Page 76 of Ransomed to the World
She couldn’t argue with him, since she would’ve done exactly the same thing. If he’d been threatened, she would’ve done much worse than just throw a punch.
The guys went over the plan in detail. It was fairly simple—avoid the patrols and stay off the radar until she could make it to the council and force Daxion to claim her.
The captain dabbed at his lip, and she reached for his arm. “Why haven’t you healed?”
Conversation slowed. Xander and Camden began packing up their supplies while the others didn’t try to hide the fact they were watching.
The captain grimaced and tapped his shoulder. “The mark blocks most of the magic. I’ll heal faster than a human, but the rest is pretty limited.”
Annora squeezed the captain’s arm. “Let me. It’s the least I can do.”
Logan snagged her elbow, pulling her closer to him. “Are you sure?”
“It’s my fault he was hurt in the first place.” For some reason, it was important to her that she make this right. She glanced over at the others. “I just want to fix him.”
“You’re not the first woman who’s ever said that to me.” The captain flashed her a smile, tiny crow’s feet crinkling at the corners of his eyes. “You’re more than welcome to try, but the mark doesn’t allow any magic in or out.”
Annora squeezed Logan’s hand, then stepped away. She held out her arm and wisps of dark smoke began to swirl in her palm. Humor fell away from the captain’s expression, replaced by shock that the dark magic so eagerly did her bidding. He reached out almost hesitantly, yearning turning his green eyes dark.
“I swear that I can feel it.” Longing roughened his voice as his hand hovered over the dark, swirling wisps.
“Touch,” Annora urged him. She didn’t wait for him to obey, but lifted her hand to her lips and blew the dark particles at his face.
He gasped, the particles moving like mercury against his skin, entering his eyes, nose, and mouth. She watched as his lip slowly stitched together, leaving a faint scar for a heartbeat, and then that, too, was gone.
“Fuck!” He clutched his shoulder, dropping heavily to his knee with a loud grunt. “It burns.”
“Shit.” Annora tried to draw it back, but the dark magic was already fading from his system. She wanted to reach for him but was afraid she’d end up hurting him worse. “I’m so sorry!”
Captain lifted his head, and she recoiled. His green eyes had gone completely black, emotions making them look liquid. Instead of speaking, he stood and ripped the shirt over his head, looking down at his chest, running his hand down his shoulder.
His smooth shoulder.
“It’s gone.” The words were gruff, his expression full of awe, then he lifted his head to stare at her. “Who the hell are you?”
Edgar pulled her away, his shoulder blocking her from view, and she cowered behind him gratefully, not sure she liked the captain’s speculative look.
“You can’t tell anyone.” Edgar got right in the captain’s face, his voice low and menacing. “If anyone discovers the truth, she’ll be in even more danger.”
“She can heal others!” the captain shouted back, pushing himself forward like he would try to snatch her away from her mates. “She can give them back what was stolen from them. They deserve—”
“And if they catch her, they’ll kill her,” Edgar roared. He turned and grabbed her arm, then began to drag her toward the door, and she stumbled trying to keep up.
The captain grabbed the knob before they could reach it. “She’s too valuable. They’d—”
“They’d imprison me again.” Annora spoke through numb lips. She tried her best to maintain control as her fear took root, but it slipped through her grasp like smoke. Darkness swirled up from her bones, panic clawing at her insides, and her world shattered around her as she realized this had probably been Daxion’s plan all along.
Mason watched the wooden walls and floor begin to warp and creak. Tiny bugs like gnats fluttered down around his head, as if seeking prey. As the wood slowly crumbled, sawdust trickled down like rain. And the floor was different, green sludge bubbling up until it began to resemble a swamp, what was left of the wood buckling slightly under his weight.
As the room continued to deteriorate, his fear that Annora would be snatched away from him clawed at his insides. That damned darkness swirled around her legs like she was seconds away from stepping into her dark world and never returning.
Unacceptable!
Not giving a fuck if he fell through the floor, he charged toward her, determined to make her stay, even if he had to hold onto her for every day of the rest of their lives. He bumped into Edgar in his rush, wincing when he saw the smaller man fly across the room and crash into the chair with a thump.
Then everything around them became unimportant.
He leaned forward and cupped her face, his hair swirling wildly around him, betraying his agitation. “Princess…that’s not going to happen ever again. None of us will allow that to ever happen, do you hear me?”
