Bella!
Of course! I should have recognized her. But it was like my mind couldn’t come up with the name on its own. It had to be heard first.
I really hope this is a short-term side effect of whatever the hell Adir did to me.
“She won’t wake up,” my Immortal friend’s voice cracks. “I-I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“Move.” The other voice comes closer. It’s harsher, more demanding.
A warm hand presses against my throat, and the contact sends a shiver through me, followed by a shocking but pleasant spark. “She has a pulse, but she’s cold as ice.”
Another crash. The room shakes, and a gust of air ruffles my hair, blowing it across my face. My fingers itch to push it away, but my arms won’t cooperate.
“We have to go,” the man says again, more urgently now. “I can’t create a rip. We’ll have to get out of here the old-fashioned way.”
“We can’t leave Darcie!” Bella protests.
“We’re not leaving her,” he says, determined. Strong hands slide under me, lifting me as if I weigh nothing. More sparks race over my skin, shocking me with their electrifying sensation, but it’s not enough to pull me out of my mental fog. “Now, move!”
Footsteps pound against the ground as they run. I bounce in the man’s arms, but his grip remains firm through everysharp turn. His name is at the edge of my brain, but every bounce jostles it out of reach.
“Adir will know we’re here,” Bella pants. “The fighting won’t keep him distracted for long.”
Adir.
Some of my muddled thoughts clear.
Bella came for me.
Hope springs to life.
I’m not alone.
“You’re right,” the guy carrying me says, slowing to a stop. “You need to get out of here.”
“We all do. Come on, let’s go!”
“We have a better chance of escaping if we split up. Get as far from the stronghold as you can so you can create a rip and return to Greece. I’ll do the same.”
“No, we should stay together!”
“If Adir finds us, I can defend myself and Darcie. But I can’t guarantee the safety of all three of us. Not with whatever magic Adir is using to stifle our abilities right now.”
My blood runs cold.
“No.” Bella’s voice cracks. “Come on, Des. We’ll find a way out of here together.”
Des!
My heart skips a beat, then goes wild. The spark from his touch surges through me again, making every inch of skin tingle in a familiar way, and yet I don’t understand it.
The haze over my thoughts continues to lift, but I still can’t open my eyes.
“Adir’s got the whole place surrounded,” Des warns. “He’s warded this place so we can’t leave. Eshe was right, hewantedus to come.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t help?—”
“This is a trap, Bella,” he snaps. “We made a mistake, and it’s only by the grace of the Creator that we were able to find Darcie in this fucking mess. Now, the best thing you can do is get out of here before it’s too late.”