Page 34 of Einar

Pity.

Acommotion of some sort catches my attention.Painstakingly,Iroll my head in the direction the noise is coming from, only to realizeRubyis crouched over the top of me … and she’s buck ass naked.Ireally didn’t need to see a closeup of her snatch, but here we are anyway.IfIhad any humor left in me, it would be almost comical the positionI’min.However, relief fills me that my sister is alive and seemingly well, or at least okay enough to crawl on top of me to protect me from whatever is making that awful racket.

Liftingmy head,Ipeek around her bare ass and whatIsee fills me with terror.Thereare massive … things fighting outside the door of the roomRubyandIare in.They’realmost as big as the sneaky snakes that stole us fromEarth.Oneis a dark gray color that reminds me of a stone gargoyle, but the other …He’seven bigger than the gray one and is a mossy green color with brown undertones.Itreminds me of peat moss and it’s almost pretty.Ifit weren’t attached to a being almost twice my size with a mouth twisted by a huge pair of tusks, two massive horns that would putHellboyto shame sticking out of his forehead, and spikey looking things sticking out of his back.Abeing that is currently trying to maim another of its own species from the looks of it.

Preparingmyself for pain,Iforce myself upwards.Tomy surprise, my body isn’t in any discomfort, butIfeel the tickle in the back of my throat and know what’s coming before it starts.

Great.Yetanother coughing fit.WhatIwouldn’t do for a hit of albuterol right now.

Awhimper escapes me, and it causes the green giant to freeze in place, his head snapping around to peer across the room at me whereI’mpeeking from behindRuby’sbody, watching them fight.Thegray one must see big green’s inattention as an opportunity, because he sucker punchesBigGreenin the face, cutting his knuckles open onMossMan’stusk in the process asIwatch the blood arc through the air.

GrabbingontoRuby’sarm,Inotice the little knife she’s holding asIuse her to help pull myself up all the way up.OnceI’min a sitting position,Ifocus on a few deep breathing exercises asRubywhispers a question at me.

“Areyou ok?”

No,Ruby.Iam not okay.

Thewords are lodged in my throat, andIcan feel tremors wracking my body as panic begins to take over my mind andIstare back at the colossal green creature looking at me.Iknow better than to let myself get upset whenI’malready having issues breathing, but my mind is at its limit.Mypanic blooms andIfeel my airways closing up, which causes me to start coughing again.

Topreoccupied with suffocating,ImissMossManapproaching untilRuby’scomforting weight is gone.Snappingmy eyes open,Iwatch as she flies through the air, presumably thrown by the snarling mass of green in front of me, and lands in the gray gargoyle’s arms.MossMan’sgigantic arm is lifted, andIfollow the length to a lethal, clawed finger pointed at the door.

Itdoesn’t take a genius to figure out he wants everyone else to leave.Includingmy sister!Iwatch asRubyloses her shit.

“Ruby…”

Myweak call only makes it worse becauseRubydoubles down as she desperately tries to get out of the gargoyle’s arms and back to me.Thelast thingIsee as the door slides shut behind them is her flailing in a monster’s arms.

Focusingon the menacing mass of green in front of me,Ifeel myself retreating into the comforting, quiet place in my mind.I’mnot sure what he wants from me, but the possession blazing in his creepy, dead yellow eyes promises nothing but pain.Thelast conscious visualIhave is of him reaching for me asIblissfully slip into my happy place.

ChapterTwenty-Three

EINAR

Lookingdown at her,Isee that my mate, my preciousStarshine, is awake, but her mind is far, far away.Whathorrors has she dealt with that she developed the ability to disassociate in such a manner?Ihave seen this before in beings that were no longer able to tolerate what life had done to them, soIcan only imagine why she has this ability.

Andnone of the scenarios that my mind comes up with are good.

AfterSlavictook his fiery mate with him and left the med bay,Isaw her beautiful, multicolored eyes lose their light as she realized her sister had been taken from the room.Itis blatantly apparent that my little one is dependent upon her sister for stability, and without her sister’s comforting presence, she does not have the fortitude to remain in the here and now.

Herbreathing is labored but nothing near what it was whenIrescued her from theVelgriddix.Leavingher where she is for the moment,Ilumber over to the cabinet full of vials and select one of the remaining containers of the corticosteroidI’vebeen treating her lungs with.Consideringhow advanced the medicineIhave access to is, this should be the last doseIhave to give her before she is cured of the disease attacking her airways.

Movingback to her,Iam glad to see that none of the events from earlier disturbed her fluid line.Pickingup a syringe with a needle attached,Idraw the solution from the vial and inject it into the port, waiting and watching as her breathing gradually slows and eases.Finally, the slight wheeze in her chest ceases, andIsigh in relief.Oneproblem solved at least.

Stingingin my arm brings my attention to the wound inflicted bySlavic’smate.Itis still seeping blood, andIdo not want to soil my mate’s cleanliness.Checkingher once more,Isee that there is no change and deem it safe enough to tend to myself.Reachingfor my medical tray,Islide it closer to me asIlean against the bed parallel to myStarshine.Thankfully, my tray is still fully stocked sinceIworked to save both little humans lives.

Bitingback a hiss,Iclean the wound with a burning antiseptic.Itis good the other female cut me with one of my medical knives.Theedges of the wound are clean and will be easy to suture.OnceI’msure the cut is thoroughly clean, not that my medical tools aren’t always sterilized after each use,Igrab the stitcher, and press it to the flayed edges, clicking the handle asImove down the gash until it is completely closed.Oncefinished,Igive myself an injection of antibiotics and call it good.

Slidingthe tray out of the way,Istand and step closer to my mate.Shehasn’t moved the entire timeIsaw to her and myself.Ifnot for the slow, steady breathing and blinking eyelids,Iwould think she was dead.Thethought of her ceasing to live fills me with so much dreadIcannot stop myself from scooping her up into my arms.Turning,Iease my considerable bulk onto the soft surface of the med bed.Thejoy of holding her cannot be described, even if she has not given me her permission to touch or embrace her.Inever thoughtIwould be blessed with aStarshine, and yet … hereIsit with her safely ensconced in my arms.

Wouldit be better if she was cognizant and talking to me?

Yes, butIwill not be ungrateful for whatIwas gifted.

Iam a healer, amInot?

Perhapsthe gods had a reason for what theAynardid to me …Theknowledge they ruthlessly forced into my brain, cycle after cycle.Itwas all for her.Sothat when she came to me,Iwould have whatIneeded to save not only her life, but the life of her beloved sibling.

Thinkingback on all the pain and torture … it is worth it now.Thatis not somethingIever thoughtIwould feel about the timeIendured with the cursed fairies, but here we are.Timeslides by andIam not sure how longIsit, just basking in the company of my mate, the feeling of her tiny body pressed against mine.Ibegin speaking to her, my deep voice low and gentle asIcomb my thick fingers through her dark red tresses.

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