Thicker than Blood - Book One (Watty Awards 2012)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

My legs were already moving, breaking out into a run towards them before I'd even given a conscious command to do so. I urged my body to move faster.

Tlanextic had dropped his burden to the hard ground gently, one of the people he'd carried Eliza. The partly Siren girl was covered in grime and dust and even blood and she staggered when the Arch Angel let go of her.

Dropping to her knees and shaking with tremors that seemed to be part shock and fear and part exhaustion. Still her eyes went to the other form on the ground, concern creasing a dust covered forehead.

'Is she alright?' Eliza asked hoarsely.

My attention was on Amelia. Her leg at an odd angle and her clothes much in the same disheveled and grime covered state as those of Eliza. She was deathly pale and blood from a gash above her eye had painted the left side of her face completely red.

Her chest was heaving as if she was struggling desperately to breath properly, the sound painful and labored.

I was already on my knees beside her, skimming first one hand up her broken leg. Barely touching her but blasting her with power to heal and knit the broken bone. As my hand reached her hip I felt more bruises that I instantly healed.

It also seemed as if many of her muscles had suffered from over exertion, as if her entire body had been put under massive strain. I soothed away those aches wherever I found them without pause.

Reaching her chest I felt a sharp pang of worry shot through me, I couldn't find the reason for her labored and painful breathing... There were bruises on her back and she'd clearly bit her tongue but other than that?

I healed the gash on her face and the concussion her brain had suffered and only then did I notice the black stain on her throat, spiraling outward and covering a tiny fraction of the mark. I knew it was the word Loyalty that had been damaged, stained with that black.

What was that?

I tried to remove it with my healing power and found that I couldn't... There was something there, something foreign, magic of some sort.

The Demon's.

This was the Demon's doing for sure. Was this the poisonous effect of the Demons nails? I cursed myself for my lack of knowledge, fear a tight band around my heart. A different kind of fear.

But that was momentarily washed away when my beautiful Ams opened her eyes and smiled.

*

With a relieved smile I looked up at Nathaniel, my mate and the love of my life. He was glorious in Ancient Celtic armor even with the black and red blood that covered him. His eyes were dark and stormy, worried, but they flashed warmly when he noticed my smile.

'Hey,' I croaked to him, trying to reassure him that I was alright. He'd healed me because there was no longer any pain except the burning in my throat. That was the Demon's doing and I wasn't sure what it was but I knew it wasn't fatal.

Sitting up I swayed a little and with shock I realized I still couldn't feel Nathaniel through our bond... Was that Devon blocking it still?

Nathaniel bend down further so he could hold me tightly to his chest, breathing out heavily and then breathing in my scent. 'I'm so glad you're safe again!'

So was I of course but I still felt restless, it wasn't over yet. Someone was still masking my bond with my Mate and it had to be Devon. Where was that bloody wolf?

I pressed myself into Nathaniel's chest, ignoring the hilt of a dagger digging into my stomach. Over his shoulder I looked around, scanning my surroundings even though one eye was still closed, the dried blood gluing my eyelid to my cheek.