Camellia’s bloodstream felt as if it were on fire. The sudden onslaught of antioxidants rushing through her system, spreading to her cells, snapping every neuron and looking for her pores, for an outlet, shook her. She forced air through her lungs. Kept her head down to prevent the others at the table from seeing the change coming over her face. In her eyes. Her entire body began to shiver, and she couldn’t stop it.
“I’m going to have to go outside for a few minutes, Kyle.” She wasn’t certain she could make it to the exit. She was that unsteady.
Her body felt apart from her, fighting her will, desperate to get to someone in danger. She hadn’t examined Marigold, but instinctively she knew. Red knew. The part of her that was Red knew. If she went outside and connected with the mycelium that spread underground, it would possibly tell her even more about Marigold’s condition—and she needed to know. She needed to know more than she needed to take her next breath.
She felt a gentle stirring in her mind. Jonas moved through the chaos, the twisting, urgent streams of her healer’s drive demanding she find Marigold immediately. She found it shocking that Jonas, who had disconnected himself from her entirely so that she wouldn’t be subjected to any part of the interrogation of their prisoner should he resist questioning, could so easily slip into her mind. More, that he would find her when she was so disoriented. How had he known she needed him?
I need to get outside where I can breathe. Where are you?
I’m still with Crawley. Is Kyle with you? I can send Jeff.
Kyle was helping her get to her feet, his hand under her elbow, then his arm slipping around her waist.
The moment we leave this table, Kyle cautioned, Tansy is going to take off her gloves and try to read everything there is to know about you that she can.
Camellia could barely focus on Kaden as Kyle gave the warning. She wanted to see his reaction when they were using telepathy. Her eyes were already seeing through a healer’s vision. It was difficult to make him out. Her hands hurt, the pads of her fingers felt wet. She knew the extremely potent antioxidants Marigold needed were rushing through her bloodstream, desperate for her to deliver the much-needed gift to a “family member.”
Don’t worry, Kyle. She tried to reassure him, but her mind was focused on healing, not on saving herself. It was difficult to know which path she was using to speak with him on.
Kaden rose instantly. “What’s wrong? Kyle, I want to know what’s wrong with her.” The question wasn’t coming from a friend. That was a demand from an officer.
“She needs to get outside,” Kyle said. “I don’t know what’s happening to her.” His voice rang with honesty because it was the truth.
Camellia, take a deep breath for me. Do it now.
Kyle’s arm was a band around her waist. Kaden moved up to the other side of her to walk her to the door that exited out into a garden protected on three sides by the building. Tansy stayed behind. Camellia heard Jonas’s command clearly and tried to obey him.
Something’s really wrong, Jonas. My reaction has never been this strong. I don’t know if it’s because Marigold’s condition is so bad, but even so, she’s a long way away from me, and the distance alone should protect me. She knew she sounded desperate. She felt desperate. The chemicals in her body weren’t letting up; they were growing thicker, stronger, raging through her, demanding she use her skills, her abilities and Red to heal where others couldn’t.
You were tied together for over twenty years, Jonas pointed out calmly. Do what I say, honey, just take a breath.
Camellia felt dizzy, her eyes going from clear vision to a heated, almost strobing light. She kept her head down and struggled to draw air into her burning lungs. Jonas. She whispered his name like a talisman. Reaching for him. Trying to understand what was happening to her. She’d had instances of needing to heal something, or someone, but never such an overwhelming, overpowering urge. Every cell in her body felt transformed, armed with weapons to take down the enemy.
Unable to process what she was doing in real time, she stumbled just before she reached the door. Kaden wrapped his arm around her waist to help Kyle lift her off her feet even as he thrust the door open with one strong arm. The moment that solid arm completely encircled her back, she realized what was wrong—what had been wrong all along. She wasn’t feeling Marigold, so far away.
It’s Kaden, Jonas. Something is wrong with him. Really wrong with him.
Thankfully, they were outside and the fresh air hit her face. She kicked off her shoes and let her toes sink into the grass, pressed the soles of her feet into it as well, allowing the ground cover to soothe her. At once, she connected with the mycelium running beneath the ground. She sagged to the ground, and the two men let her, coming down beside her.
“You have to tell me what’s going on, Camellia,” Kyle said. “I’ve sent for Jonas.”
She choked back her first reply and then indicated Kaden with a wave of her hand. She still couldn’t see straight. The palms of her hands were damp.
“I don’t know what that means,” Kyle said.
“He’s sick,” she hissed just as Jonas cautioned her against answering.
She didn’t look at either man as she rocked herself back and forth, burying her palms in the grass, digging her fingers into the ground to give back as much of the nutrients as she could. She didn’t want to waste the life-giving gift.
There was a short silence. The wind blew cooling air through her hair and touched the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
I’m coming to you, Jonas said. There was determination in his voice.
She could tell he wasn’t finished questioning Crawley and that Ryland and whoever else was with him protested his decision, but he left anyway and started toward her.
“Kyle, go back inside,” Kaden commanded. “You can wait with my wife.”
“I have orders to stay with Camellia. If I leave her for any reason, Jonas will cut out my heart. I gave my word she’d be safe with me.”
“I’m giving you a direct order,” Kaden said. “That gives you no choice, so Jonas won’t be cutting out your heart. I give you my word, she’s safe with me. Go.”
I’m sorry, Camellia, I have no choice here, not without directly defying a commanding officer’s order. Kaden outranks me. We don’t usually pull rank on one another, so he’s serious.
“If you two have something to say, you can include me in the conversation,” Kaden snapped.
Camellia made every effort to focus on Kaden, but she couldn’t see him as anything but someone in need of healing.
I’ve got this, Jonas assured. I know what you’re looking for.
It’s all right, Kyle, go. Jonas is close. Deliberately, she used telepathic communication one more time in order to give Jonas the opportunity to discover how Kaden realized they were talking when there shouldn’t have been any rise in energy.