Sam called after her, but she ignored him, jamming her hands into her jeans pockets. As she walked, people sidestepped as if she were something to scrape off their shoes.
Feeling even more alienated, she hunched her shoulders and kept her gaze down.
In the town square, elephant’s ear trees stretched out their shady branches, providing relief from the constant heat. Violet-, crimson- and pumpkin-colored flowers bloomed among thatches of grass. A mother sat on a stone bench, watching a young boy kick a soccer ball on the walkway. She glanced at Kelly and gave a small smile.
It was the reason why she’d started Sight Finders. She wanted to reunite families who’d been torn apart.
Emotion clogged her throat as she watched the little boy chase the ball. He was about Pete’s age. Sam adored his little brother. Promised to always take care of him.
Turning her back, she walked away from the little boy. Straight toward...
The Elemental college student who’d called her a bitch. Was anyplace safe from these damn Mages? The girl spotted her, grimaced and whispered to her companion.
Enough. Better to take Sam’s cruel coldness than a stranger’s insults.
A flicker of movement from the bushes caught her eye. The slither of a forked tongue testing the air. Kelly’s heart went still as she glimpsed fangs bigger than steak knives. The searing stench of blood and death tangled in her nostrils.
Sam’s warding hadn’t killed all the monsters.
“Oh, dear gods.” Panic rose in her throat as the girl and her friend drew closer, seemingly oblivious of the danger.
Kelly murmured a quiet chant and sent power streaming into the bushes.
The snake opened its mouth and swallowed the streaming current like a tasty morsel.
She settled for a verbal warning. “Get out of here, move it!”
The girl scoffed and continued advancing. The snake slithered out of the bushes, aiming for the Elemental’s ankle. As the reptile rose up to attack, Kelly launched herself and grabbed the snake, yanking it away.
Hissing, it turned and bit Kelly’s shoulder. Fiery pain licked down her arm, but she grabbed the snake around the neck, struggling to contain it. Screams and gasps from onlookers. Magick words escaped her, spells lost in a red haze of pain. She needed powerful magick, Elemental magick...she laughed, a sob of white-hot agony as she remembered the triskele in Sam’s hand.
White electromagnetic energy crackled. As precise as a bolt of lightning, the energy struck the snake and killed it.
She looked up at the girl, who held out her glowing palms.
“Good shot,” she rasped. “Thanks.”
Respect shone in the girl’s face. “Thank you, for saving my life.”
Gritting her teeth, she managed to pull into a sitting position, the agony in her shoulder feeling like muscle pulled off bone.
She heard the screech of car tires. Sam jumped out and left the door to
The wound had turned an ugly grayish mass. Blood seeped from two puncture holes.
“Ilthus,” she managed to say. “Don’t know how it evaded your magick.”
Sam glared at the crowd. “Goddammit, get back, give her air. This isn’t a damn sideshow.”
The crowd quickly dispersed, except for the girl she’d saved and her male friend.
“I’m Nancy,” the girl said, kneeling down beside Sam. “How can I help?”
“Got hand sanitizer?” At her nod, Sam handed her his knife. “Sterilize this.”
When she’d handed it back, he turned to Kelly. “Hang on. This isn’t going to be fun. I’ll try to go easy.”
“Don’t,” she grated out. “Just take care of the poison.”
Sunlight flashed on the blade he raised to her skin. Burning pain laced her shoulder, the agony making her stomach clench as warm blood flowed down her arm. Oh, gods, that hurt.
“I’ve lanced the wound, but the venom already invaded your central nervous system.” He sounded calm and cool. “I’m going to have to send my powers streaming into your body.”
“Ah.” Kelly bit her lip so hard she drew blood. The pain made it hard to see, to breathe. She inched away from him, shaking her head. “You’re going to fry my insides.”
“No, I’ll hold back. Trust me.”
Shuddering in agony, she drew away. The hurtful words he’d flung at her still stung. After he’d shattered her fragile hopes, how could she believe him?
“Not when the trust isn’t mutually exclusive.”
He sighed. “I know I acted like an asshole. I’m sorry I said those things. But please, let me help you.”
Hand on her chin, Sam tilted her face upward to meet the regret in his gaze. “Please, Kel? I fucked up royally and insulted you badly. But don’t let that stand in the way of me doing my job.”
Now the pain felt as if she’d thrust her arm into a roaring furnace. Tears leaked out of her eyes. “Duty and honor. Doing your job. You want to save me because you’re under orders and you’ll obey, good SEAL that you are.”
“No,” he said quietly. “Screw the order. I want to heal you because I care about you and if I lose you, part of me will die, as well.”
At this glimpse of the real Sam, the tightness in her chest eased. Kelly nodded. “Okay. Fry my organs, but have someone serve them with fava beans and a nice Chianti. Very yummy. Or so says the good Dr. Lecter.”
He gave a soft smile. “That’s my girl.”
Sam stretched out his hands, warming them in the sun. Power pulsed through him, wreathing his muscular body. His expression intense, like a predator’s, the green in his eyes a blaze of emerald, he went very still.
Cold knots twisted her stomach. He was going to throw that current at her, inside her, and she’d seen living things vaporize beneath the force of that violent power.
“Stay as still as possible.”
Kelly closed her eyes. She felt Sam’s hands on her shoulder, strong and yet gentle. Warmth spilled into her body, shooting down from the wound into her shoulder. She felt it snaking through her core, chasing away the hot agony with cooling relief. Strength returned to her weakened muscles.
“Oh, wow, sweet,” Nancy murmured. “I’ve never seen that before.”
“Curing through energy manipulation,” her companion stated in a smug voice. “Basic electromagnetic light therapy, commonly used in healing ceremonies. Although I’ve never seen it demonstrated on an Arcane, because that kind of power is wasted on them.”
“Stop it, Mark,” Nancy snapped. “I’m sick of your attitude. She saved my life.”
The last of the venom vanished beneath the humming current of Sam’s power. Kelly felt refreshed and energized.
“You okay?” he asked, searching her face.
“I could run a marathon. But I’d need a few power bars first, because I’m really hungry.”
“I’ll be damned,” he said softly, gazing at his still-glowing hands. “I still have power.”
“But you healed me.”
“I held back. Didn’t want to risk burning you.” Sam glanced around.
“Thank you,” she told him. “This is the second time you gave my life back to me.”
Sam stroked a single finger down her cheek, his gaze tender. Nancy looked at her with newfound respect,
