Divine Destiny: Serendipity Saga Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Seven

My father had the mansion turned into Magick HQ within hours. I would later realize that the transition had gone too smoothly to be a new thing.

I was shuffled off into the makeshift infirmary now taking up the day room at the front of the house. The room was crammed with as many gurneys as possible.

Anton was unconscious one bed down from me and I lay on my uninjured side, watching him. His breathing was still labored, his body badly beaten. I'd never seen him so battered.

Anton was something of a pretty boy. He prided himself on his appearance and how others perceived him. He typically stayed out of the fighting though if Henrick's power was any indication, his magick was expansive. He used his abilities for aiding outside of battle but rarely entered it. It made me feel guilty that he'd subjected himself to that beating for me.

My father had arranged with the medics to draw some of Anton's blood for me. They had him hooked up to some standard human blood to compensate while they'd inserted an IV into my arm and had me hooked up to a bag of his blood. It made me feel awful to use him without his permission but I wouldn't be beginning to heal without it.

My necrotic arm had nearly been beyond repair. After plenty of Anton's blood, it was starting to knit back together and regrow healthy skin. The necrotic flesh got pushed to the outside until it crumbled off of me. The inner workings of the arm's muscle and bone structure would take longer to heal though. I felt gross as well as weak and pathetic.

Evelyn had been brought in after us but she hadn't returned from surgery. Blood hadn't been enough to reform her shattered spinal cord so they'd taken her in as a last-ditch effort to save her life. Her prognosis wasn't good.

Last time Will had checked in with me, he'd told me they'd had to rebreak her back multiple times already due to her rapid healing. He'd also explained how she was alive at all.

It turned out that one Aeronyx had remained, Asher Flynn, and he had seen thrown into the rafters and had flown to her rescue, catching her before she'd hit the ground. It hadn't helped the break in her back at all but the fall hadn't killed her either. Evidently, he hadn't left her side since except to move out of the doctor's way.

I hadn't yet been well enough to see her. Hell, I hadn't felt comfortable leaving Anton. He had nearly killed himself for me. He was an idiot. And he was amazing.

His expression was smooth in sleep, his handsome face still. His hair was a matted mess that would've appalled him if he saw it.

An idea struck me. Against my better judgment, I leaned up, dragging my IV along behind me. I opened the wardrobe along the wall, digging through a drawer until I found a comb nestled in it.

I knelt beside Anton. My arm had been placed in a sling for the time being so I had to work around it to reach him. I dragged the comb gently through his hair, using my fingers to unfurl knots and smooth his locks. His hair was short and soft despite the dirt and grime entrapped there.

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt," a soft feminine voice chimed from behind me. I turned to see a dark-haired Magick girl walking up with a bowl of steaming water and a washcloth.

"It's fine," I said, gesturing for the bowl. She was hesitant but finally handed it over to me. The basin was warm against my skin. "I'll take care of him. I'll call if he needs something," I told her, turning back to Anton.

I dipped the cloth into the steaming hot water and ran it over his face and hair, cleaning everything I touched as best I could.

I took my time cleansing his skin gently. The room was busy and full. It was so chaotic that it gave us a sense of privacy despite the lack thereof. A few of the gurneys had curtains equipped to close around them. Most of them, however, had been crammed into position prematurely and were exposed to the rest of the room.