Page 154 of The Ranger
Had he given too much of himself to Maida? Had he made a mistake? But he didn’t want to ever hurt her, didn’t want her to be frightened of him when he needed to feed his inner heart. He wanted her to understand...
Sadie stood before him. “Is he...?”
Grandma sniffed back tears. “I think so.” She gave the others a desperate look. “Someone fetch Vale and Makama, quick like!”
“I’ll do it,” Cyrus sprinted out of the barn.
Honoria and Sadie’s jaws dropped. “Cyrus?”
Markhel saw him mount his horse as quick as a flash and ride off as fast as he could.
His eyes found Maida’s again, and he wished he had the strength to tell her this wasn’t her fault. That he could have handled things differently, said things another way.
She stepped closer, her eyes filling with concern at last. But it was too late. He was going to die.
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Maida’s hands flew to her mouth as Markhel listed to one side, sliding into Grandma.
Mr. Mulligan pulled him upright. “Laddie!” He slapped one side of his face. “Don’t do this! Not now! Ye have to hang on!”
Grandma shifted her position, then stood. “Maida, get over here. Sit next to him.”
She looked at them in horror as realization dawned. “What’s ...”
“Sit!”
She did as Grandma Waller ordered and sat next to him.
“Talk to him,” Grandma said, voice urgent. “Say something, let him hear your voice.”
Maida shook her head. “What’s happening?” But deep down she knew. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, and it wasn’t long before one escaped and then another. “M-Markhel?”
“Touch him,” Irene advised.
She sniffed back tears. “Where?”
“Anywhere!” several of them cried.
She put one hand on his arm and wiped her tears away with the other. She’d been numb a few moments ago, and then suddenly hit with a flood of emotions, half of which she wasn’t even sure what they were. Now this? Did this mean everything he told her was true?!
“M-Markhel?” She looked at Grandma who was blubbering like a baby.
She wiped at her tears. “Talk to him!”
Maida nodded. She had no idea how that was going to help, but after seeing everyone’s panicked looks, she’d do it. “Markhel? Can you hear me?”
Nothing.
Doc waved Mr. Mulligan away. “Let’s lie him down. Excuse me, Maida.”
She let the men stretch Markhel out on top of the hay bales while her eyes raked over his still form. “Is he going to be okay?”
“I don’t know sweetheart,” Doc said. He put his ear to Markhel’s chest. “He’s got a different physiological make up than we do.” He looked at the others. “I can hear a heartbeat, and something else, but they’re faint.”
She shook her head. “You mean...”
“He ain’t human,” Mrs. Dunnigan snapped.