“Yeah, I was. But for the record,” I begin, pointing at his vehicle, “you’re the one who let the genie out of the bottle. This wouldn’t have happened if you had just waited.”
“Yeah, well, I guess there’s that,” he chuckles, scratching his head.
I glance back at Wade. Diana, Blake, and the twins have gotten out of the vehicle. Colton has managed to take a seat next to Wade, who looks utterly incensed. Colton reaches around to the back of Wade’s head, but he bats Colt’s hands away.
Walking up to them, I sputter, “What are you doing?”
“He needs help,” Colt says, turning to face me.
There’s a new sense of confidence rolling off of him, and it makes me pull up short. The Colton from a couple of months ago could barely look me in the eye, let alone speak with such determination.
Wade winces, leaning back on the steps slightly as he props himself up on his elbows. His eyes flutter a bit, rolling to the back of his head.
“Oh, would you stop being such a baby? Let him help you,” Diana says, dropping into a squat in front of them.
Shooting Colton a sideways glance, Wade doesn’t say anything to him but nods his approval.
“What’s going on?” I ask, stepping forward.
Diana holds up a hand. “Just watch.”
Colton leans in, raising his hands and placing them on either side of Wade’s head. Then Colt closes his eyes, his chin dropping down in concentration. Wade closes his eyes as well. I’m not sure if it’s in concentration or exhaustion. Probably both.
Colton blows out a slow exhale. As he does, the space between his hands glows a bluish-green color. The color expands outward from his palms until the light practically obscures Wade’s entire head from view. Raising my right arm, I shield my eyes as I try to keep watching.
After a few moments, the color pulls back, as if sucked into the center of Colt’s palms.
“Remember to ground yourself,” Diana urges, setting a hand on Colton’s knee. “Cat, can you grab him some water?”
Cat nods, racing up the steps and inside.
Colton’s eyes remain closed as he breathes slow and steady, almost as if he’s in some form of meditation.
Wade, on the other hand, sits up straighter. His eyes are bright, and his normal color is slowly returning.
“What in the hell did you do to me? That was…”—Wade raises his hand to the back of his head—“amazing.”
Diana twists around, looking directly at me as she raises an eyebrow, “Quick on the uptake, this one.”
“He healed you,” Cat says, walking out the front door with a tall glass of water in her hand. She holds it out for Colton as she runs her free hand over the top of his cropped hair.
“Thanks,” he mutters, taking the glass with his eyes still closed.
“That’s a thing?” I ask, confused. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”
Blake chuckles, leaning against the SUV.
Diana stands up, walking over to me. “Turns out, a biomancer’s earth connection is best used to heal. Colt’s been working on the ability, but practice on this scale has been a little light. Not that any of us are complaining.”
“Definitely not,” Cat says, her eyes wide as she shakes her head.
Wade pulls his hand back, staring at it. It’s still covered in slightly dried blood, but there’s no fresh blood at all. Slowly, he turns to Colton, his mouth slightly agape.
“I…” Wade’s eyebrows tug inward. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Pretty sure a thank you wouldn’t go amiss,” Dominic chuckles.
Wade’s gaze flits to Dominic, but he returns it to Colton. “Thank you.”
Colton shrugs. “It was nothing.”
“Eh, you’re doing it again,” Diana says, shooting him a severe look. “Knock that shit off.”
Colton’s eyes widen and he nods.
“What’s he doing?” I ask.
“Acting like a little mouse. He’s one of the most powerful biomancers in the world, thanks to his god energy. There’s no reason to hide—”
“His what now?” Wade says, slowly pushing himself to a stand.
Cat walks down the steps, then leans against the railing. “We’re Gemini Twins, remember?”
“What does that have to do with god energy?” I ask, reaching for Wade’s hand and pulling him close. I wrap my arms around him, keeping my gaze fixed on Cat.
“Gemini Twins are created when one child is conceived by a human—and the other by a god,” Diana says. Before I can open my mouth to say anything else, she raises a hand to stop me. “Yes, before you ask, dual conception happens pretty much at the same time.”
“That’s some imagery I won’t be able to get out of my head,” Wade mutters.
“Go Mrs. Gilbert,” Dominic says, clearly impressed. “Rawr.”
Colt’s hand flies to the back of his neck. “Can we not talk about our conception?” he says, standing up.
A woman sharing a remarkable resemblance to Cat walks out the front door, wiping her hands on an apron as she does so. “Did I hear someone say my name?”
“Mrs. G.,” Dominic says, beaming. He practically races up the stairs with his arms open wide.
“Dominic,” Mrs. Gilbert says, matching his stance and embracing him on the porch. Her smile is wide and her dark eyes sparkle with mischievousness. “It’s been a while. So good to see you, dear. How’s your grandma?”
Dominic pulls back a bit, his lips pressed tight. He shrugs slightly, then says, “She’s been better. You know how it is.”
Mrs. Gilbert nods knowingly, patting him on the shoulder as she steps out to the top of the stairs. She reaches out for Colton, kissing the top of his head as he stands a couple of steps below her.
Diana grins, walking up the steps next, with Blake following closely behind. One after the other, they give her a hug until all that’s left is Wade and me.
“Autumn,” Mrs. Gilbert says with a hint of reverence in her tone. “It’s so good to see you, dear.”
I smile back and wave awkwardly. Even though I feel like I should know her, and I guess I may have
