Page 254 of A Soul to Embrace

The moment they landed within Magnar’s ward, his hold on the magic and his strength suddenly let go. Bile rose to his throat as his vision grew dark, and Jabez immediately crashed to the ground and slid across the dirt.

Fuck.His eyes watered when it felt like his nerve endings had been set alight, while lava replaced the marrow of his bones. He heaved as he clawed at the ground to get to shaking knees, his arms so weak that they felt like nothing but limp rags.

“Jabez!” Zylah called, and he heard gasps as if she’d pushed people out of the way to rush to his side.

Fuck, it hurts so much,he thought, as he struggled to get to his knees, his body constantly collapsing.

There was so much pressure in his head that he thought his thumping skull was moments from exploding, and he heaved again as sickness rolled in his gut. His heart was moments from bursting, his lungs caving in, and the nastiest stitch he’d ever felt assaulted both his sides.

An unfamiliar set of large palms went to grab his biceps and help him up, but he slapped Nathair away with the back of his hand. “Don’t touch me,” he wheezed, his gaze narrowing into a glare at the grass.

He sensed Zylah kneeling next to his pathetically crawling form, and he snarled at her too.

“Don’t,” he bit, darting his murky vision to her.

He didn’t want to be pitied, nor did he want any help from anyone. He just needed a moment, that’s all.

After a few shuddering breaths, his eyesight cleared a little and his lungs stopped trying to come up his throat. With an arm crossed over his nauseous gut, he managed to get to his feet.

The joints in his knees immediately protested, as if the heat within him had disintegrated the cartilage. The lava in his bone marrow felt like it was drying him out, and he limped by himself towards a low-cut tree stump.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed everyone watching him. He cast a foul grimace at their gawking faces, hating that they were seeing such weakness in him, and that they wereshockedhe’d allowed himself to be in pain forthem.

As soon as he sat his arse down on the tree stump, his entire body slumped forward. Both Zylah and Merikh came to his side.

“Are you okay?” she asked, lifting her hand up like she wanted to cup his cheek in worry when she knelt between his thighs.

“That bad, huh?” Merikh stated.

Lacking his normal humour, Jabez snapped his fangs at him. “I told you he was too fucking heavy!” he roared. “I felt my body trying to split in two, you ungrateful prick.”

“You still managed to do it,” Merikh offered.

Jabez sighed as he tried to catch his breath, still his overworked heart, and calm himself. “Teleporting has its dangers. Going beyond your boundariesusuallyhas lasting effects.”

Merikh chuckled. “We’re lucky you’re undeniably strong then, and that you’re deathless.”

Jabez opened and closed his mouth mockingly. “Compliments do nothing to soothe my anger.” Then he nodded his head towards the people staring at them. “Fuck off and go be with your family. My work here is done. Leave me be.”

Merikh placed a palm on his shoulder, and Jabez just did not have the energy right then to swat it away. “Iamgrateful, Jabez.”

He removed his hand and then walked off, leaving Jabez and Zylah alone.

“You look really sick,” Zylah murmured with a nervous chitter. He groaned at the warmth of her hand touching his forehead, wishing it was colder, yet he still leaned into it. “You’re sweating a lot.”

“I’m fine, Zylah,” he reassured with a cracked voice. “It’ll go away. I just need to rest. You should go be with your family.”

“I want to stay here.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I missed you.”

Lacking the strength to argue with his pretty and alluring mate, Jabez groaned and let his head fall forward until his forehead rested against hers. He took in her jasmine-and-violet scent, and just felt her against him as he held his aching stomach.

His eyes drifted closed, but he snapped them open moments later when he heard movement to his left. With his forehead still pressed against Zylah’s bony one, he tilted his head to look at who approached.

“Thank you,” Linh said, with Nathair at her side.

His first desire was to tell them to piss off and take their sympathetic gazes with them, especially as the Mavka’s usually orange orbs were darker in guilt. Instead, he sighed and brought his face forward against Zylah’s skull.

“You’re welcome. I don’t think I’ll be able to take you back, though,” he admitted. “Someone will have to ask the Witch Owl or the spirit of the void to do it.”

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