Page 29 of Twisted Bonds

“I’m not-”

His sentence is cut off as a sudden, violent quake shudders through the mountain. The jolt ricochets through the stone, reverberating in my bones with a deafening roar. I yelp, dropping the rusted coil as I desperately try to maintain my balance.

“Mira!” Callum shouts, fear erupting in his voice.

“What’s happening?” I stumble blindly as another shockwave ripples through the stone around me.

“Earthquake!” Callum yells back over the roaring of the ground beneath us that shakes everything in my cell, sending sharp stones skittering across the floor. I fall flat to my belly, holding my hands uselessly over my head.

A large, dark shadow above me catches my eye. It’s a chunk of ceiling, loosened by the quake. My heart rockets up my throat as I scramble to get out from underneath it.

Too late.

It slams down onto my leg, cutting off a horrified scream as agony rockets through me. White-hot pain flares with every heartbeat, washing everything out in a blaze of hurt.

“Mira!” Callum’s voice is raw terror. “Hold on! I’m coming!”

I don’t let my mind focus on that false hope, but when I open my eyes, a dark figure rushes towards me, just as the quake finally subsides. But it’s not a stranger’s face that I find through the settling dust.

The green of his eyes is dull now, almost mossy, as Tairyn breathlessly races to my side. He growls a command as a flash of his Purple Chroma whips to the cell next door. “Stay where you are, Cal.”

“I won’t just sit here!” Callum snarls back, such a stark contrast to the usually mild-mannered man I’ve gotten used to. A raw, primal anger vibrates through his response, heavy with meaning.

“Your interference is not required.” Tairyn’s voice drips with condescension as he kneels beside me. He glances at my leg, barely suppressing his grimace. A shudder works its way up my body at the sight of him, but it’s quickly drowned in the pain's intensity throbbing through me.

He removes the heavy stone from my leg, and I can’t keep the scream from ripping from my throat at the agony. His eyes widen, a flicker of uncertainty passing over them. It’s gone instantly, and I wonder if I imagined it.

Oh god, I’m gonna die.

My breath is heaving in my chest as Tairyn whispers beside me, hands hovering just over my skin. “I’m not much of a healer, but I’ll see what I can do.”

His voice holds none of the mirth or disdain from last night. No games, like his mask is down. He closes his eyes, and a trickle of pure white Chroma, barely wider than a pin, flows from his fingers into my leg.

My eyes widen in astonishment as the milky substance surges forward, like a physical entity that I could reach out and touch. It envelops me with a jolt, weaving through my flesh with a chilling but clumsy touch. Though it lacks the precision of Bobble’s Yellow healing, I can’t deny that it gets the job done as my pain fades away. With cautious curiosity, I steal a glimpse at my gnarled leg and am met with the comforting sight of smooth skin knitting together seamlessly.

Tairyn lets out a deep sigh as the white trickle turns an ashy gray, before releasing the Chroma. “It’s not pretty. It’ll scar, but you’ll live.”

A frantic murmuring next door draws my attention and I call out. “Callum?”

Tairyn’s mouth turns down in a frown, clearly annoyed as he flicks his wrist once more. A burst of vibrant purple light sizzles through the air.

“…son of bitch, I’ll kill you…”

His furious words turn to muffled rumblings again.

“Come. Your recovery will be quicker elsewhere.”

He scans the dungeon warily, as if he’s viewing it for the first time. A frown creases his face, conveying his disgust as he stands up straight. He reaches out a hand to assist me in standing, but then pulls it back abruptly.

“I’m fine,” I grumble, climbing to my feet and suppressing a groan. Much better, but still hurts to put weight on that leg. “I’ll stay here, thanks.”

“Don’t be foolish.” He whips those keen eyes to me. Before I can reply with some snappy comeback, Tairyn’s purple Chroma swirls around him like pulsing shadows. I can’t keep myself from staring as two massive hands form in the purple mist before me.

They scoop me up, lifting me until I hover two feet off the floor. Without a word, they’re carrying me upstairs as Tairyn follows close behind.

fourteen

Mira