Elder Venclaire, who was passed out on the bed. “As will he.”
“Well, that’s better than fucking stasis, which would be the only other alternative to keep her animal from making her insane if she was paralyzed,” Elder Merrick muttered, glancing at Elder Jacobs. “Could you imagine us on the brink of war and having the Queen Shifter unconscious for six months?” He paused. Blinked. “Wait, what the hell am I saying? She can’t be our Queen!” His voice rose to a fever pitch. “She’s a damn hybrid, which Farrar here fucking knew all along!”
“She is your Queen,” Ezra expounded, Antonio’s hands not faltering at Elder Merrick’s pronouncement, massaging into my shoulder blades. “What makes you think she’s not?”
Elder Merrick sounded like he was restraining himself. “A hybrid should be Lawfully dead. A hybrid is what creates those fucking freaks of nature. But most importantly, a hybrid cannot do a fucking Awakening!” He cursed hard.
Ezra took a deep, shuddering breath, and with as much restraint as what Elder Merrick had sounded like having, he said softly, “Your Queen has had her tubes tied magically so she can’t have children. Your Queen has done an Awakening. Successfully. And I, and your Queen, believe that fucking Law to be archaic, and brutal to the extreme of murder.”
Silence.
Sounding mystified, Elder Merrick muttered, “Truth. All of it.” A pause, then a half-frenzied, gravelly chuckle sounded from him, which he tried to contain as he muttered quietly, “The no condom thing makes sense now.”
“The four Awakenings before graduation,” Cahal said softly, ignoring Elder Merrick. “That’s when she did it.”
“Yes,” Antonio spoke calmly, kneading his fingers into my back muscles. “I have it all on videotape in a secure location so that no one can claim otherwise.”