She laid his body flat, heedless of the bloody leaves and sticks littering the ground, and breathed into his mouth. His chest expanded. She did it again and again.

Then she felt it. A spark of power arcing between their mouths. He was still with her. She could feel him fighting his way back.

“Don’t you dare leave me,” she told him. “I need you.”

The pool of power inside him was weak, but she si-phoned off what she could and used it to knit his skin back together. She didn’t know what she was doing, but she had to try something to keep him from bleeding out.

She covered his mouth with hers to breathe for him again, but this time he didn’t need any help. He pulled the air from her lungs and kissed her in return.

His tongue slid over her lips and a low moan of pleasure vibrated in his chest. He tasted so good. So alive. Her heart overflowed with relief and gratitude.

His arms wrapped around her and he sat them both up. His mouth left hers and she could see his eyes blazing with emotion. “Tell me again,” he ordered.

She knew what he wanted to hear. She could feel the hint of insecurity still lingering inside of him, and she loved him so much, she couldn’t deny him. “I love you.”

His eyes fluttered closed in pleasure. “God, that sounds good.”

He grabbed his borrowed sword from where it had landed in the leaves, knelt in front of her, and sliced a shallow cut over his heart. “My life for yours, Andra. Forever and always.”

Blood dripped down his chest, making her already twisty stomach twist harder. “I really wish you would stop doing that. I just patched you up.”

He ignored her complaint and looked at her with such intensity she wanted to look away. “Give me your vow. I need it.”

He needed her. Forever. That was what he wanted, and it scared the hell out of her.

Even so, even though she was afraid to tie him to a woman who made so many mistakes, she was more afraid of letting him go. He’d seen all her failures. He knew she’d let a lot of people she loved down. He knew she’d let them die. And still he wanted her. Trusted her.

It humbled her and yet also gave her the strength to trust herself. She wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t have to be. He would always be there for her when she was weak. He would always be there for her, period.

“I need you, too. So, as long as you don’t get sick of me, I’ll be right there by your side.”

As the warmth of her promise settled over her, a smile of masculine satisfaction curled his mouth. “You’re mine now, Andra, because I’m never going to get sick of you.”

“Maybe I should rephrase my vow, then,” she teased.

“Oh, no, you don’t. I’ve got you right where I want you. Forever.” He pulled her close and bent his head to kiss her just as the first rays of sunrise broke through the trees.

Chapter 30

Andra held her breath. Sibyl stood by Nika’s bed. Tynan had used all the power he’d collected to heal those injured in the attack on Dabyr and had none left to help Nika, at least not for another week, so Sibyl was Nika’s best chance right now.

Paul was at her side, his strong arm around her. His thumb caressed her waist, soothing some of the tension that had been growing in her since they’d arrived home.

And Dabyr was home now, as strange a place as it was.

Sibyl frowned and pressed her little hand to Nika’s forehead. A moment later, she pulled back as if burned.

“Poor child,” said Sibyl. “If she is to recover, it will not be by your hand.”

Andra leaned against Paul, weak with disappointment. He held her up, solid and unyielding. “What do you mean? Isn’t there anything I can do?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Frustration burned bright inside her. She felt helpless. Even with all the power she possessed now, she still couldn’t help Nika.

“There is hope, though,” said Sibyl. “You rescued me, so I will offer you this boon.”

“What? Any hope you can give me is more than welcome.”

“There is one here who can heal her. I cannot see who he is, but I feel that he’s already begun the process.”

“He? So, not Grace?”

“No. Not Grace. She is a healing soul, and gives Nika great comfort, but that is all.”

“So what do I do?” asked Andra.

Sibyl gave her a smile full of more wisdom than any eight-year-old should possess. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“You’ve done all you can. You brought her here. That will either be enough or it won’t.”

“And you can’t tell?”

“No, I won’t tell. It is no longer my turn.”

Andra was trying to figure out what she meant, but she was having a hard time keeping up with all the cryp tic stuff. “What do you mean, it’s not your turn?”

Sibyl tilted her head, making her curls bob. “You are a sister. You know what it is like to have to share. Didn’t you ever learn to take turns?”

Paul’s body tensed beside her. “Are you saying that Maura can see things the way you can?”

“I said nothing of the sort. That would be against the rules.” She turned and left, but stopped at the door. Without turning around, she said, “You’re going to be happy together. I don’t have to break any rules to tell you that.”

After she was gone, the room seemed oddly empty. “O-kay,” said Paul. “There are clearly some things I still don’t know around here.”

“Join the club. Holy cow, that girl is freaky.”

“You’ll get used to her,” said Paul.

“I suppose I’m going to have to, aren’t I?”

He bent and kissed the side of her neck, making her skin heat. His arms felt good around her. She didn’t know how she’d ever survived without him. He was so much a part of her that she could hardly tell the difference between his presence inside her mind and her own.

His tongue slid down until it touched the edge of her luceria. As soon as it did, it wasn’t just her skin that was hot. She was melting inside, only for him.

His wicked smile told her he knew it, too. “Yes, you are, because I’m never going to let you go.”

Nika woke up suddenly, as if someone had shouted her name. The woman in the corner of her room had fallen asleep with a half-knitted sweater in her lap. Nika didn’t recognize her, but she wasn’t afraid.

For the first time in eight years, she wasn’t afraid.

The feeling made her giddy, and even though her body was weak, she rose from her bed and left all that weak flesh behind. She had to go now.

It took her a moment to get used to the buoyant feeling of being outside her body. She was so used to the gnawing hunger and deep aches that the loss of both unnerved her, almost made her lonely for their constant companionship. Nika looked back at the bed where her shell lay. She didn’t recognize that person. That skeleton.

Once again she felt a shock of recognition, as if someone had called her name.

She had to go to him. He needed her.

Nika slipped out of the room, through the front door, and into a long hallway. She didn’t know where she was, but she knew where she was going. Instincts guided her like an arrow, and she raced along the dark, deserted hallways, floating above the floor.

She was close now. She could feel him—feel his power. She’d found her home, though she had no idea how she knew that was the case.

The door looked like all the others, but to her, it seethed with power. She pressed her hands against it and they slipped through the wood easily. He was in there. Sleeping.

She didn’t want to wake him. He needed his rest; it was the only time he escaped his pain. She didn’t want him to hurt. That was why she needed to be near him. To soothe him. To take away his pain.

Nika glided through the door into a suite that looked much like the one she’d just left, but only on the surface. This place was a house of pain and torment. It was a house of sorrow and desperation. Even so, it was the most comforting place she’d ever been because he was here.

When she floated into his room and drifted onto his bed, he didn’t wake. She wasn’t even sure whether he could feel her or not, but she snuggled close to his side and draped her body over his. Warmth from his naked skin rose up to her, driving away the constant chill in her limbs.

As if sensing her need for warmth, he shifted in his sleep. He wrapped a thick arm around her body, pinning her in place with a heavy thigh. He didn’t pass through her. It was as if he were the only real thing within this ethereal world.

Her spirit was surrounded by his heat, his scent.

This was what she needed. He was what she needed. He scared away the terror that haunted her. Even the vilest of creatures trembled before him. As long as she was with him, they couldn’t hurt her.

Not anymore.

Chapter 31

Lexi was here. Zach felt her appear as if she’d walked through a portal into Dabyr.

He sprang from the weight bench and raced through the halls toward her. He wasn’t going to lose her this time. Not again.

He turned a corner and threw himself at Drake’s door, slamming into it. The thing shook, but didn’t go down. She was in there. He had to get to her before she disappeared again.

Zach had just lifted his foot to kick the door down when it opened. Drake stared at him like he’d lost his mind, filling the doorway so none of Zach’s craziness could spill over onto his beloved Helen.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

“Helen’s on the phone. What the hell do you want?”

“Not Helen. Lexi. She’s in there. You’re hiding her.” Zach shoved his way inside, but Drake kept his body between him and Helen.

She came out of the kitchen with her cell phone to her ear. When she saw him, her face drained of all color. She put her finger to her lips for silence and said into the phone, “No, Lexi, it’s fine. No one’s hurting me.”

Lexi wasn’t here. She was on the phone.

Shit.

It took Zach a long moment to recover from the crushing disappointment. She wasn’t here. He couldn’t see her. Touch her. He couldn’t take care of her.

He couldn’t paddle her ass for running away from him.

“Of course I’m sure,” said Helen. “You’re wrong about these people. I don’t know what your mother told you, but she was wrong, too. They’re the good guys.”

Zach glared at Drake for standing in his way. “Let me talk to her,” he told Helen.

Helen’s eyes widened and she shook her head, making her braids sway. “At least let me meet you somewhere and talk to you. I swear I’ll come alone.”

“Like hell you will,” said both Drake and Zach at the same time.

Zach used the momentary distraction to reach past Drake and take the phone out of Helen’s hand.

“Hello, honey,” he said, struggling to keep his voice calm when all he really wanted to do was scream at Lexi for abandoning him.

“Zach.” Fear filled her voice, but it couldn’t disguise the fatigue that flowed through that single word.

“Where are you?”