Page 119 of Hidden Kingdoms

“How do I do that?”

Kale pursed his lips in thought before answering. “No idea. But we can start with cleaning it properly, then trying to knit the skin back together which will help with infection. I’m hoping that as your magik replenishes, it will naturally aid in your healing. Either I, or Kaius, can also make you some tonic to take which can help.”

“You?” I arched a brow at Kaius who only winked at me in reply.

Ignoring my questioning, Kale moved to my back again. “We need to get this started—the sooner the better. I’m going to press my magik into the wounds, and I need you to match me with your own. Andnotto fight my magik.”

“What? No, I don’t know—” I was cut off abruptly as a pulse of his magik reached my ripped flesh, and pain tore through me. My ears rang with the sudden explosion of my nerves, and I struggled to hold back a scream. A thick, heavy energy that roiled with anger filled the space as a rumble carried to me, low and gravelly washing across my skin.

“Match me, Elodie,” Kale’s voice called as his magik pushed again. It was smooth and cold, and though it was causing me agony, I knew that wasn’t his intention.

I gritted my teeth hard, hearing them grind inside my head. Reaching for my own magik, I found it waiting, poised and itching for direction. It surged forward and clashed against the healers, ready to take him on. I screwed my eyes shut, ignoring the pounding of my heart, as it took every ounce of concentration I could pull from my pain-addled mind to redirect it.

To make it imitate and not consume. Because that’s what it wanted, I knew that for sure. I heard a grunt and looked in time to see Kale take a heavy step back.

He’s helping, I need this.

A moment of hesitation was all it took before it relented, and the two magik’s slid along each other, never merging, but encouraging. The minutes pressed on as I fought to retain that delicate balance until they pulled away, the pain diminished slightly.

“Better,” the healer said, voice strained, “but we need to keep going, it’s going to take more.”

Exhaustion weighed me down, my limbs heavy and not for the first time, I was finding myself grateful that I had a bed and not a cold floor to rest on when all this was over. Without warning, his magik pressed into me again, and I couldn’t bite back the strangled scream that fell from my lips before I had the chance to swallow it down. Heavy steps moved towards me,but I raised my hand to halt them earning another angry lash of energy. My body was damp with sweat as I focused on directing my magik, trying my hardest to follow what the healer was doing while holding back the part of me that was desperate to destroy him for the pain it was causing.

The metallic tang of blood flooded my senses as I accidentally bit down on my tongue, and as I sucked in a shaky breath, I felt it leak from the corner of my mouth. A thumb swiped at it, and I looked up in time to see Kaius press it to his lips, licking my blood from his skin. My brain short circuited, and my body hungered for something that definitely wasn’t food as a smirk pulled at his lips.

Fuck, why was that so hot?

For a moment, I was sure I caught shadows swirling behind his eyes, but when he blinked, they were gone. I didn’t have time to form thoughts as Kale pressed another pulse of energy into me, and I was convinced I could hear my skin trying to sew itself back together. My nerves screeched in protest, knuckles white as my hand fisted the jumper draped against me.

“Mars.” Alouette’s voice sounded in a low warning as the curtains billowed around us. A different source of magik moved against me, tangling in my damp hair, and sweeping over my skin raising goosebumps along my arms.

I could feel as it ached for me to let it in, let it take the pain and shoulder it itself. It would have been easy—so easy—to open myself to its comforting pressure, but I needed to do this on my own.

With more will than I thought I was capable of, I pushed it away, doubling my focus on the tears in my skin and pushing, pushing, pushing all I had into repairing the damage. I could feel The Darkness still lingered there. The hint of it thick on my tongue and my shoulders hunched forward as my head began to throb from the effort.

The presence behind me retreated until I felt the absence of him as much as the pain. Heavy boots pounded towards the door, and his magik followed. I recoiled as the door slammed, its echo reaching into an empty space within me. Another wave of magik probed deeper under my skin, and I couldn’t hold back the groan that fell from my lips; the moment the sound hit the air, the floor beneath us vibrated violently.

Kaius grabbed my shoulders as we all stumbled slightly, the walls rumbling and the shriek of metal sounding as things toppled over. The flame lights stuttered. A roar of energy threw the door back open, slamming it into the wall.

We all froze in uncertainty, calls of alarm reaching from beyond the curtains. Blowing out a breath, Kaius let go of me before he scrubbed a hand over his bearded face, Alouette’s gaze fixed on the fluttering curtains.

“What was that?” I swallowed.

I think I know exactly what that was.

“Aftershocks,” the doctor called without missing a beat.

“Aftershocks.”

“Mhm. Now concentrate before the ceiling falls on us, and I don’t get the chance to finish this.”

One last time, his magik raced with mine, andthis time, the pain lessened as I pressed my energy into my wounds, feeling my skin itch as the ragged ends began to knit back together. There was still a deep ache tugging at my muscles, but the sharpness had faded, and I sucked in greedy breaths of relief as Kale’s magik withdrew. Straightening, I groaned at the stiffness in my body, carefully rolling my shoulders and testing out the movement.

“I feel gross,” I said, picking at the ruined fabric of my top, covered in grime and plastered to my body with sweat and blood.

“You look gross,” Alouette piped up.

Kaius’ hands cupped my face, grey eyes flicking over my face. “You ok, Goldie?”

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