Page 155 of The Ranger
Maida backed up a step as her hands flew to her mouth. “Then it’s all true,” she said through her fingers. She looked at her mother and grandmother who stood off to one side, holding each other, eyes rounded to saucers.
“I’m sorry,” Maida said to no one in particular. “So sorry...”
“Maida,” Doc said and motioned her over. “Talk to him. Touch him. I’m sure it’s his heart.”
Grandma took her by the arms before she could take a step. “Child, he needs to know you’re here, that you care.”
“But I do care, Grandma. I’m just... I’m scared.”
“Ain’t no reason to be,” Wilfred said.
Maida knelt before the outstretched body of Markhel and took one of his hands in hers. “Markhel. This is my f-fault.” A tiny sob escaped, then another. Was it guilt about to make her cry?
Before she could do or say anything else, she heard riders approaching.
“Thank the Lord, it’s Makama and Vale,” Mrs. Mulligan said.
The Bergs were both on horseback, Cyrus right behind them. They came to a skidding stop just outside the barn, dismounted, and ran inside.
Makama paled. “Oh no.” She bent to Markhel, put two fingers to his neck for a moment, then put an ear and a hand to his chest. “He’s not breathing.” She shooed Maida out of the way.
“Not breathing?” she squeaked.
Maida watched in fascination as Makama tilted Markhel’s head slightly back, pinched his nose with two fingers with her left hand, pulled his mouth open with the right, then kissed him!
“What is she doing?” Mama asked with no small amount of shock.
Doc watched in fascination. “Saving his life is my guess.”
Makama stopped long enough to yell, “Vale, remember how we practiced?”
“Right, darling!” He half straddled Markhel, putting one hand over the other, and pressed on his chest. “One, two, three, c’mon!”
Maida’s jaw dropped. What were they doing?!
She sucked in some air, stifling a sob, backed up a few steps, then stifled another with her hand. Her heart was taking up so much room in her chest it was hard to breathe. Maida’s eyes skipped to the frantic faces of the others, and she realized she was losing the one thing she’d wanted all along. Markhel. She was drawn to him like never before in that moment but didn’t know what to do. She still wasn’t sure if he had any feelings for her, and yes, she still wanted to be loved, but she also didn’t want to see the man die.
Something deep within her snapped into place as realization dawned.
She had to let her heart Call.
She stared at Makama and Vale’s strange efforts to save him. Markhel said their hearts had to marry if he was to survive. He was not of this world...
Hope began to slip away. The kind that made life worth living, and if she didn’t do something in the next few moments, that hope would be gone along with Markhel.
Maida exhaled as if she could cleanse herself of all the stupid silly thoughts that kept her from seeing him for what he was. Hers. “Markhel... you willnotleave me!” She said it with so much force, she dropped to her knees. And then to her surprise, began to sing.
Maida had no idea where the song came from. It was alien to her. She didn’t know the words; they were not in English. But she recognized the soft lilt of the language Markhel had so tenderly spoken to her over the last few days.
Her eyes closed as song flowed from her in such a powerful way her body shook, her chest jerking from the force of it. Yet her song never wavered. It knew where it was going.
Her body swayed in smooth, graceful movements as the melody changed. She still didn’t know what she was singing, but she could sense the meaning of the words. Maida was calling him back from the brink of death.
She sang a few minutes more before her chest grew so hot, she could feel her hearteverywhere.
Her singing stopped, and when she opened her eyes. Markhel was sitting up, supported by Vale, staring at her in shock. So was everyone else.
Makama smiled at her. “Wow. No one said anything about... well, whatever you just did.”