Page 84 of Hidden By the Gargoyle

I skidded to a halt next to them, crouching down. Minerva seemed to be unconscious. I reached out and took her hand in mine, rubbing her forearm gently.

“MinMin, you need to wake up.”

Her head shifted, turning side to side. The bruise on her cheek was even uglier than it had appeared in the mirror. Tears welled in my eyes when I saw the small slice on her throat, the blood dried where it had flowed down her neck and over her collarbone.

As my tears fell, I wished I could heal all these injuries on her. I hated to see her hurt and in pain.

All at once, my hands began to glow with white light. The light encompassed Minerva’s hand and ran up her arm. The shimmering magic moved beneath her skin, spreading up her chest to her throat. The small cut on her neck vanished as though it had never been.

I could feel my magic moving under her skin, into her muscles and bones. There were small fractures in her ribs. They healed with a thought. The bruise on her face shrank and the swelling faded until both were gone as though they had never been.

When my magic sensed that she was fully healed, the flow from my hands into her body trickled to a stop.

Once the white light faded, Minerva inhaled deeply, a low moan coming from her throat, and her eyes opened. As soon as she saw me, she sat up, her hands grasping at my arms.

“Ally, dear goddess, are you okay? What are you doing here? I told you to stay away!”

I patted her biceps. “I’m okay, Aunt Minnie. I’m safe. Sommerton is gone and Talant is awake.”

At my words, she turned and saw Talant kneeling beside her. They locked eyes for a long moment, and I felt something shift in the air, a sort of electricity that seemed to crackle between them before it vanished completely.

“I missed everything, didn’t I?” she asked, turning back toward me.

I nodded. “But that might be for the best because it was pure chaos for a while.”

Her hands came up to cup my cheeks. “You’ve come into your power. I can see it inside you, shining like a star.”

Tears filled my eyes as I nodded. I’d given up hope a decade ago, convinced I would always just be human. I thought I’d come to terms with it, but it seemed I was wrong. Feeling this power shimmering inside me, it was indescribable, and it felt…right.

“Sweet girl, you are exactly who you were meant to be, even before you manifested.”

I nodded, sniffling.

“Now, I think I need to go home,” Minerva said. “My injuries may be healed, but my body still wants to rest.”

“I’ll take you,” I said, getting to my feet. I wasn’t ready to be parted from her just yet. Not with the terror still swirling in my mind at the thought of how close I might have come to losing her.

Dax’s arm wound around my waist, something Minerva noted with a small smile. “Ally, I love you, but I don’t want to be fussed over. I just want to lie down and sleep for twelve hours straight. I’ll be fine on my own.”

Minerva sat up, ready to get to her feet. I reached down to help her, but Talant was already there, his hands beneath her elbows.

“MinMin,” I started to say, but I was interrupted.

A low moan came from the corner, and we all turned together, peering into the darkness. Talant waved a hand and more candles appeared against that wall, flaring to life with flame.

A woman huddled in the corner, her bare legs dirty and bruised. Her blonde hair was matted with dirt and goddess knew what else. She groaned, turning her head toward us and I gasped.

It was Leona. Her hands were bound with silver shackles and attached to her waist with a chain.

Minerva approached her, crouching down just out of arm’s reach. “Leona, can you hear me?”

The shifter cracked her eyes open and stared at her. “Minerva?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Has the blood god awoken?” she croaked.

“Yes,” Minerva answered. “He’s here.”

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