Page 74 of Fated for Flames

Turning the corner, I froze.

Theo lay sprawled on the ground in a pool of blood.

I ran over, my heart pounding in my chest. When I reached him, I noticed his breaths seemed shallow and labored, and blood stained his lips.

“Theo!”

I knelt beside him and tried to heal him with my magic, but it felt like something was pushing it back.

I tried harder, making my magic swirl around him but it didn’t seep into his body as it should have.

Through coughs of blood, Theo tried to say my name.

“Help!” I screamed, hoping some of the shifters would hear me.

Suddenly, Chad appeared from around the corner. “What’s wrong?”

“Get Lucien!” I shouted at him through my tears.

Without another word, Chad ran off. I held on to Theo’s hand tightly, whispering words of comfort and pleading for him to stay with me.

Theo coughed up more blood and struggled to talk through his wheezing breaths.

I leaned closer. “Don’t speak. Save your strength. Help is coming.”

He held my hand harder and tried to say something.

I shook my head at him as tears clouded my vision.

“Help is coming. You’ll be okay…. I-I’m here.”

For a brief second, I believed his lips had curved into a smile until I noticed the tears escaping the corners of his eyes.

I looked around in distress. “Where’s Lucien? Why isn’t he coming?”

I tried to get up to get someone else’s help, but Theo’s hand held on tight.

I inhaled deeply and tried to heal him again. Nothing. My magic was being repelled by some unknown force.

When his eyes closed, I shook him. “Wake up. You can’t lose consciousness.”

Panic only increased when I heard Theo exhale as his head turned to the side.

“Theo!” I shook him gently as I repeated his name. But he didn’t respond.

A hand touched my shoulder. When I looked back, Lucien was there.

I moved back and turned to him. “Do something! He’s dying.”

Lucien knelt near Theo, took his vitals, and started CPR.

I watched everything, numb, too scared to be able to speak anymore. Too scared for my friend’s life to be able to move.

After what felt like an eternity, Lucien stopped, cleaning the sweat dripping from his forehead. “He’s gone.”

“No, he’s not. Call Rafe!” I screamed.

Lucien nodded and grabbed his phone which slipped from his bloody hands. Chad grabbed it and gave it back to a trembling potion master.

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