chance to explain.”
“How can you ask this of me? I am supposed to be watching you.” His eyes shot down to her hands as he pulled back the sleeve of her dress to expose the Crystor and the absence of scars. “Oh, Kira. Octavion will have my head for this. He forbade you to heal because of the pain it causes you.” When his eyes found hers again, tiny threads of gold invaded them.
“Please. Let me explain.”
“This better be good.” He took back his hands and folded his arms across his chest. “Speak,” he commanded.
“I’m sorry. It was an accident actually. I was bored so I went to his lair. I was rummaging through some books and when I pulled one off the shelf, my healing pack fell out.” It wasn’t really a lie. She just wanted to leave Ussay out of it.
“Everything spilled out onto the floor-including Lydia’s ruby. I wasn’t even thinking when I picked it up. It must have something to do with our connection, because as soon as I did, the Crystor started glowing and came to life. It feels so good, Cade.” Okay, so she gave him the short version, but she was out of time.
“And it did
Kira smiled. “Everything. And I’m stronger too.”
He seemed satisfied with her explanation, but still leery about keeping her secret. He sat for a moment, looking her over, taking in the obvious changes. “Why did you come here, Kira? Why do you want me to keep this from my cousin? He’ll know the truth the moment he sees you.”
Kira thought fast. “It’s not that I don’t want him to know. Honestly, I think he’ll be thrilled to see the Crystor working again. I just want to be the one to tell him. I don’t want you interrupting their meeting with King Tyrious and if he is angry, I want his rage focused on me, not someone else. This is
“Then I will keep it, but only until he returns. If the sun rises before you summon the nerve to approach him, I will show him everything, even your flimsy excuse and story. Now you tell me the truth. What really happened?”
“Do you want more excuses or do you want to walk?”
He let the book slip from his hand. It made a loud crack as it hit the floor. “Pardon?” he asked.
“You heard me. You know as soon as he gets back he will forbid me to heal. He’s afraid I will be hurt or killed. But I’m much stronger here and I felt nothing when I healed my broken finger.” She held it up and flexed it, making a fist. “I can heal you, Cade.”
“But it will cause me pain. I saw how Luka transformed when you healed his shoulder. There is no one here to prevent me from taking your life, Kira.”
“I have an idea about that. Hop up on the bed and I’ll explain.”
He disappeared from the chair, landing in the exact same position a second later in the middle of the bed. “Are you sure this will work?”
“Positive, now roll over on your side.” With his eyes facing away from her, she reached under her skirt and pulled the bottle of V’Larian out of her pack. When she did, the heart pendent fell out of her dress pocket, hit the floor and bounced. She quickly picked it up with the tip of her finger and thumb and stuffed it into her pack. She’d almost forgotten about it. It wouldn’t due to leave it behind, robbing her of her only way to contact Shandira. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Kira went around to the other side of the bed and held up the bottle for Cade to see. “This won’t do anything for the pain, but you won’t be able to move. Is it okay if I use it on you?”
“Yes, but if you are hurt during the process I will not be able to help you.”
“Always the hero, aren’t you?”
He smirked. “Not today.”
Kira poured a small amount of the powder into the palm of her hand, held it up in front of his face and blew. He took in a deep breath, but before the effects took hold, he grabbed her arm.
“You will stop if you are in too much pain?”
“I promise.”
His arm relaxed, as the rest of his body gave into the drug. He closed his eyes.
Kira knew her time was limited, so she climbed on the bed beside him and slipped her hand under the back of his shirt. She ran her fingers across his bare skin until she felt a deep jagged scar the length of a knife blade. She concentrated on the injury. The Crystor burned only slightly, but the pain that raced up her arm and into her chest was like someone pushing acid through her veins. She had to put her other hand on his arm for support to keep from falling off the bed. The healing lasted far longer than she’d anticipated.
Cade began to stir, the muscles in his arms and back swelled and the bridge across his nose widened slightly. When his eyes flew open and she saw the advanced stage of his transformation, Kira put more of her energy into his back to hurry the process. He reacted by tensing his body which shoved her right off the bed. She landed square on her feet and didn’t stumble. A first for her.
Cade grabbed the wooden slat that ran across the bottom of his headboard, breaking it clean in two. He took one look at Kira, sprang to his feet and jumped across the bed to the other side, then backed against the wall. His breathing became deep and labored as he fought the urge to kill.
“Cade, dear,” Kira teased, in spite of the imminent danger. “You’re standing.”
He looked at his feet then raised his head to find her eyes. “Kira.” He said through clenched teeth.
“I know. Just do me a favor and don’t leave this room, at least not until I have a chance to tell Octavion. Can you do that?”
His eyes began to calm. He pushed away from the wall to test his legs. “Yes.” Then he walked the few steps to the bed and braced himself on what was left of the head board. “Thank you.”
“Promise you’ll be good to Ussay and we’re even.”
He smiled. “Deal.”
As Kira left his room, she thought of Lydia and Altaria. She wanted so badly to test her powers and see if she could share her thoughts with them again, but knew it would only alert them to the return of her powers. That is if they didn’t already know. She wanted to heal them-give them back their strength and vigor-but their body had no unhealed physical wounds so Kira would be of little help. The kind of healing they needed was spiritual and only time could mend that. In so many ways, they were on their own.
Chapter Thirty Six
Kira arrived in the courtyard to find Ussay sitting on the edge of the fountain with her arms folded and a disgusted look on her face. Ussay jumped up and started complaining about the men in the stable. She talked so fast her accent kept Kira from understanding most of her words. What she did catch was sporadic and made little sense.
“Ussay, stop.” Kira finally interrupted. “Are they saddling a horse?”
Ussay threw up her arms. “Yes, but it is not the one you requested. When I told them it was for Octavion they refused. They are arrogant fools.”
“What do you mean it isn’t the one I requested?”
“They are preparing Althros. He is a beast of a mount, Kira. Even Octavion would have difficulty controlling him, but they insist he is the horse Octavion would prefer.”
Kira couldn’t imagine Octavion having problems controlling any animal, but then she hadn’t met Althros. “I’m sure it will be fine, Ussay.”
She rolled her eyes. “He is not tame. He was given to Octavion before he left Xantara. The owner wanted to put him down because he was wild and vicious, but Octavion forbade it. He has not been ridden for years.”
Before Kira could respond, a ruckus exploded inside the stable. The sound of splintering wood and metal buckets being tossed about mingled with the vulgar curses of men.
Ussay pointed to the stable. “See?”
“I will deal with the stablemen. I want you to go home. Stay there until I send for you.” Kira needed to get
