Page 152 of A Dose of Agony
“Yes.”
“Wait!” Lola shouts. “Um, could you fix that portal so I can check on the rest of our friends? Is that… something you can do?”
Liz looks to me, her eyes still so dim. Is she looking for permission? I nod, mostly because I’m not sure what else to do.
She waves her hand, and the glass quickly repairs itself, shimmering with magic once again.
“I’ll get them help if they need it. You get to Jarron,” Lola tells me just before she darts into the rippling magic.
I suck in a deep breath. “Now to Oriziah.”
Liz nods and snaps her fingers again.
In the next instant, we are standing in the bitter cold darkness of the palace main chamber. The hollow mountain looms over us, only the few narrow bridges visible in the shadows.
Bright one,his weak voice whispers in my mind.
Jarron, where are you?
He directs me to his location from here, and I point up into the rafter to Liz. Again, she so easily snaps us up, and she drops me on the ledge, where Bea sits by Jarron. His eyes are closed, his breathing shallow.
His open wounds are no longer bleeding, but they are not healed.
I fall to my knees beside him.
“Bright one,” he mutters with dry, cracked lips.
“You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” I lean over and press my forehead to his.
“You did it,” he says. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. I should have been.”
I swallow. “I forgive you. Just don’t doubt me again.” I laugh through my tears.
“I never doubted you. I doubted her.”
I huff, tears still flowing freely. It’s done. We did it.
“You doubted my judgment.” I don’t admit that my decision making hasn’t always been sound but I do like to think my judgment of character is.
Besides when you thought I was a murderer.
Yes, besides that.
But even then, I knew. I could see how good he was. I knew I was wrong; I just doubted myself out of fear.
He takes in a deep breath, reaching out but stopping shy of my arm. “You’re hurt too.”
I grunt, but I hold my shattered arm very carefully. Just the slightest movement feels like shards of glass are carving through my flesh. “Not nearly as much as you.”
“Trevor is coming,” Bea whispers. My gaze flashes up to her. She looks nervous but hopeful.
“Things will be different now.”
Her lips tremble.
Jarron’s strength is returning slowly. I close my eyes and focus on the magic, on healing. I’m sure it doesn’t do anything, but it helps me believe it’s true. He’s going to be okay.
It also helps me ignore Trevor’s and Bea’s passionate reunion. He pulls her into his arms, and instantly, they’re both sobbing.
