I crashed into Liam, the energy from Waleron’s blast still vibrating through him and sinking into me. But he was stunned for a second, and it was a second I needed.
I plunged my knife into his heart then snapped his neck. Shoving him away from me, his body landed with a heavy thud on the floor. It wasn’t enough to kill him permanently.
I looked at Waleron who was crouched beside Rayne, hands cradling her head. “Finish him?”
Waleron nodded and stood.
I fell to my knees beside Rayne and dragged her limp body onto my lap, hand covering the wound in her neck. But it wasn’t the only blood. I slid my hand down her lower back. Shit. She had a wound in her back, too. Fuck, she was losing too much blood.
“We need Anstice here ASAP,” I said to everyone.
I applied pressure to the wounds. But her heartbeat slowed. I watched for an inhale. Exhale. Fuckin’ anything.
My guts twisted.
She wasn’t fuckin’ breathing.
“Someone, get Anstice,” I shouted. “You do not get to die on me, damn it. Do you hear me?”
The smell of singed flesh wafted into the air and I knew it was Waleron destroying Liam’s body.
“Waleron.” I lifted my head as he approached. “Can you Trace her to Anstice?”
“He can’t do that.” Delara jogged up beside me and knelt on the floor on the opposite side of Rayne. “He can only Trace with me.”
“I need a goddamn Healer. Now.”
“I can Trace Anstice here,” Edan said.
He put his hand on Delara’s shoulder and squeezed. I realized why the Wraith was here—he came to protect Delara. He swirled in a cloud of red dust and disappeared.
Delara slipped her hand in Rayne’s as tears rolled down her cheeks. Waleron hovered close. The CWOs were dead and had disintegrated to return into their insect form. Jedrik, Keir, and Tye chopped heads off dead vampires.
Within ten seconds, Edan was back with Anstice, who looked unsteady from the Tracing as she stood frozen for a second. Then her eyes landed on Rayne.
There was no hesitation as she skidded to the floor on the opposite side of me. She glanced at Delara. “Your emotions are too distressing and will leak into her. She’s a Reflector, Delara. You can’t be near her right now.”
Anstice looked at me, and I raised my brows, daring her to tell me the same thing. I had my emotions locked down and there wasn’t a chance I was letting Rayne go.
Delara stumbled to her feet and backed away, her hand to her mouth. Then she turned and walked away. Edan’s eyes landed on Waleron. Neither moved nor said a word for a second. Then Edan swirled into red dust and vanished.
Anstice lowered her hands to her chest first, and within seconds, Rayne’s chest rose and fell.
“Kilter,” Anstice said. “I have to heal her throat and wound, and—”
“I’m not letting her go,” I said with a fierce scowl. Not a chance in hell.
She nodded. “Fine. Turn her on her side.”
I gently lowered Rayne off my lap to the floor and steadied her with my hands on her hips while Anstice put her hands on the stab wound on her lower back.
I clenched my jaw as the pain from the stab wound hit me and Anstice gasped. Fuckin’ Healers had one shit job feeling everyone’s pain as they healed them.
It took several minutes before Anstice moved up her body to her throat and the process repeated. Once both wounds were healed, she ran her hands lightly over Rayne’s body and heat slowly warmed her skin and color rose in her cheeks.
Anstice sat back on her heels. “She’ll be weak from the blood loss, but she’ll be okay.”
I closed my eyes briefly as relief sifted through me. I didn’t want to feel that shit again. Running. Not being able to get to her. Seeing a vampire’s teeth sink into her.
Rayne didn’t need this shit in her life.
I hadn’t noticed Keir, but he now stood behind Anstice and helped her to her feet. “You good?” he asked.
She frowned. “I should be asking you that. You’re covered in blood.”
“Not my blood, babe.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Good to hear, honey.” Then she turned to me. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and I did what I couldn’t do the last time. “Thank you.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome.” Then she walked away with Keir toward the commotion with Damien and his Ink in the other room.
I lifted Rayne into my arms, stood, and locked my gaze on Waleron. “Don’t give a shit what you say or think about it.” He stiffened. “Your daughter is mine.”
I watched Damien pace back and forth, his eyes every so often locking on me and Simian. Balen’s Ink matched his steps as if a shadow, except this shadow could kill with one leap. Simian protected me from the Scars and I knew why. I was their enemy. Liam might be dead and I was free from his commands, but that didn’t change the fact I was a vampire with the dangerous ability to change water into blood.
I hated it.