They each took a giant step back and gave her room. Jaime stood behind her and whispered, “Just focus.”
Lydia closed her eyes. She was pissed that someone had done this to her friend and taken Rick. She could feel the energy gaining in her body. Leaves flew around her. Her hair blew in her face. She reined it all in like a ball of yarn she was keeping stored and focused it on the SUV. How it was supposed to look in her head, not the mangled metal before her. She imagined it up on four wheels and all of the metal pieces returned to their sleek lines. Lydia dropped down to her knees. She could hear the metal screeching and bending back into place, but she didn’t dare open her eyes to check her progress. No, she needed to do this right.
She focused on the dashboard and how it was supposed to look. She imagined pushing it back into place. She heard the slid of the tires against the dirt as she moved the SUV further away from the tree. Brody release a sigh. “You did it, Lydia. Open your eyes and take a look for yourself.”
Lydia unclenched her eyes and peeked from beneath her lowered lashes. Before her eyes stood the SUV. It was still dimpled and crumpled, but it was in the basic shape of an SUV and unbelievably on four tires. Ridge was on the driver’s side of the vehicle, pulling Brody out, careful of his leg. Lydia felt all of her energy drain from her. She could no longer hold herself up. She was going to fall, maybe even go into a sleep, and there was nothing she could do about it. She’d saved Brody, but not Rick.
The general scooped her up in his arms. “Just close your eyes and rest, Lydia. I’ve got you.”
****
Lydia lay limp on her bed. She could tell by the feel of the familiar mattress and covers that surrounded her. Rick’s masculine scent drifted to her nose, the smell still embedded in the pillows from the night before. Lydia struggled to open her eyes but couldn’t muster the energy. Her thoughts were hazy at best, remembering how she’d come to this place in her life. All of her limbs felt like bricks attached to cement. She was going nowhere fast. She was living in her own personal hell. Feelings like this was the reason she lived on caffeine. She’d have attached an IV of the black stuff into her arm had she known that trying to save the day was going to wipe her out. This was a new low for her, one she hoped to never experience again, but she knew the wish was futile. She’d been in these types of situations before but never when a car was involved, never when someone was depending on her to use her gifts to fix things.
Rick needed her, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
Lydia felt the tiniest of pinpricks at her feet. It was like her whole body had fallen asleep, everything except for her mind that replayed her vision over and over again. Taunting her that she was about to lose. The little prickles were followed by a warm sensation that increased as her body started to regain feelings she’d thought she lost. The warmth flowed through her, heating her from the inside out. The feeling traveled up to her legs and into her chest, just hovering above her heart, bringing life back to everywhere it touched. One arm and then the next, all the way down to her fingertips and stretching back up to her shoulders. Her head cleared without the anxiety she’d expected to feel. She knew she was safe from the things that scared her, safe from the troubles she’d run into next.
Rick needed her, and she’d use her last breath to save him, the same breath that was becoming less laborious by the minute. Lydia blinked her eyes open, relieved she’d guessed correct and found she was no longer in the woods where she’d fallen from exhaustion. Jaime’s familiar face came into view. Jaime’s hands still hovered over Lydia’s fatigued body that was slowly waking from its latent state. Lydia knew instantly she had been touched by a gift. Jaime’s gift.
“Welcome back. How do you feel?” Jaime asked with a grin.
“I’ve been better.” Lydia tried to push herself into a seated position but couldn’t muster the strength.
Jaime frowned. “Can’t you sit up?”
Lydia managed a shake of her head. “Not yet, but I’m getting there. Do you think you could find me some coffee or chocolate, anything with caffeine will work?”
Jamie tilted her head. “Coffee? Really? I used the best magic trick in my arsenal, and it didn’t help.” Jamie threw her hands up.
“It worked on Brody, and you have the same gift. Why didn’t it work on you?”
Lydia struggled with all of her might, pushing into a seated position, albeit leaning against the headboard, but it worked just the same. “It worked just fine. You pretty much brought me back from the brink of death, but coffee will just give me an extra kick.”
Jamie left the room and returned minutes later with a steaming cup of coffee. “This stuff isn’t a healthy way to regain your strength.”