The Hirt

Chapter Twenty-Three

21

“Ah, Heather!  I’m glad to see you aren’t dead!”  Damien boomed as soon as the Kidellians entered the building.

“She will be if you don’t come over here and help her out,” Matt demanded, Heather still draped against him. Damien looked a little surprised at Matt’s brashness, but noticed the two holding hands.  He nodded knowingly, a strange glint in his eyes.

“Russia!  Ohmygod, are you okay?”  Heather managed to look up, and noticed Belle sitting at a table with Damien.  Belle jumped up and started to rush over, but Damien stopped her.

“Calm down, child.  Let me take care of this,” he said, before shakily standing up and hobbling over.  Heather groaned and clutched her stomach, her head rolling to the side.  “Give me your hand.  Er, your free hand,” Damien instructed, glancing again at their interlaced hands.  Limply, Heather lifted up one hand and Damien grasped it, closing his eyes.

Heather’s hand started to grow warm under Damien’s touch.  Her fingers tingled, and that feeling traveled up her arm, almost as if someone had replaced her blood with carbonated soda.  Her heart beat slowed down to a much more normal pace, and the ache in her head softened.  She stood up straighter, lessening her weight on Henry, and lifted her head.  The only trace left of Felix was a small red dot on her inner elbow where he had pricked her.  The horrible taste in her mouth slowly disappeared and was replaced with something much sweeter, as if she had just eaten an entire batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies.  She took a deep breath, oxygen easily entering her lungs.  Her skin glowed healthily, but she looked much more normal and less Ivy-like than she had right after she had awakened in the Mordan building.  She felt rejuvenated, happy, and as if she could kick someone’s ass.

Damien opened his bright blue eyes and let go of Heather’s hand, smiling.  “Much better.”

She reached up and touched her cheek, slightly disappointed that the scar was still there.  She didn’t care that much, though.  Heather was just grateful to be alive.  She almost tackled Damien in a hug, muttering her thanks, and he replied with a chuckle and a pat on the back.

“Just glad to have you back,” Damien smiled.

“Whoa,” Heather heard someone squeak from the table, and, pulling away from Damien, she glanced at Belle.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Heather said, smirking.

“This is crazy.  I’m going crazy.  That was . . . like, magic!” Belle stuttered.

Heather laughed.  “Yeah, I went through the same thought process.  You’ll get used to it soon enough.”  Heather’s smile faltered slightly as she remembered what had happened before she had been kidnapped.  “So, wanna fill me in with Sparky over there?”

“Well, after Felix grabbed you out of the crash, Ivy here,” Damien explained, nodding his head to Ivy, who had joined Belle at the table along with Henry and Jimba, “pulled an unconscious Belle out of the car and connected with us, letting us know what had happened.  Jimba and Matt got another car, picked them up, and went to save you after dropping Belle off back here with me, of course.  I healed her back to consciousness, and she explained everything that had happened at the school, and then I explained the whole Kidellian-Mordan situation to her.  Ivy had been pretty banged up from the crash, but she insisted on going to save you.”

Ivy’s face reddened.  “I didn’t want to miss out on the action.  I didn’t really care if Heather was okay or not.”

Damien chuckled.  “Whatever you say, Ivy.  Anyway, then you guys showed up, and that’s about it.”