I heard her voice in my head. My eyes widened in surprise, but her eyes continued to stare into mine, as if what she had just done was the simplest thing in the world.
“Ryland is in there.” I tried to keep my voice level, not wanting to send her into a panic with the shock I was feeling at just having heard her voice in my head.
Don’t let me see him. I will kill him if I see him.
I balked at her words, my jaw loosening in shock. I could hear the truth behind them, the conviction in her tones. She truly believed what she was saying. It couldn’t be. I wished I could blame her misplaced intentions on what the imitation of Ryland had done to her in the T?uha, but I had heard Ovailia’s words. Edmund had intentionally marred them both, making them weapons against each other. Joclyn’s words only confirmed it.
I struggled to keep my anger restrained. The pain of hearing Wynifred’s screams, of losing Talon, mixing with the anger I felt at what Edmund had done to Joclyn and Ryland before it threatened to explode. He had manipulated them for his own use.
“Joclyn…” I began, unsure of what to say.
I can do it. Take me to her.
I said nothing. I didn’t know what else could be said. Joclyn only looked at me for a second before closing her eyes, her hand wrapping firmly around mine as she stood, her body bent and crippled from the torture her mind had gone through.
Wyn yelled again, and I knew I couldn’t wait. I wrapped my arm around Joclyn, bringing her close against me as I led her through the door.
Sain and Ryland stiffened when I brought her in, both men taking a step toward her in longing. Both men drawn to her for different reasons. I shook my head at them frantically, hoping they would understand. Ryland still attempted to move toward me, but Sain wrapped his hand around Ryland’s strong bicep, bringing him back against him.
“Do you remember when we took her to the beach?” Thom’s voice was soft as he tried to keep Wynifred calm with memories of her long forgotten past. He didn’t notice us until we were right in front of him, Joclyn’s body moving toward Wynifred as if she sensed exactly where she was.
Thom sat back as Joclyn fell on top of her friend, her torso draping over Wynifred’s, her hands extending to cover the moving marks on her arm. I could feel Joclyn’s magic surge at the touch, the air around her sending a powerful aura right into me. I felt the surge a moment before everyone else could see it.
The air around Joclyn rippled as her magic continued to swell. She pulled the magic out of the air, the stone, and the earth. She brought it into her, using the power as she would her own, her control, above any I had ever seen.
The air continued to ripple visibly, the breath of everyone held in place as they watched. Silence filled the room as Joclyn’s body and magic smothered Wynifred’s pain. Even with the energy Joclyn was channeling, the marks still moved on Wyn’s arms, the curse still seeping into her heart in an effort to kill her.
“N-n-need m-more.” Joclyn’s voice was quiet, her magic straining as she began to sweat.
I moved closer to her, my body hovering over hers as I leaned down to whisper in her ear. I could see Ryland shift uncomfortably at my close proximity, his intent to injure me obvious. Without Sain and Thom there to restrain him, he probably would have.
“Use me, take it through the ?tít,” I whispered softly, not wanting Ryland or Sain to hear.
I began to push my magic into her, the full strength of it filling her for one moment before she grabbed it and pushed it into Wynifred. As soon as she did, I could feel Wynifred, feel the curse, but I could also feel that my magic was not fully mine. I could feel it. I could recognize what it was doing, but it was Joclyn who controlled it.
“M...more...Il...Ilyan...” Her voice dropped as she began to pant, the work involved in healing Wyn becoming too much for her.
I looked away from her to the three men at the other side of the room. They watched our actions, fear, amazement, and anger spread across each of their faces. I knew what my next action would mean to Ryland, to Sain, but it had to be done.
I moved Joclyn’s hair out of the way, shifting it around her neck to reveal the raised dragon shaped brand on her neck. The kiss stared at me from her smooth skin as I unwrapped my bandaged hand, letting the smooth covering fall to the floor and revealing the angry red scar of the burn.