Page 69 of Her Magic Light

I took a breath and then lifted the man’s hand in mine. Then I pressed my other palm against his face. The same warmth that had healed Coop began to flow through me, and the man gasped, his eyes springing open.

“Hurts,” he croaked.

I hesitated. I didn’t want to hurt him anymore.

“No, carry on,” Coop said. “It doesn’t hurt, but the healing feels strange. Make him better, Meira.”

I pushed more energy through, and the man’s eyes closed again as he rested. Then I moved between the men as best as I could, returning outside for a recharge after two. Then once more after four had been healed. After the last agent had been healed, Coop threw me an energy bar from the drawer, but I stared at it dubiously. I had no idea what was in it.

Knowing Dr. Anderson, there were some unusual ingredients that could have had any sort of effect on my abilities. And I was tired of taking part in Dr. Anderson’s evil plans.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I said.

Coop nodded. “Then I’ll get you some real food.”

But food from the cafeteria might be no better. It was all from the facility. Dr. Anderson probably had a hand in it all. When I didn’t have an option, it didn’t matter. Now that I had an option, I wanted to exercise my right to choose. Dr. Anderson had been a kind of evil. Speaking of Dr. Anderson…

With a grimace, I glanced toward him, and I sighed. He hadn’t been blown apart like the agents. He had a few scrapes on his cheeks and face, but mostly he seemed like I’d knocked him unconscious.

“What are you going to do about him?” Coop gestured toward his still crumpled body.

“Check for signs of life. If he’s alive, we’ll let someone know so he stays that way.”

I didn’t want to heal him, but I didn’t want him to die either. Murderer wasn’t a label I wanted to wear the rest of my life. That wasn’t what or who I was. I couldn’t do anything about Adrian, but I could stop it from ever happening that way again.

The other agents all sat, propped against the wall as they watched us. They were weak, but they were alive and whole, and maybe that was the best I could hope for.

Coop knelt beside Dr. Anderson and checked him for a pulse. “He’s alive.”

I nodded and squared my shoulders. “Then that’s all I needed to know.”

Some of the secret service guards stood.

“I’m so sorry.” I could hardly look at them. “I didn’t mean to…” I gestured helplessly. They nodded curtly and rearranged their sunglasses like almost being killed was an everyday occurrence—and who knew? Maybe it was in this place, under Dr. Anderson’s watch.

“Coop?”

He turned to face me, but his dark glasses made it impossible for me to read what he was thinking.

“Can you do me a favor?”

He remained quiet, so I plowed forward anyway.

“I need to go. Can you get me out of here? I’m dangerous here, this place is dangerous for me. He’ll wake up, and… and…” I couldn’t finish. When Dr. Anderson woke up, what would he do? Whatwouldn’the do? I was already in solitary, he was already making me hurt people… weaponizing me somehow. And the person I’d spoken to through the vent system had mentioned an army, right? Dr. Anderson would never give up chasing me.

I didn’t want to be some sort of supernatural soldier.

Coop still didn’t speak.

“I’ll run; I’ll hide. I’ll stay quiet, lie low, just live my life.”

But he was already shaking his head. “They’ll find you. They have their ways. How do you think they found you before?”

I considered his question. “I have no idea.”

“Meira, they have dream walkers, astral projectors… They don’t need normal methods of investigation to find you, especially not now your signature is known to so many of the guests here.”

I choked out a laugh. “You’re still going withguests?”

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