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I smiled. "Fuck you."
I threw another ball of power into one of the other balloons. It hit hard and sent it careening into the first.
The third balloon turned slowly and started to float away. If they thought they could escape, they needed to think again. They should have chosen a faster mode of transport.
I scrunched up my forehead and aimed for the dead centre of the balloon.
"Bullseye."
All three balloons were now on fire and headed to the ground with all the grace of a brick. The flames spread to the baskets. Several shifters jumped before the sound of popping filled the air.
Pop.
Pop.
Bang.
The first basket exploded, sending wicker and heat into the air.
I threw a hand over my face and closed my eyes until the air cooled. I lowered it just as the last two balloons exploded, an entangled death trap.
If you're going to fly something so slow and fragile, maybe don't travel with dangerous weapons.They wouldn't live to learn from their mistake, but hopefully whoever they were working with would get the idea.
Yard turned a slow circle before heading to where Bain and Zeph lay unmoving.
The adrenaline was wearing off and all I felt now was scared. I didn't want Zeph to be dead, but if we lost Bain…
I swallowed hard. I didn't want to think about that. It was Bain. He was invincible. Right?
Hades, please let him be okay. Shit, I would pray to Comus if I thought it would help.
The second Yard landed, I was off his back and running toward Bain.
I dropped to my knees in the dirt and put two fingers to his throat. For the longest time, I waited.
Then… there. A beat. And another. They were slow, and weak, but there.
I pulled open the bag of dried petals on my chest and inhaled deeply. I drew every drop of power I could manage and, using the lessons Helene taught me, sent the power into his body.
His right arm was broken. I straightened and fixed it. Several ribs as well. One had splintered and part had punctured one of his lungs.
I eased out the fragment and clamped down on the hole immediately. I drew flesh together and wove the hole shut.
He sucked in a normal-seeming breath. I turned my attention to repairing his ribs. They would hurt for a while, but they weren't in pieces anymore.
With those done, I turned my attention to the real, and most difficult problem. The damage to his head.
"Come on, asshole," I said softly. "Your head is the hardest part of you. You should be up and ready to run around by now."
But I knew it wasn't that easy. Either he was hit by a cannonball, or he'd struck his head on landing. It didn't matter much either way. The side of his head was red with blood that flowed down his face and stained the dirt.
Knox crouched down beside me. "Take all the power you need."
I twitched. I didn't know if he could feel me take it. That was a conversation for later. In the meantime, I wouldn't take anything from Bain. That didn't mean I couldn't smell him and the sheen of sweat on his skin. I wanted to inhale every drop and infuse it into myself somehow.
I turned my face toward Knox and closed my eyes. His scent was equally compelling. Heady.
I took in as much power and I could hold, then took in more. If power was visible I would glow bright enough to be seen from space. Or it felt like that anyway.
