Page 34 of Tethered Magick
I let go of my form, moving back into my human skin as I fell to my knees at the bedside, stroking a hand over Lorn’s hair.
“Come here, baby.” I pulled her cold, motionless body into my arms. I buried my wet face in her neck, breathing in the scent that was so familiar to me—sweet berries, fresh forest, and sugar. “I’m so fucking sorry,” I whispered into her hair, my face damp as I held her corpse.
There were a thousand things to apologize for, and I placed them all behind that one heavy sentiment.
Hopefully I’d have the rest of our lives to apologize. Long fucking lives.
Pulling myself together, I stood, not giving a shit about my nakedness.
Noise on the other side of the room had my heart erupting in my chest in a flurry of fast-paced beats.
My magick gathered and then sputtered. I forced my powers to coalesce and thrust out a hand, juggling Lorn carefully so I wouldn’t lose my hold on her. My blood added to her already stained outfit by the time I’d managed a portal. The familiarity of the location made the task moderately easier, which was good, because my magick gave out before the task was fully complete.
The door burst open as I carried my girl through the portal and slammed it close behind us, getting us the fuck out of there.
Eleven
Lorn
The first thing I noticed when I awoke was the deep hunger pangs in my belly. I was absolutely starving.
What the hell happened?
I groaned and sat up slowly.
“Easy,” Dason called from somewhere nearby, and the sounds of him shifting closer prefaced the hand that landed on my back, helping me upright.
“Dason?” My throat was raw, as though I’d swallowed glass. My vocal cords barely squeaked out the hoarse sound.
I cracked my eyes open only to hiss. The light blinded them so badly they burned, and I slammed them closed to stop the pain.
“Just a second.” The loss of Dason’s presence almost made me cry. “Shh,” he soothed, and the light behind my eyelids dimmed. Then he returned, rubbing soothing circles along my back. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“What… what happened?” I asked, my throat downright irritated.
He hesitated, and a flash of memory assaulted my mind.
“We were attacked,” I recalled.
“You were stabbed.” The velvety timber of his voice roughened like sandpaper.
Gasping, my hands flew to my abdomen. My fingers toyed with the hole in my tank top, but the skin underneath was smooth to the touch, unmarred.
“Mara.” Her name was sour on my tongue. I wanted to purge the name from my vocabulary after the stunt she’d pulled.
Dason growled, and the anger was somehow soothing.
“I… I can’t feel you.” The yawning emptiness in my chest had me clawing at the skin over my heart, like I could physically reach the place inside of me that ached for my mates.
“I’m right here.” He ran his hand over my back again, emphasizing his point.
“But I can’tfeelyou.” I finally attempted opening my eyes again, the dim daylight more of a pounding headache than an anvil splitting my skull open.
“I know.” Dason swallowed hard, the sound loud in my ears.
What was happening to me?
“I can’t feel you either,” he said regretfully.