42

Dove

"She can interact with our magic. Guiding us and our blades, connecting us to her."

"You think she did that?" another voice asked.

"What else could it have been? She's a Disciple. And her powers aren't even fully developed."

"Kairos?" I croaked, opening my eyes to the eerily bright light. I was in a hospital bed.

"I'm here," he said, appearing before my eyes and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What happened?" I tried to sit up, but Kairos rested a hand on my shoulder, not allowing me to move.

Seven strode forward. "They retreated when the Lord of Nightmares' militia came. After that Tier V demon tried to take you."

"Zalgore." I struggled to remember, fog covered my entire brain. The Archfox saved me? I dry heaved as the scent of fire and burning flesh lingered in my nose. "Is Sana okay? Is the Archfox alive?"

"They're fine," Kairos answered.

I tried to sit up again, feeling disoriented, but Kairos kept a firm palm on my shoulder, only allowing me to move my head until I found my giant Fated sitting on my other side, holding my hand. But my hand was numb and I couldn't feel his soothing heat.

"Dove, why didn't you tell us about the hellfire char spreading inside you?" Enko asked gently.

Seven stuffed his hands into his pocket and turned his back to me like he couldn't stand to look at me. "How could you fucking keep that from us when you knew you were going to die?"

I tried to sit up again and I screamed out in pain as it flooded over my back.

The healer approached, giving me a small smile, but addressing her comments to the guys. "Her pain medicine is wearing off. I'll give her some more, but it will put her back to sleep and she should eat first."

She set a tray of food in front of me, and I did my best to glare despite the tremendous amount of medicine numbing my body.

"Help her eat, I'll be back in a few minutes."

The hospital food looked as unappetizing as it smelled. There were six individual containers, but every option looked worse than the last.

Kairos grabbed the spoon. "What do you want? Pudding?" He got a scoop of goopy tapioca pudding and let it fall back into its bowl with a flop.

After forcing a few bites down, I refused any more.

"You need your strength to heal, Dove. You haven't eaten all day."

"Not if that's the only thing I'm eating today," I groaned, the pain in my back flaring up again as I made the joke.

The healer reappeared, holding out a needle.

"Wait, let them tell me what happened…" I pleaded, but she ignored me. She put the needle into my IV and pushed in the medicine, returning to her station as my head went dizzy and my vision warped.

The healer let out a small squeal in the distance. "Yes, sir. If there's anything you need, let me know."

"He recovered quickly," Kairos grumbled.

"Who?" I asked, trying to peer around my guys' bodies, but the medicine was kicking in fast.

The Archfox emerged. His white dress shirt was wrinkled as though it had been slept in, partially untucked, a bloody hole through the center. Maybe it was the drugs, but I just stared at him, unable to take my eyes away. Light glowed around him, like an angel from heaven. Or maybe it was the bleary eyes and bright hospital lights.

"Hi." The dumb word stumbled out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Hello, my beautiful Fated , the Archfox's voice sounded in my head.

To be continued…

Book Two: Demons of Lore