Too long she had suffered. For three years, I’d watched her health decline, watched her skin stretch thin and bones break again and again. I hoped that today would be her last one filled with pain. That tomorrow, she would walk again without crying. Without breaking.
“You’ll understand soon, Haven. Trust me,” I whispered, but a tear of frustration slipped down her cheek anyway. I wordlessly communicated with Reagan to distract Benji, to keep him away from his mother while I attempted the impossible. If all went wrong, I didn’t want him to see. In the back of my mind, I tucked away the knowledge that Reagan had left the Safehouse again. A cocktail of fear and anger swirled in my gut, but I shoved it down—for now. I would deal with that later.
There weren’t many Fae in the living quarters this time of day, most at dinner, so when I lowered Haven onto an unused cot in the women’s dorms, we were alone. As I fussed with the pillow beneath her head, she wouldn’t look at me. Inwardly, I sighed. She was mad. Mad at me. I clenched my jaw, reminding myself to apologize later. But this had to be done, and now.
Come tomorrow, I didn’t know where I’d be. If I’d be alive or dead. Or worse—a prisoner. When she was as comfortable as I could make her, I slipped the stone from my pocket, the familiar jolt of power zipping through my veins. I made sure Haven got a good look at the crystal. “See this? Only a week ago, this crystal healed my shattered bones.”
Her eyes widened and she sank further into the pillow, as if to flee the green object. “Is it dangerous?”
I thought of Reagan, curled on the floor in agony as her wings tore from her back. Inhaling deeply, I blinked away the image. “No, because you won’t be touching it. But I need to touch you. Will you . . . will you let me?” I’d never asked before. Shame twisted my gut. What if she didn’t want to be healed?
“Of course, Tarik.” When I looked at her, she smiled faintly. “You never have to ask. I know that you’ve been making me feel better all these years. Healed me, even. I don’t know how, though. I’ve never seen a Fae do what you can, but . . .” Her eyes flicked to the crystal again.
But my healing attempts hadn’t been enough. Maybe today, with the help of the Genesis Crystal, she would at last find relief.
When I laid a hand on her arm, the familiar weight of her ailments pressed down on me. So much damage. So much wrong. She was still young, barely in her thirties, yet she felt so old. With the crystal’s strength coursing through me, I spread my magic throughout her body, seeking, mending.
What I hadn’t been able to fix before, I was able to repair. Brittle bones became hard and smooth. Her skin regained elasticity, hiding a network of blue veins. A healthy flush stained her cheeks as the red blood cells in her body multiplied. Sweat beaded her forehead, but she kept silent.
Just when I dared hope she was healed, I felt the wrongness creep back in. It was like a disease attacking the good, healthy parts of her. Every time I repaired the damage, a new bad cell would pop up, slowly undoing my work. I bit back a growl of frustration.
Too soon, my magic depleted. Sweat slid down my neck as I slowly rose to my feet, exhaustion sweeping through me.
“Rest, Haven. I’ll be back to check on you in the morning.” Her eyes drifted shut before I’d finished the sentence, her expression almost peaceful. But as I quietly left the room, a fresh weight settled on my shoulders.
You failed.
“I know,” I whispered.
—
Our new relationship dynamic was fragile, but I didn’t seek Reagan out. I knew I should, but instead, I avoided her. And not only because she had left the Safehouse on a mission that could have exposed her to the dragons. My inability to fully heal Haven had left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I wanted to be alone. She had relied on me all these years and I’d failed her. I didn’t think I’d ever have the strength to heal her completely, even with the crystal’s help.
And so maybe I was wallowing. Pouting. Whatever.
But I needed space.
Reagan wouldn’t find my hiding spot in the men’s communal bathroom. I turned the shower on scalding hot, needing to cleanse away the sickness and hopelessness of another failed healing. As I stepped under the spray, I wished the water could melt away the helpless feeling in my gut. The feeling that Benji would soon be an orphan and there was nothing I could do to save him from that fate.
“So why exactly did you think I wouldn’t want to know about this little adventure you’ve been planning?”
Startled, I knocked an elbow against the stall’s tile. Then cursed under my breath. She found me. “Can we talk about this later, Reagan? I’m kind of busy right now.” Thankfully the white shower curtain hid me from view.
“I mean, now seems as good a time as any.” Her tone was clipped, agitated.
“Now isn’t a good time for me,” I ground out. Then reined in my riotous emotions. A little. “It’s been a stressful day. Give me a minute?”
“Sure. One minute. I’ll be outside.” A short pause. “You’ve got to talk to me, Tarik. Trust me. Or this won’t work.”
“Yeah. Talking. Sure,” I muttered. Like the way you told me you were leaving the Safehouse again? I chomped down on my
