Page 11 of Training Rain
For the first time she looked at him. “No. You would have lived. Though perhaps you would have wished you were dead. The pain that the leaching of your aura had caused was extreme enough that when I looked in your eyes, there was nothing there.”
“I don’t remember anything after Banta released me until you were hovering over me.” Jess watched her carefully.
Her cheeks flushed a fresh pink under the warm tan that was her natural color. “Joshua tried to give Banta one last chance to give himself up. I could tell he didn’t want to kill him, though I can’t imagine why.”
Jess said, “Troth Banta and Joshua Lakeland were good friends a long time ago. They served together. I’m sure Josh hoped he could save some part of his old friend.”
Rain’s mouth turned down. “Tessa took the decision out of his hand. She fired and killed Banta. She is a fierce warrior.”
He smiled thinking about Tessa Clark. She was a warrior. She was also one of the only people in the world that he completely trusted. “She’s a great agent.”
Another deeper frown marred Rain’s pretty face. “I don’t know if I could have made that decision.”
He didn’t argue with her. It was too soon to tell what she was capable of. Still, there was something about her. “What happened after Tessa shot Banta?”
“I came to you. Your eyes stared up at nothing. It wouldn’t be long before the ambulance came and took you away. I knew I had to act fast or it might not have been possible to help you. It is dangerous to be detached from your aura for much time.
“I held your body in my lap and took your pain. I mended your soul.”
“What do you mean, you took my pain?”
Her gaze locked with his. “In order to heal I must take the pain. I told you that. I knew it would be terrible. I understood the price.”
His palms were damp. It would have been easier to let it go, but he couldn’t. “What was the price?”
A single tear pushed out of her eye, tumbled over her bottom lid and slid down her face.
Jess’s heart tightened painfully.
Rain closed her eyes and spoke slowly. Her low, resonant voice vibrated as if it were coming from inside him. “My hands touched your face. There was a day’s growth of beard on your cheek and chin. All the other sounds in the casino stopped. The other agents talking faded into nothing. The calls of your friends were blocked out. No sirens sounded outside. There was only you and me, trapped in a pain so extreme and all encompassing, I wanted to die. I wished for death to take us both and break us from our torture. Our bodies burned as if they’d been hurled into the sun. Your mind exploded with horrors I cannot begin to describe and I experienced every moment as if they were my own.
“I disappeared within you and no longer existed. It took all of my strength to break free of your suffering and command your body to heal. You had not lost your soul but the damage was bad enough that I had my doubts if I could return your gifts to you.”
He was sure his mouth was hanging open. “Are you telling me that I would have lost my psychic abilities if you hadn’t been there?”
“Yes. It is likely.”
“I’d rather have died,” he said to himself.
Her head cocked to one side. “I suspected as much. I did the best I could, but I’m sure you have scars.”
He thought about the minimal changes to his abilities. Not defects only changes. He had learned to adjust quickly. “And you—were you injured?”
“There is always a price.” Her smile was sad.
He had no idea what was causing the pain in his chest but he didn’t like it. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“You should not have had to live through that experience. I would not wish that on my worst enemy and you…”
“What about me?”
“Never mind.”
He had hundreds of questions, but only asked one. “Why do you do it?”
“Heal?”
