happened?” Isa asked.
It took all three of them to lift the man onto the table.
“They were stabbed,” Murmur said, backing off until his back hit the black basalt stone of the containment studio.
“You do it?” Troy shot.
Isa spun on him.
He wasn’t looking at her. The bristling, protective man stared at Daniel, rage in his clenched fists, and the first hint of doubt clouding his features.
“Had I, there’d be nothing left to save,” Murmur rumbled in a voice that resonated straight through Isa’s chest.
The edge of threat in his tone stirred a tendril of black deep within her psyche. For that brief moment, the aching emptiness inside vanished.
Lips outlined in white, Murmur slid to the floor.
Isa stumbled over sudden fear. Her throat went dry. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. Shadows of exhaustion smudged his eyes and put ebony shadows in the hollows of his cheeks.
“What the hell is wrong with . . . Holy shit,” Troy said. “That’s not Daniel.
Murmur?
”
Isa breathed a laugh. “Wondered how long it would take you.”
“My God. Daniel’s eyes weren’t that color of green, where they?” Troy demanded.
“No. They were blue,” she said.
“Your Live Tattoo came off of you and took over Daniel? No wonder you didn’t freak,” Troy said.
“He tore my throat out. I died. He took over Daniel’s body, healed it, then healed me,” Isa said. She pulled on a pair of gloves, grabbed her scissors, and began cutting away the wounded man’s filthy clothing. “Believe me. I freaked. Troy. I need the first aid kit.”
“No,” Murmur in Daniel’s body said. “Heal them both at the same time. It’s the only way.”
She sucked in an unsteady breath and tossed Troy a glance.
He backed for the containment studio door, and shook his head. “I feel so weird leaving you in here with him. Either him. One tried to kill you. The other succeeded.”
“I have my freedom,” Murmur growled. “I have no further need for her life yet.”
Isa flinched. Story of her life, right? No one had much interest in her unless they had use for her. She shook off the sting in her eyes and reminded herself it wasn’t what he’d said last night. He’d promised to sacrifice her.
Oh yeah. That made her feel much better.
“This man is bleeding to death,” she said.
“I’ll be right outside,” Troy said.
Isa wanted to tell him no video or audio. She didn’t. It would be the fastest way to call attention to what she didn’t want anyone else knowing—that Daniel Alvarez had walked back into her life and she’d welcomed him. Or would, given half a chance.
She’d play out the same unhealthy pattern she had with Daniel. After working to get rid of a Live Ink parasite sucking the life out of her, she spent all her time longing to have him back in possession of her.
Isa sighed.
She hated being so fundamentally broken.
The door to the containment studio closed and latched with a clang.
“Will you be able to help me?” She didn’t want to sound like she was begging, but she did. She knew the answer as soon as she asked the question.
He shook his head, weariness dragging him closer to the floor as if the strength bled from his body the way the man on her table bled.
Isa summoned power. Liquid gold rose through her core. Wasting no time on candles, she cast a hurried circle around the room.
“In or out?” she asked when she came to Murmur.
“I need to feel you,” he rasped.
He meant magic. But the naked desire in his voice kicked her in the gut. Her outstretched hand shook.
“In, then.” Isa completed the circle with him contained inside with her. She went back to the table and gently lifted the ruined clothes out of the sticky blood.
The man opened his eyes. Tears tracked his cheeks. “Save her.”
“I’m going to do my best for you both,” she assured him, changing out gloves. “What’s your name?”
“Elliot.”
“I’m going to put my hand on your arm, Elliot,” she
It took all three of them to lift the man onto the table.
“They were stabbed,” Murmur said, backing off until his back hit the black basalt stone of the containment studio.
“You do it?” Troy shot.
Isa spun on him.
He wasn’t looking at her. The bristling, protective man stared at Daniel, rage in his clenched fists, and the first hint of doubt clouding his features.
“Had I, there’d be nothing left to save,” Murmur rumbled in a voice that resonated straight through Isa’s chest.
The edge of threat in his tone stirred a tendril of black deep within her psyche. For that brief moment, the aching emptiness inside vanished.
Lips outlined in white, Murmur slid to the floor.
Isa stumbled over sudden fear. Her throat went dry. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. Shadows of exhaustion smudged his eyes and put ebony shadows in the hollows of his cheeks.
“What the hell is wrong with . . . Holy shit,” Troy said. “That’s not Daniel.
Murmur?
”
Isa breathed a laugh. “Wondered how long it would take you.”
“My God. Daniel’s eyes weren’t that color of green, where they?” Troy demanded.
“No. They were blue,” she said.
“Your Live Tattoo came off of you and took over Daniel? No wonder you didn’t freak,” Troy said.
“He tore my throat out. I died. He took over Daniel’s body, healed it, then healed me,” Isa said. She pulled on a pair of gloves, grabbed her scissors, and began cutting away the wounded man’s filthy clothing. “Believe me. I freaked. Troy. I need the first aid kit.”
“No,” Murmur in Daniel’s body said. “Heal them both at the same time. It’s the only way.”
She sucked in an unsteady breath and tossed Troy a glance.
He backed for the containment studio door, and shook his head. “I feel so weird leaving you in here with him. Either him. One tried to kill you. The other succeeded.”
“I have my freedom,” Murmur growled. “I have no further need for her life yet.”
Isa flinched. Story of her life, right? No one had much interest in her unless they had use for her. She shook off the sting in her eyes and reminded herself it wasn’t what he’d said last night. He’d promised to sacrifice her.
Oh yeah. That made her feel much better.
“This man is bleeding to death,” she said.
“I’ll be right outside,” Troy said.
Isa wanted to tell him no video or audio. She didn’t. It would be the fastest way to call attention to what she didn’t want anyone else knowing—that Daniel Alvarez had walked back into her life and she’d welcomed him. Or would, given half a chance.
She’d play out the same unhealthy pattern she had with Daniel. After working to get rid of a Live Ink parasite sucking the life out of her, she spent all her time longing to have him back in possession of her.
Isa sighed.
She hated being so fundamentally broken.
The door to the containment studio closed and latched with a clang.
“Will you be able to help me?” She didn’t want to sound like she was begging, but she did. She knew the answer as soon as she asked the question.
He shook his head, weariness dragging him closer to the floor as if the strength bled from his body the way the man on her table bled.
Isa summoned power. Liquid gold rose through her core. Wasting no time on candles, she cast a hurried circle around the room.
“In or out?” she asked when she came to Murmur.
“I need to feel you,” he rasped.
He meant magic. But the naked desire in his voice kicked her in the gut. Her outstretched hand shook.
“In, then.” Isa completed the circle with him contained inside with her. She went back to the table and gently lifted the ruined clothes out of the sticky blood.
The man opened his eyes. Tears tracked his cheeks. “Save her.”
“I’m going to do my best for you both,” she assured him, changing out gloves. “What’s your name?”
“Elliot.”
“I’m going to put my hand on your arm, Elliot,” she
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