Once again, Becka focused on Quinn, his body slack and lifeless. She focused her thoughts, feeling the space around him for the telltale threads of magic. There! Around his chest there was this tangle of energy she knew was new and malignant. A single thought and swipe of her fingers disintegrated the magic, and Quinn sucked in a deep, needed breath of fresh air.
Wiping tears from her cheeks, Becka crawled to the pair of wolves lying next to Quinn. She trusted Shamus’s claim that her Null magic couldn’t harm a shifter’s innate power, but this incident with Mimir and the jasmine flowers Ingrid had blossomed in his hair proved shifters weren’t immune to fae magic. Moments later, she’d broken through the magic encircling the shifter pair and they too were once again breathing normally, although their breath sounds were haggard.
Quinn coughed and groaned. Becka wanted to go to his side, but instead she rushed over to Caeda, pulling the bistro table off of her supine form. Bruises covered her exposed skin, and her right leg was bent at an unnatural angle. Remembering her mishap with Hanna, Becka faltered. What if she misjudged her magic and broke Caeda’s gift?
Caeda needed healers, pronto!
“Quinn! Wake up and call for backup. We need healers. And Hamish. And whoever else you can get!” she yelled in his direction.
Ever so gingerly, Becka leaned over Caeda, seeking out the same tangled net of magic around her chest. She Nulled the magic, thread by thread, until Caeda gasped in a breath. With her inhalation, pain distorted Caeda’s face and a high-pitched keening sound issued from her throat.
“Hang in there,” Becka whispered. She wanted to touch Caeda with reassurance, but was afraid to do so with her bare hands.
Had Quinn called for backup yet? Was he able to, was a better question. “Quinn!” she yelled again, panic fraying the edge of her focus, “I need you to rally and make that call. If I stop, they could die!”
“I’m calling,” he mumbled back at her.
Relief surged through her. She could do this!
Next, she ran to Brent on the stairs nearby. She slipped on the blood painting the steps and landed hard on him.
“Shit,” she ground out through her clenched jaw.
He’d have to forgive her for his future bruises. Trying to shrug off her anxiety, Becka deftly raked her hands through the web of magic encasing Brent’s chest. It was thicker, deeper than the others, and for some reason she knew he’d attacked first or otherwise borne the brunt of the attack. Moments later he sucked in air, followed by a halfhearted yip on the exhale.
She patted his fur. “Work it out, buddy.”
“But they won’t be for long…”
Mimir’s words echoed in her mind. She had to hurry. Who else was left?
Saige!
Becka stumbled to her feet and ran over to Saige, who had fallen near Mimir’s vehicle. She slid to the ground, feeling the gravel cutting into the sole of her bare foot. She worked her Nulling magic, and in seconds Saige heaved in a deep breath, shook her head and sat up, and then worked herself up onto her paws.
Saige nuzzled her face, and Becka threw her arms around her friend for a short, rough hug. Saige didn’t appear as heavily affected as the rest, but then she hadn’t been under the influence of the magic as long, either.
When Becka pulled away, Quinn was sitting upright, his pallor gray. He looked around, disoriented, as if he wasn’t quite sure what had happened.
“Did I get everyone?” Becka asked. Quinn and Saige looked around. Caeda lay flat on her back, while Brent and the other wolves were up and in sitting positions.
“Luce?” Quinn asked. “She got thrown into the trees at the start of the fight.” He pointed to the area beyond Caeda and Brent, where Becka knew she hadn’t yet checked.
Becka’s heart sank into her stomach. She leapt to her feet, Saige at her side, and sprinted towards the trees.
Please let me not be too late.
Saige found Luce first, her nose guiding them to a nearby copse of trees surrounded by juniper. Pushing back the sticky, prickly branches, Becka went right to work, ripping her way through the bundle of magical threads wrapped around Luce’s chest. In seconds, they were gone.
But Luce didn’t inhale.
“Luce!” Becka screamed at her, compressing the wolf’s chest in an attempt to make her breathe.
Saige whined and nosed at Luce’s fur. Quinn and the other wolves had risen and came to watch, all waiting for Luce to come to.
Seconds passed. Then minutes. Becka couldn’t see through her tears. Saige lay down, nestling herself against Luce’s body, and let out a high-pitched, keening howl.
Becka sat back on her heels and then stood. She’d saved most of them from Mimir’s magic, yet today felt like a loss. They hadn’t been able to bring Alvilda home, and now Luce would never go home again either. She backed off, giving the wolves space to grieve their packmate.
Quinn had done the same and was squatting next to Caeda. Becka moved to join him. Caeda’s pallor had returned. He fished a packet out of his jacket and withdrew a prefilled syringe, which he injected into her broken leg. After a few seconds, her eyelids grew heavy.
Quinn stood and moved close to Becka. “At least she’s resting comfortably now. Help should be here shortly. Enforcers are sending in an airlift.”
“Do you think they can trace the car?” Becka asked.
“I gave them details and they’re making an effort, but I’m not holding out hope. That road leads through heavy forest and the day’s waning on us. She could hide and wait us out, switch transport, or just outrun us. The Shadow-Dwellers have remained hidden this long for a reason. I bet she’s got any number of tricks up her sleeve.”
“I can’t believe how powerful she was,” Becka replied, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. “What magic was that, anyway?”
“I think it was the binding magic
