Page 106 of The Satyr's Guilt
The lack of substantial food was affectingher stamina, though. If she didn’t find help soon, she’d collapse.Water, at least, was no problem since she frequently crossed clearstreams.
With her breathing under control, her legssteadied. Jace told herself this was just another cross-countryrace. She rose, threw back her shoulders, pushed away from thetree, and started running toward what she hoped was freedom. Celenedepended on her. She couldn’t let her friend down.
****
Seated in the corner, Braelynfought the urge to touch her mate as four healers surrounded thebed where he was hooked to beeping machines.
Closing her eyes, she slid into Rein’s mindusing her gift. She’d been practicing. But what good was a power ifshe couldn’t use it to help the male she loved? Like a many-armedoctopus, she settled into his mind.
Don’t you die on me, vampire.
She knew about the body found in NewOrleans. The tranquilizer bullets could be deadly, especially fourof them. An Aeternal had died from that many.
But Rein was made of stronger stuff.
Wasn’t he?
Panic shot through Braelyn as her mateslipped deeper into unconsciousness, farther away from hersearching tentacles.
Squeezing her lids tighter, she pushedcommands into his brain. Love. Will. Desire. If he couldn’t fightfor himself, she’d fight for him.
Boots thudded on the tile outside when moreFirebrands gathered in the hall, pacing back and forth, speaking inwhispers. She ignored them. Her sole concentration was on hermate.
The icy chill accompanying witch spellswafted through the air, but Braelyn was relentless. She bombardedRein’s mind with commands.
Burrowing into every fold, she shored Reinup where he was weak. She regulated his heartbeat. She drove bloodto his cells. She regenerated tissue. She breathed for him.
She had never asked this much of her gift,but then again, she had never had such purpose or resolve.
As one part of Rein’s brain fell into acomatose state, Braelyn gathered her power to the site andre-awakened it.
Healers scurried about the room onsoft-soled shoes. Tranquilizer bullets were removed. Open woundswere stitched, and blood was wiped up. Bandages were applied. Theclock on the wall ticked off the passing seconds. Seconds becameminutes. Minutes became hours.
Braelyn had no idea how much time hadelapsed. Her gift bobbled. A jolt of fear made her gasp, but shewas determined to continue to regulate Rein’s responses even if itmeant her own death. Even if she lost herself in the winding,pained, and shuttered alleys of his dying thoughts. She would notlive without him anyway. He was her breath, her heart, her othersoul.
No. No.
Her spell faltered again. She hadn’t hadenough time yet. He was not fixed.
One more repair. Then another andanother.
Darkness was coming for her, pacing at theedge of her mind’s eye, but she held it off. Eventually, it slippedthrough.Not yet, she whimpered, as the black night swepther away.
Braelyn slept despite her own screams.
Wake up. Wake up.
Her awareness returned slowly. A warm armpillowed her neck. Her lids fluttered open. Arctic-blue irisesstared back. A body curled around her while she nestled against awarm chest. She smiled.
The most beautiful lips in the world moved.“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“You were rattling around in my head,witch.”
“You nearly died, vampire.”
“I’m not complaining about the assist.Thanks.” Rein bent to place a kiss on her forehead.
