she called her magick fast and hard, yanking it from the air around her and the ground at her feet. It filled her instantly in a painful slice as she managed it. As she used her magick to push back against the explosion, to repel the flaming metal and burning tires.
Dimly she realized the car behind it had also blown and she managed her magick to repel it as well.
It filled her, raw power. Bright and searing hot. Her filters were down so she could take in as much as she could as fast as possible. It roared through her, responding to her will, but she knew enough to understand that could change.
So much magick she knew she’d have trouble regulating it, keeping it from going wild and burning her to the bone. But she needed all she could get to keep her people, and the crowd behind her, safe from all the flying wreckage.
She held it even as she tasted blood and her nose began to drip. Her skin burned and as the energy around her from the bomb died down, she shoved it all away, back to the twisted metal, which groaned as she hit the pavement on her knees, the blood from her nose and mouth staining the front of her shirt.
Damn it. That much blood would never come out and she really loved that blouse.
Her vision grayed at the edges as she swayed, fighting consciousness and beginning to lose.
She heard Faine roar and then snarl. “Shit. Shit! Helena?”
Faine had been watching the crowd, taking care not to hold Molly too tightly, not to bump her casts or injure her. And then he turned, noting Helena’s body language had stiffened, her focus shifted to the curb where the vehicles were.
Helena was right in front of the vehicle and she shouted for them to get down and he felt the air suck away and then the taste of her magick as she pulled it from all around. He’d covered Molly with his body, expecting the blow of the flaming wreckage, but instead he’d watched as Helena had shouted in a language he rarely heard, her hands drawing runes as she wove the spell. He knew channeling that much power was dangerous for anyone, a fact underlined when her nose started to bleed.
He heard Gage shouting at people to get back, heard the panic behind him as humans scattered. All he could do was watch, helpless as she took all that power and shoved it at the explosion.
Molly spoke to him quietly. “She’ll be all right. She’s strong.” But her words were nearly a question. Not quite, but close enough that it only scared him more.
He’d only held himself in place because he knew that if he’d disturbed Helena she could have lost control of her magick. And his job was Molly right then. He’d promised Helena and he couldn’t break that promise.
But when Helena dropped to her knees and pitched forward, blood all over her face, he made sure Gage was there with Molly before he exploded up, running to her. He scooped Helena into his arms as the sounds of sirens began to break through the wall of power she’d kept between the car and the crowd.
He shook so fucking hard it was a challenge to stand, but he did, holding her close, breathing her in until he was sure she was alive and would be all right. Her blood was everywhere, freaking him out.
“Damn it, Helena Jaansen, you will open those eyes right this moment. You’re scaring me.” He gave her his best officer-issuing-orders voice and hoped the fear wasn’t showing.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, but then she seemed to grasp consciousness with a gasp. “Is everyone all right?”
He growled. “Everyone but you, brown eyes. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
She sighed, turning her face into his chest. “Not failing.”
Chapter 8
“WE need to get her help.” He turned to Gage, still holding Helena.
Gage held his hands up, approaching slowly, understanding exactly what it meant to be wild with the need to protect the woman you loved. “When the ambulance arrives, we’ll send her first. You go with her.”
Helena stirred, trying to get
Dimly she realized the car behind it had also blown and she managed her magick to repel it as well.
It filled her, raw power. Bright and searing hot. Her filters were down so she could take in as much as she could as fast as possible. It roared through her, responding to her will, but she knew enough to understand that could change.
So much magick she knew she’d have trouble regulating it, keeping it from going wild and burning her to the bone. But she needed all she could get to keep her people, and the crowd behind her, safe from all the flying wreckage.
She held it even as she tasted blood and her nose began to drip. Her skin burned and as the energy around her from the bomb died down, she shoved it all away, back to the twisted metal, which groaned as she hit the pavement on her knees, the blood from her nose and mouth staining the front of her shirt.
Damn it. That much blood would never come out and she really loved that blouse.
Her vision grayed at the edges as she swayed, fighting consciousness and beginning to lose.
She heard Faine roar and then snarl. “Shit. Shit! Helena?”
Faine had been watching the crowd, taking care not to hold Molly too tightly, not to bump her casts or injure her. And then he turned, noting Helena’s body language had stiffened, her focus shifted to the curb where the vehicles were.
Helena was right in front of the vehicle and she shouted for them to get down and he felt the air suck away and then the taste of her magick as she pulled it from all around. He’d covered Molly with his body, expecting the blow of the flaming wreckage, but instead he’d watched as Helena had shouted in a language he rarely heard, her hands drawing runes as she wove the spell. He knew channeling that much power was dangerous for anyone, a fact underlined when her nose started to bleed.
He heard Gage shouting at people to get back, heard the panic behind him as humans scattered. All he could do was watch, helpless as she took all that power and shoved it at the explosion.
Molly spoke to him quietly. “She’ll be all right. She’s strong.” But her words were nearly a question. Not quite, but close enough that it only scared him more.
He’d only held himself in place because he knew that if he’d disturbed Helena she could have lost control of her magick. And his job was Molly right then. He’d promised Helena and he couldn’t break that promise.
But when Helena dropped to her knees and pitched forward, blood all over her face, he made sure Gage was there with Molly before he exploded up, running to her. He scooped Helena into his arms as the sounds of sirens began to break through the wall of power she’d kept between the car and the crowd.
He shook so fucking hard it was a challenge to stand, but he did, holding her close, breathing her in until he was sure she was alive and would be all right. Her blood was everywhere, freaking him out.
“Damn it, Helena Jaansen, you will open those eyes right this moment. You’re scaring me.” He gave her his best officer-issuing-orders voice and hoped the fear wasn’t showing.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, but then she seemed to grasp consciousness with a gasp. “Is everyone all right?”
He growled. “Everyone but you, brown eyes. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
She sighed, turning her face into his chest. “Not failing.”
Chapter 8
“WE need to get her help.” He turned to Gage, still holding Helena.
Gage held his hands up, approaching slowly, understanding exactly what it meant to be wild with the need to protect the woman you loved. “When the ambulance arrives, we’ll send her first. You go with her.”
Helena stirred, trying to get
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