Page 141 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
“Nalari said there was an attack on our home too.” Everly’s eyes darkened with her words. “Everything’s gone. We lost everything, Elias.”
My lungs ignited with hot rage, and I barely suppressed the shaking in my limbs as I focused on Brenton. I sent my magic back through him, agony hitting me at the amount of blood still spilling.
“Tell me what to do,” George said.
I forced my magic to brighten and instructed George to follow it. While George’s magic instinctively knew how to heal himself, he’d never healed another, but we worked together. Quietly. Tirelessly. Two brothers rejecting death. Refusing to lose one of our own. All while knowing we were too late.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
TEDDY
Elias seemedto welcome the silence that came with the shrouding darkness of night. At least the stars had the good sense to disappear behind the clouds and hide from his quiet wrath.
I didn’t know how to reach him. How to comfort him.
But I’d learned long ago there was no comfort in watching someone you loved so close to death. There wouldn’t be any comfort in Brenton’s death either.
Elias, George, and Everly held a quiet vigil by Brenton’s unmoving body. My blood seemed to help him for a few hours as Elias and George worked to repair Brenton’s body. Brenton’s breaths came slower now. Less frequently. He’d leave soon, surrounded by the ones he called family. The ones who hadn’t left his side once since he’d fallen.
I hoped Brenton felt them and found solace in that. Hoped he’d learned how an Elder dragon had crossed through the tear as a gift to Everly for protecting Nalari. The stunning gray dragon with a red mark on her head, yellow scales and eyes that resembled blood had told Everly how the other Eldershad heard of her courage through whatever connection all dragons had with each other. How the Elders had all agreed Everly had proven herself loyal and worthy.
Apparently, it was a great honor although I hadn’t felt honored or grateful when Nalari first spoke to me through our minds. It was different now, though, and I was grateful for the element of good my friend had found on such a horrible day.
Everly’s excitement in meeting Adela had been short-lived after the overbearing sorrow hit her again. While Elias hadn’t seemed to notice her, George and Everly had at least welcomed her, thanked her. And then I’d had the audacity of asking Adela if she could help Brenton. All I got was a snarl in response.
Unlike many of the people I knew, the fae didn’t waste meaningless words. Didn’t try to lighten the mood with humorless jokes.
Only a few times had one of them spoken of their friend. Of his goodness, kindness, lightheartedness. Of the pranks he’d played and foolish things he’d done.
Always, they kept their hands on him. Squeezing, brushing, letting him know they were there. They’d stay there until the end.
Like it’d done so many times that day, my throat closed, my eyes burning with tears I didn’t want to shed. Not around Elias, who looked back at me with worry when he should only be concerned about himself and his friends.
A part of me wished Ryenne or Donnie had stayed with me. Or that I’d left with Javier and the kids back to Ryenne’s house. I felt useless here. More of a hindrance every time Elias looked at me like he wanted to comfort me.
Me, when he was the one who’d lost today. Losing myhouse had been devastating, but losing Brenton? He was their family.My family.
I hated whoever had shot my fun-loving, silly friend and hoped Nalari had taken care of each one who’d stolen time away from Brenton and his friends.
On a sigh, I sat next to Nalari and Everly’s Guardian, ignoring the way my pajama pants soaked with the snow beneath me. My fingers were already numb from staying out for so long. My toes and nose too. But I stayed there, in the same spot my friends and I had stood to protect Nalari. The same spot George had sped to with the kids and Hee-haw in his arms. The same spot where Nalari had used her magic to shield us from the explosion. Only a few feet away from where Brenton lay dying.
“I’m sorry I don’t have anything to feed you or Adela,”I told her.
“I had my fill,”she said distantly.
I shuddered, trying not to think about what exactly she ate when she hunted for the people who’d come for us.
“Your dream journals were the only things that survived the fires at our place,”she told me.
Wonderful.
“There’s a reason for that,”Nalari added.
I didn’t care.
“Isn’t there anything you can do for Brent?”I asked.
