“Not a demon,” I said in a rush as the memories of those awful monsters filled my mind. I licked my lips and tried to think of the right words but my brain was moving too slow, like it was full of sludge. “It was…it was that thing. From that movie…that Bentley put on before…before…that thing…big lizard…bird…chicken thing – I don’t know!”
Deacon leaned into my view again and that red smoke returned. “Describe the movie for us?”
“The – the – the theme park one! With the big animals that ate people!” I shook my head and tears spilled. Then I pictured the movie, the one with the animal that looked like the one that got Riah. “BLUE! It’s name was Blue! Had the tail whippy thing!” I threw my arm behind me and acted out the way the beast’s tail moved.
Willow threw her hand out and the animal stood in her palm. “This?”
Tegan’s eyes widened. “Velociraptor?”
“YES!” I gasped and snapped my fingers. “THAT ONE!”
“How the hell did you get attacked by dinosaurs?” Savannah shouted from somewhere nearby.
Henley looked up from Riah’s body. “Katherine, can you treat a dinosaur bite?”
The woman, Katherine, paled. But then she nodded. “I just need the right—"
“Supplies!” Bentley pushed through the crowded room with a silver tray of vials and tools on it. “Here’s what you need, Katherine.”
“Bentley, thank the Goddess.” Katherine grabbed the tray and sat it right on top of Riah’s chest. She grabbed several vials, popped their lids off, and dumped them right into Riah’s wounds. She cursed. “He needs a healing circle. NOW.”
“Saffie, too,” Tegan shouted and then I was floating through the air.
I gasped. “What?”
“I can feel you creeping toward Witch’s Shock,” Tegan said as she sat me on the bed beside Riah. “Make a circle. Coven only.”
“Can we do two people at once?” Willow hissed.
Tegan gripped her necklace and then a large leather-bound book appeared in her hands. It flipped itself open and pages turned. “I can, yes. Just get in circle like normal, I’ll perform the spell.”
“Saffie?”
I flinched and looked up – and found Deacon crouched in front of me. My gaze dropped to his chest and I spotted the tip of a scar made by a spider demon. My heart sank. I turned to look at Riah beside me and tears spilled onto my cheeks. My pulse quickened. He wasn’t moving. His eyes were closed and his face was ashy. I reached out and pressed my fingers to his throat – but his pulse was faint. Too faint. I could barely feel it.
“Saffie?”
I jumped and looked back in front of me and found Deacon there still.
“Lay down, right here beside him so we can do this healing ritual, okay?”
Oh. I nodded and leaned back until my head hit a pillow.
At the foot of the bed, Tegan cleared her throat and held her hands out to her side. Her leather-bound book floated in front of her. Emersyn was on her left, with Deacon beside her. Tennessee stood on Tegan’s right and a girl who looked identical to him was on his right. I lifted my head and glanced around. The entire Coven stood in a circle around the bed, all of them mirroring Tegan’s position with their palms pressed to each other’s.
I laid my head back and slid my hand into Riah’s…but his skin was cold. The warmth that usually radiated off of him was gone. His bonfire scent was gone, too. I peeked at him over my left shoulder and a blue haze lingered around his body. Tears stung the backs of my eyes. That hot lump burned into my throat and then a violent sob ripped out of me.
Don’t you die on me. Not now. Not when we’re finally free.
I love you, dammit. I’ve waited over three centuries to say that, to FEEL that, you can’t leave me now.
Please. Don’t leave me.
Tegan began chanting in a language I didn’t know how to speak but instantly recognized – angelic. A golden yellow glow erupted from between their touching palms. Tegan chanted a few more lines and then everyone moved their palms to face me and Riah. My pulse quickened. Riah’s hand warmed. Glowing orbs the size of my hand floated in the air toward me until they hovered just over our bodies. Tegan chanted a single line more…and the orbs dropped.
I gasped and braced myself.
But the second the golden light hit my body I felt warm and tingly. My breathing grew looser, easier. I peeked over to Riah and found his skin shimmering ever so slightly. I blinked through a new round of tears. We lifted off of the bed. I gasped and looked to my right and my gaze landed on Cooper.
He winked and gave me a warm smile. “Sleep. I’ll make sure it’s peaceful.”
But I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted to stay with Riah. I needed to stay with Riah. Someone had to make sure he stayed alive. No one had my magic to ensure it. If I fell asleep—
Easy, Saffie, Tegan’s voice purred into my mind. Deep breaths.
I tried to lift my head to look at her but I lacked the strength. Warm air wrapped around me…and then I felt the pillow beneath my head. My eyes closed all on their own…and then I was sitting on a beach, with my bare feet buried in the warm sand — wait. NO! No, no. Wake up!
I gasped and shook my head. The beach vanished into smoke and that same room came back into my view. Except The Coven was gone – or mostly. Hunter sat in a wooden chair directly beside me. Cooper sat in a chair at the foot of the bed. Deacon, Emersyn, Royce, and Henley were leaning against the wall to my right.
“You’ve been through a lot, Saffie,” Tegan said softly from Riah’s side of the bed. She had her hand on his chest while Katherine poured vials of liquid onto his wound. “Katherine is the best healer that doesn’t live on Crone Island. If she can’t heal him, we will bring him to your mother. Okay?”
I nodded. My eyes watered and my pulse quickened. My mother.
Tegan’s eyes glistened. “I know. I promise as soon as you’re ready I will portal you to her. But you’re a blink away from Witch’s Shock. I need you to trust us. We will take care of him until you wake up, okay? You just need to sleep. Get some rest so your magic can heal.”
I tried to speak but my mouth refused to work, so I just nodded.
“I can make you dream anything you’d like,” Cooper said softly. “Just close your eyes and picture it in your mind…and I’ll take you there until you’re healed enough.”
Tennessee walked up beside me and crouched down so we were eye to eye. He smiled. “We owe you everything, Saffie. We may not know who this guy is or what he means to you, but I promise on a sea of spider lilies that we will treat him as one of our own and heal him. Okay?”
My eyes watered. I nodded.
The door opened behind him and Chutney came bouncing inside — with Olli in her arms.
I gasped. “Olli,” I managed to whisper.
His big droopy eyes widened and his tail wagged so fast and hard Chutney almost dropped him. He pushed off of her chest and tried to lunge for me.
“Olli. I said I was bringing you to her.” Chutney giggled and hurried over, pushing Tenn out of the way. “This is Olli. He threatened to howl nonstop if I didn’t bring him to her…so…”