Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

E ve pulled out her phone. "I am texting Hunter. We are okay, but that we need them to come and retrieve the warlock's body. Maybe Salima can heal the other guy so we can question him. He is still unconscious."

I waited for my heartbeat to slow, but then realized it wasn't just the adrenaline pumping through my veins. My side felt like it was on fire, a searing pain that pulsed with every heartbeat. I pushed my jacket away and saw the scorch mark, the skin charred and blistered. The warlock's hellfire had caught me as I leaped for cover.

Faith noticed first, her eyes widening in alarm. "Damn it, Tegan. Why didn't you tell us you were hurt?"

"I didn't realize..." My voice trailed off as the pain intensified, my mind struggling to process the gravity of the wound. I had been running on pure instinct.

Nishi inspected the burn, her expression grim. "She's in shock and was fighting on instinct. This is bad. Eve, can you give her a potion?"

Eve pulled a vial from her pocket, but it was cracked, and most of the liquid had leaked out. Her face twisted in frustration. "My supply got decimated in the fight. Tegan, drink what's left, but we need to get you to Salima."

I nodded weakly, taking the vial from her. A few drops of the healing potion trickled down my throat, providing a fleeting sense of relief. It wasn't enough. Faith and Nishi moved swiftly, each taking one of my arms and helping me to the Jeep.

Every step was a challenge, the pain radiating from my side with every movement. Faith's grip was steady, her worry evident in the furrow of her brow. Nishi's calm demeanor was a stark contrast, her focus unwavering as she guided us.

We reached the Jeep, and they helped me into the back seat. The leather was cool against my fevered skin. Faith glanced back at me, her eyes filled with concern. "Hold on, Tegan. We're getting you to Salima. She can fix this. Nishi, we need to take the warlock as well. Put him in the back."

I nodded, leaning my head back and closing my eyes. There was a thud at the back before Faith got in the driver's and the engine roared to life. We sped away from the scene as Hunter and the pack arrived through a portal to clean up the carnage we had left on the street. The pain was relentless, but I forced myself to stay conscious, to focus on the thought of getting to Salima.

Faith gripped the steering wheel like it was a lifeline. "Eve, text Salima to meet at Tegan's house. It's closer. I may have a healing potion in my go bag there. That should help until Salima gets there."

Eve leaned forward from the back seat. "Hunter and the pack have retrieved the body, but you know it can take more than a potion to completely heal hellfire."

Faith nodded. "I know. Greyson told me it's why he rarely conjures it."

As we drove, the landscape blurred past, and my thoughts drifted to Kacey, to my mother, to the fight we were still embroiled in. This was far from over. But for now, all I could do was hold on and hope Salima was a fast driver.

Faith's phone beeped, and she put it on speakerphone. "What the hell happened?" Carnell growled through the phone.

"A warlock named Asham tried to kill us. He used hellfire and Tegan was burned. Salima is meeting us at Tegan's house. She is en route now, but I want that asshole tracked down. He had a secret room in his mansion with a shit ton of black-market artifacts. I'm guessing most are magical."

"I will make mine and the vampire community aware he is blacklisted, but Lucinda and Caton will want proof. Asham is well respected by the empowered community and donates to the council and other charities."

Faith grunted. "I love how you just insinuated the council was a charity, but Nishi was attacked, too. Surely that has some weight with the council."

"It does, as does attacking the guardian, but Caton and Lucinda will need proof it was him. Any warlock can glamor themselves."

Faith swore under her breath. Since we had used one to infiltrate his home, there was no denying it was possible someone was impersonating him. "I get that, but we found the room in his house. He had no idea we weren't who we said we were."

"Asham has been suspected of smuggling for years. That is one thing, but attacking you is another. We need proof the man on the street was Asham."

"Hunter called you, didn't he?" Faith asked.

"Of course he did. He is furious. Eve was attacked by an empowered. He is ready to kick the council from pack lands. If this shit keeps up, the council is going to find itself with no power and no residence."

Faith grunted as she turned onto my street. "I am trying to give a fuck, but I just can't manage it right now."

Carnell sighed. "I know how you feel about the council, but every species in the Shrouded Nation needs representation. The council is how we achieve that. My entire treaty with the Underworld would fall if there was no council."

Faith paled a bit. "Yeah, that would be bad."

"It would be catastrophic," Carnell said.

We pulled up to my house just as the sun was beginning to set; the sky was painted in hues of orange and pink. It was close to dinnertime, and I had no idea if Kacey was home. I prayed she wouldn't arrive until after Salima had a chance to heal me. The thought of her walking in and seeing me like this twisted my heart.

Faith and Nishi helped me out of the Jeep, their movements careful but swift. Every step sent a jolt of pain through my side, but I gritted my teeth and kept moving. They guided me inside and eased me onto the couch. There was no sign of Spencer or Toga, which meant Kacey likely wasn't home yet. A small relief in the midst of the chaos.

Faith and Nishi exchanged a quick glance before heading back outside to deal with the warlock. Eve stayed behind, her eyes filled with worry as she moved to the kitchen. She returned with a cloth, which she wet in the sink and gently placed on my forehead. The coolness was a welcome contrast to the burning pain in my side.

"Hang in there, Tegan," Eve said softly, her hand lingering on my arm in a comforting gesture.

I nodded, my vision blurring slightly from the pain and exhaustion. "I know. Salima can fix this," I whispered.

Eve nodded, her expression resolute. "She's on her way. Just try to relax."

Relaxing was easier said than done with the searing pain that flared with every breath, but I tried. The house was quiet, the familiar surroundings offering a semblance of comfort. I focused on the rhythmic ticking of the clock, the distant hum of the refrigerator, anything to distract myself from the agony.

The door opened, and Faith and Nishi returned, their faces set with determination as they dragged the warlock inside. They dropped him unceremoniously on the floor and secured his hands with magical cuffs, ensuring he wouldn't pose a threat if he woke. Now all we could do was wait for Salima and hope she could heal the damage before it became irreversible.

The crunching of tires on gravel in the driveway had me breathing a sigh of relief.

The door creaked open and Salima stepped inside, her delicate frame moving swiftly toward the couch. She knelt beside me, her presence a calming balm amidst the chaos. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, a stark contrast to the usual nature-loving healers I'd encountered. But Salima was different, an enigma wrapped in layers of mystery.

"Hey," she greeted me softly, her voice carrying a gentle warmth as she offered a reassuring smile.

"Hey," I replied weakly, grateful for her presence. She carefully peeled the burned shirt away from my skin, her touch light but firm. I winced as the fabric pulled at the tender, scorched flesh. But her smile never wavered.

"Just hold on a moment," she murmured, pushing the material up to expose the worst of the burn. She placed her hand on my stomach, where the skin was still unmarred, and closed her eyes. A serene expression settled over her features as her power began to flow into me.

It felt like a spring rain falling in a desert, cool and soothing, washing away the pain and mending the damaged tissues. I sighed in relief, the tension slowly ebbing from my body as the burning sensation dissipated. Her magic was a gentle, persistent force, knitting my flesh back together with an almost tender caress.

Once she was finished, Salima moved to sit on the opposing chair, her breathing shallow and her face even paler than before. Healing had clearly taken a toll on her, but she gave me another small, reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Salima," I said, my voice a little stronger now that the pain had abated.

She nodded, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Just rest for now," she advised, her tone gentle but firm. "You need to regain your strength."

I leaned back against the couch, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over me. Faith and Nishi stood nearby, their eyes reflecting a mix of concern and relief. Eve hovered close, her hand still resting lightly on my arm.

Salima's power had done its work, but the ordeal had clearly cost her. She looked more fragile than ever, as if a strong gust of wind might carry her away. Yet, despite her own exhaustion, she remained focused on me, her concern unwavering.

"Henriette's healing felt different from yours. Are you more powerful than she was?" I asked.

Salima rested her head on her hand. "I don't know. Everyone's power is a little different."

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Yours feels like a cool stream meandering through a valley."

Salima was quiet for a moment. "That is a lovely description. I need a few minutes before I help your warlock friend. Hellfire is tricky if it's imbued with magic."

Faith moved closer to me as I opened my eyes. "That warlock spelled the hellfire? Like it's not deadly enough."

Salima nodded. "Most warlocks don't bother, but that one was a real bastard. It would have killed Tegan without a proper... healer."

I glanced at Faith and knew we were thinking the same thing. For Salima to break a magical spell, she had to be very powerful and not just as a healer. "Thank you Salima. You saved my life."

Salima shrugged. "That's my job."

We all knew it was more than that, but Salima didn't seem comfortable admitting she was powerful or that she actually had friends. What had happened to her to make her so untrusting? It couldn't just be her necro powers, could it?

We all sat quietly for a few moments before I sat up.

"Move the warlock to the couch. It will make it easier for Salima when she is ready."

Faith nodded before she and Nishi grabbed the unconscious man and placed him on the couch.

The younger man's black hair was plastered to his head as if he were sweating profusely, and I wondered if Nishi had broken one of his ribs or even burst an organ during his fight with her.

"What did you do to this guy?" I asked.

Nish shrugged. "I punched him in the sternum. Honesty, I'm surprised he has been out for so long. I didn't hit him hard enough to kill him."

Salima moved to the couch and placed her hand on the man's forehead. Her face changed as her power flowed into him.

"This injury isn't just physical. He would be up and walking around if that were it."

Faith crossed her arms. "What is it then?"

Salima shook her head. "I'm not sure. It's some kind of spell, but I have no idea what it is. I also don't know what it's affecting. To reverse a spell, you need to know what is being attacked and I can't tell you what that is."

"What kind of spell does that?" Nishi asked.

"Dark magic," Eve said.

Salima dropped her hand from the man's forehead. "Why would a man risk attacking a council member? His life is basically over. What is so special about this artifact?"

I placed my hand on the back of the couch and stared down at the man. "It's rare but it's not that dangerous. I have no idea why Asham would go to all this trouble for it."

"What is its worth on the black market?" Faith asked.

I shook my head. "No idea, but there were far more valuable items in the vault."

Nishi went to my kitchen and opened the fridge. She grabbed a bottle of water and unfastened the cap. "Faith is right. There is more to this. Are you sure this thing can't alter the past?" She took a swig of the water as I thought about the Temporal Echo.

"I haven't read anything on it that would suggest that, but Asham's behavior makes me think there is more than I know about this artifact. We should do some more research on it before we activate it. I would hate to alter the timeline because I was misinformed."

Faith's phone rang, and she picked up immediately. "Greyson, we are fine. Hold on, I will put you on speaker." She clicked the button.

"I'm sorry Faith. I have been trying to create a secure line to the prison, but every time I think I have it sorted the thing goes down. The prison security is a mess, and I can't figure out why. It's one glitch after another."

"Don't worry about the phone line, we will manage. But we had an incident." She explained everything that had happened, including the attack and me being hurt.

"Asham attacked you with hellfire?" Greyson repeated with a deadly inflection to his voice.

Faith glanced at me. "Yeah, and it was spelled. Salima had to help Tegan, but she is fine now."

Greyson was quiet for a moment. "Salima was able to heal spelled hellfire from a warlock that rivals my power?"

There was dead silence, and Salima was suddenly very interested in a chipped nail on her finger.

Faith nodded. "Yeah, there are some things I need to explain, but not now. This isn't a secure line. Salima is powerful, and she is part of the Sacred Sisters. Let's leave it at that for now."

"Understood, but keep that between you as long as possible. Once Lucinda realizes your group has accepted her, she will make Salima's life hell."

Faith growled. "Let the bitch try."

"Just be careful Faith. Lucinda is far more devious than anyone realizes. Not even her boyfriend understands what she will do to obtain power."

Faith nodded but glanced at the warlock. "We apprehended one of Asham's cohorts. He is under some kind of spell. We have no idea what it is. I think he should be remanded to the prison until he wakes."

"I am just on my way to get some supplies and then I have to return to the prison. I would come and grab him if I had time. Can I send..."

"Don't worry about it, babe. We will bring this jerk to you."

"Thank you," Greyson said.

"See you soon," Faith said before she hung up the phone. "Sounds like the inmates are restless."

Salima covered her yawn. "I hope your trip to Scorchwood goes well. I have to go home and get some rest." She stood up and glanced between us. "You sure live exciting lives. Call me if you need anything." She quietly went to the front door and slipped outside.

Faith glanced at the unconscious warlock. "Let's get sleepy and visit Brutus. If I have to take this jackhole to Scorchwood, I want to visit my baby."