Page 77 of Princess of Thieves

Completely gone.

Then it seizes me. I blink and find only darkness, the floor falling away from me, everything cartwheeling out from under me, and when I pry my eyes open a second time Rob’s sitting on the edge of his bed, rubbing the spot where an ugly arrow scar used to be.

“You okay?” Tuck grabs both my shoulders, scans my eyes, worried. “We lost you—”

“Just a second,” Will says, hovering just behind Tuck. “You lost your balance.”

“I’m...” My throat feels like I swallowed gravel. “I’m fine.” I cough. “I think.”

I crane my neck around them, unable to look at anything but Rob.

It’s gone now. Completely. Like it was never there. Just smooth, taut skin over muscle.

Will, LJ, and Tuck are all watching me, wide-eyed.

“How did you...?” LJ asks, his confusion mirrored in my own thoughts.

“I don’t know!” I cry, clutching at my forearm like I can’t trust my own hand. “I didn’tmeanto—”

“Gee, thanks,” Rob interjects.

“She’s got healing power!” Tuck, practically vibrating with excitement, jumps in. “She can heal things just by touching them and channeling her energy. Although, in this case”—he gestures toward Rob’s shoulder—“it was more of a blast than a channel.”

Rob laughs, but he’s rubbing his shoulder with a wince. “I’ll say. Felt like I got kicked by a damn mule.” He grins. “But you fixed me up good, Maren. I appreciate it.”

He gets up from the edge of Tuck’s bed, rolling his shoulder a bit to test it, and smiles at me. “Thank you.”

It happens before I can stop it, a heave of emotion from the bottom of my chest to my throat, and I hear the sound before I register it.

That’s weird. Someone’s crying.

Wait. It’s me.

“Hey. Whoa. Hey now.” Rob catches me as I stumble forward, circles his arms around my shoulders. “Maren. It’s all right.”

“Goddammit,” I mutter through a clenched jaw. “I didn’t mean to just—”

“Normal,” Will says, from outside Rob’s arms. A hand tucks hair behind my ear. “So normal.”

“You just did a lot.” This, from Tuck, a gentle hand at the small of my back. “You’re not used to that kind of—”

“Give her some damn air.” LJ pries me out of Rob’s arms, and turns me to run a thumb over my cheekbone, scraping away the tears. “Breathe, Princess.”

I do, shakily, in and out, a few times. It’s absolutely wild—an out of nowhere hysterical mood swing. But then again, I guessno less believable than literally healing someone with the touch of my hand.

“Whew.” I exhale, cuffing at my eyes. “That was...something.” I’m struggling for control, the words still coming out wobbly.

“You’re good,” LJ says. “We’ve got you. You...”

He trails off, folds his arms.

“What’s wrong?” Tuck asks.

“Nothing. Just...” LJ coughs. “Probably not, ah...appropriate to the moment.”

“Uh oh.” Will tilts his head. “Spit it out.”

LJ puts a finger to my chin, tips my face to look into his. “Just thinking how damn lovely you look.”

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