Page 94 of Magic Betrayed

She would need to be checked over by an Idrian medic. Logan too. And Ethan. And as I contemplated what in all the worlds we were going to need to do to ensure that Ethan could live safely in a highly populated area, Chesney walked up, followed by Jacob, Bianca, Noah, and Reese. Chesney’s arms folded across her chest in a protective stance, and her expression could only be described as empty and cold.

“What now?” she said flatly, looking at me rather than Callum. “Do you intend to press charges?”

I huffed. “With whom? The humans don’t care, and if Faris decides you’ve violated the rules of his court, he’ll just bury you first and ask questions never.”

“We will accept responsibility for our part in the destruction,” she said stiffly. “But I do not accept…”

“Not to be rude,” I interrupted, “but let’s have this conversation back in Oklahoma City. We need to get out of here before anyone else shows up.”

She eyed me oddly. “You trust us to meet you there?”

I shrugged. “Where else are you going to go?” Blunt, perhaps, but true. “But I’m going to request that Shane drives your truck. Kes and Ethan will go with him, and you all can use the sedan. We’ll meet at The Portal. Get medical attention first if you need it, but otherwise, we’ll be expecting you.”

She might not like it, but she wasn’t exactly in a position to argue.

“And the bounty hunters?”

I winced. I doubted there was much chance any of them were alive. And maybe it made me a monster, but I wasn’t sure I cared.

“Seamus will hunt for survivors.” Faris was moving towards us with a strong, purposeful stride. He deposited a still-groggy Logan in the back seat of Seamus’s station wagon before turning to Chesney with a glower that should have made her cringe where she stood.

But she was enough Talia’s daughter to lift her chin and stare back at him haughtily.

“You have a lot to answer for, Princess.”

“I will not apologize for fighting to take my life back,” she declared.

“Then you can refuse to apologize tomeonce we’re back in the city,” Faris responded coldly. “But youwillapologize to those you hurt with this arrogant, short-sighted stunt.”

Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t retort again. Just took keys out of her pocket and handed one to me before turning on her heel and stalking off, followed by the other four.

“You really think they’ll show?” I asked Faris.

“They will.” From the way he said it, I suspected he was prepared to employ a great deal of his authority to ensure that it was true.

While we limped and staggered into the two remaining vehicles, Seamus shifted into wolf shape to begin his search for the bounty hunters’ remains.

Faris buried the smoldering bonfires beneath the ground before sliding behind the wheel of Seamus’s station wagon to drive us back to the city. Callum took shotgun, while I propped up Logan in the back seat, hoping that his drug-induced babbling would take my mind off the throbbing from my ankle.

Shane, Kes, and Ethan followed us in the truck, and as we left, we drove past a dark van parked off to the edge of the drive—no doubt belonging to the bounty hunters.

“Should we make it disappear?” I mused aloud, unsure what human law enforcement would make of it when they arrived.

“Not our problem,” Faris answered gruffly. “Those hunters came out here looking for trouble, and they found it. Maybe the property owner can use it.”

From time to time I caught Callum glancing over his shoulder at me, but other than Logan’s occasional slurred questions, it was a quiet ride through the half hour just before dawn—too quiet.

It was as if my body couldn’t decide what to do with all the shock, fear, and violence it had encountered in the past few hours. First, my hands began to shake, and then, as I knotted my fingers together to still them, I felt the tears begin to fall. I wanted to sleep, but I wondered if I would ever sleep again. Every time I closed my eyes, I remembered how close we had all come to death, and felt the panic of being torn from earth by the catastrophic power of swirling winds…

When we finally reached The Portal, Faris pulled up out back, but didn’t turn off the engine.

“If it’s all right, I’m going to take Logan to my place to sleep it off,” he informed me, not really sounding as if he were actually asking for permission. “Morghaine will take care of him. I’ll be back as soon as he’s settled, and I’ll call for a medic on the way. You two… Take a minute if you need it.”

A minute… A minute wasn’t likely to be enough. But everyone else was headed our way, and a minute might be all we were going to get.

So we got out of the car on opposite sides and stood there silently as Faris drove away. I tried to think of something to say that would dispel the tension, but then it was too late.

Callum was already moving. He crossed the short space between us in two quick strides and tugged me into his arms. Then he held me close, one hand trembling as it threaded through my hair and tucked my face into the hollow of his shoulder.

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