Ancient Wings : Book 1 - Aegis

60 - Inside Out

Cidney stayed where he was on the broken glass of the shattered coffee table, watching the Succubus' body stop convulsing.

He focused on breathing.

That had hurt like hell.

He groaned as he sat up. Wiping the blood from his face, he flicked his fingers and her body went up like tinder.

The hotel room was destroyed. Pieces of drywall fell from the ceiling, holes the size of people were through the walls. Almost the entire room was destroyed.

He needed to move before some hotel staff comes and end up calling the cops.

As she finished burning, he got to his feet and gasped.

The stabbing pain in his side told him at least one rib was broken. Bruising was everywhere, but that he could live with.

He sat on the torched bed and closed his eyes.

The Succubus had gotten a lucky shot. He had just thrown her through the bathroom wall. Tile shattered as she hit and dropped. He was pulling more energy to throw a lightning bolt when the ceramic toilet came through the hole in the wall, slamming into his side.

A fucking toilet broke his ribs.

He was never telling Saree about this.

He poured energy through his body. Fixing his broken ribs, he whimpered as they sealed. He sat, trying to get his breath back as he watched the body burn.

When her body was just a black mark on the carpet, he got to his feet and made his way out of the hotel stealthily, trying not to stagger.

Driving home had him breathing deeply from the pain.

He needed to heal more of his bruises when he got home. Then hot chocolate and a soak in the tub.

After what felt like forever, he started climbing the stairs to his apartment.

Raised voices caught his ear.

When he reached the landing, he found the guys' apartment door open. Shouting was coming from inside so he walked in.

"Damn it. More gauze!" Khaius snapped.

"No, I need stitches." Kraten's voice was exhausted.

His own pain forgotten, Cidney hurried through the apartment and pushed a bedroom door the rest of the way open.

Kraten was on his back in his bed, his shirt gone, his body slashed and bloody. His jeans were open so his hand could press against his lower abdomen. His other hand was holding just above it. Both were soaked in blood.

Someone had tried to gut him.

Cidney stood there, stunned, as Kraten gave Khaius instructions on how to stitch him up.

Well, he had a better way.

He moved past the others and nudged Khaius out of his way. His hands covered Kraten's. He met his silver eyes.

Kraten's sweating face was almost white from blood loss.

"I've got you, old man." He closed his eyes and concentrated. His marks glowed as he pulled energy and moved it through his hands. "Move your hands," he muttered.

When Kraten's hands lightened the pressure, Cidney moved his own hands under his.

Round, slippery organs met his fingers.

No one TRIED to gut him, they had SUCCEEDED.

He concentrated on running that energy through Kraten's body, forcing tissue to knit and mend. Scars were inevitable with this kind of healing but at least the guy wouldn't be down long.