happened,” I said in a rush. “I’ve never been able to do that.”
“Your power is growing more rapidly than usual.”
Tiki, Vincent, and Rayna came to stand beside Marcus, and before anyone could say anything, I realized someone was missing. “Where’s Willy?”
“He–, Here…” Willy gasped. “Ov–, over here.”
I ran around to the other side of the car to find Willy sitting against it. Huge teeth marks marred his scrawny, pale flesh and blood poured from his shoulder, covering his body.
“It’s okay, Willy. I’m here buddy,” I said. I fell down beside him and called my magic back. I pushed a calming wave up from my soul and let it fill him.
He gasped at first as the cold magic leaked into him. His skin changed from its natural white to the shiny black of the car behind him. I opened his shirt and panic filled me. Huge teeth marks had sunk deep into his flesh. Chunks of skin hung from the wounds, only threads of flesh keeping them attached. Blood leaked from each hole, and they hadn’t even started to heal.
I could feel myself wavering on the brink of exhaustion. My elements were still taking a lot out of me, but I tried again. I pushed the magic harder this time, black dots spotting my vision, but the bleeding didn’t slow.
“Why isn’t it working?” My anger came out in my words, but I was talking mostly to myself.
“Water is an unusual element, Chase. It can’t magically heal everything,” Marcus said.
“It’s worked every time I’ve tried.”
“The magic is unpredictable. It could be that the werewolf’s bite has something to do with it, or it could be based on what kind of demon Willy is.”
Marcus popped his trunk and pulled out a first-aid kit. He reached over and cut the shoulder off of Willy’s shirt, pulling it with ease from the wound. He tore open packages of gauze and bandages, but by the time he’d covered the wounds, they were blood-soaked. He unrolled a long roll of gauze, wrapping it around Willy’s shoulder. Marcus folded a thick blanket over top and used another strip of bandaging to hold it in place.
“He’s a demon. This bite isn’t going to keep him down,” Marcus said.
“Are you sure? Can’t it infect him or something?”
“No,” Vincent said. “He’s already a demon. The shifter virus only transfers to humans.”
Willy was sweating now. Thick drops fell from his messy hair and ran down through the patchy stubble on his face. I reached up and touched his forehead, but it was too hot to keep my hand there. He was burning up.
“Hang in there, Willy.”
Willy tried for a smile but winced in pain. The thought of having yelled at him for wanting to stay home entered my mind. I couldn’t keep the guilt away as it seeped in and threatened me with sadness.
Marcus put the first-aid kit back and pushed the trunk closed. “Let’s go.”
“Don’t we need to stay or something?” Rayna asked.
He shook his head. “This is their mess. Let them clean it up.” He slipped into his seat and slammed the door shut.
I was surprised by Marcus’ reaction, but for the first time, I agreed with him.
Tiki and I lifted Willy into the front seat of the car and the rest of us squeezed into the back. I had never wanted to be this close to Vincent, but after everything that had just happened, I could suck it up. I definitely wasn’t fighting for shotgun now.
Chapter 4
Once we got back to the condo, everyone dispersed. Tiki took Willy upstairs, hoping to bandage the wounds better. Vincent left, and after the fight we just had, Rayna wasn’t up for much but sleeping. I was exhausted and tried to follow her upstairs, but I didn’t get away so easily.
“Chase, I’d like a word please,” Marcus said, his voice its usual unemotional tone, leaving me no idea what I was in for.
He led me into the training room and turned, shooing Rai off my shoulder before closing the door.
“Is it so bad the bird had to go?”
“We need to talk…without any
“Your power is growing more rapidly than usual.”
Tiki, Vincent, and Rayna came to stand beside Marcus, and before anyone could say anything, I realized someone was missing. “Where’s Willy?”
“He–, Here…” Willy gasped. “Ov–, over here.”
I ran around to the other side of the car to find Willy sitting against it. Huge teeth marks marred his scrawny, pale flesh and blood poured from his shoulder, covering his body.
“It’s okay, Willy. I’m here buddy,” I said. I fell down beside him and called my magic back. I pushed a calming wave up from my soul and let it fill him.
He gasped at first as the cold magic leaked into him. His skin changed from its natural white to the shiny black of the car behind him. I opened his shirt and panic filled me. Huge teeth marks had sunk deep into his flesh. Chunks of skin hung from the wounds, only threads of flesh keeping them attached. Blood leaked from each hole, and they hadn’t even started to heal.
I could feel myself wavering on the brink of exhaustion. My elements were still taking a lot out of me, but I tried again. I pushed the magic harder this time, black dots spotting my vision, but the bleeding didn’t slow.
“Why isn’t it working?” My anger came out in my words, but I was talking mostly to myself.
“Water is an unusual element, Chase. It can’t magically heal everything,” Marcus said.
“It’s worked every time I’ve tried.”
“The magic is unpredictable. It could be that the werewolf’s bite has something to do with it, or it could be based on what kind of demon Willy is.”
Marcus popped his trunk and pulled out a first-aid kit. He reached over and cut the shoulder off of Willy’s shirt, pulling it with ease from the wound. He tore open packages of gauze and bandages, but by the time he’d covered the wounds, they were blood-soaked. He unrolled a long roll of gauze, wrapping it around Willy’s shoulder. Marcus folded a thick blanket over top and used another strip of bandaging to hold it in place.
“He’s a demon. This bite isn’t going to keep him down,” Marcus said.
“Are you sure? Can’t it infect him or something?”
“No,” Vincent said. “He’s already a demon. The shifter virus only transfers to humans.”
Willy was sweating now. Thick drops fell from his messy hair and ran down through the patchy stubble on his face. I reached up and touched his forehead, but it was too hot to keep my hand there. He was burning up.
“Hang in there, Willy.”
Willy tried for a smile but winced in pain. The thought of having yelled at him for wanting to stay home entered my mind. I couldn’t keep the guilt away as it seeped in and threatened me with sadness.
Marcus put the first-aid kit back and pushed the trunk closed. “Let’s go.”
“Don’t we need to stay or something?” Rayna asked.
He shook his head. “This is their mess. Let them clean it up.” He slipped into his seat and slammed the door shut.
I was surprised by Marcus’ reaction, but for the first time, I agreed with him.
Tiki and I lifted Willy into the front seat of the car and the rest of us squeezed into the back. I had never wanted to be this close to Vincent, but after everything that had just happened, I could suck it up. I definitely wasn’t fighting for shotgun now.
Chapter 4
Once we got back to the condo, everyone dispersed. Tiki took Willy upstairs, hoping to bandage the wounds better. Vincent left, and after the fight we just had, Rayna wasn’t up for much but sleeping. I was exhausted and tried to follow her upstairs, but I didn’t get away so easily.
“Chase, I’d like a word please,” Marcus said, his voice its usual unemotional tone, leaving me no idea what I was in for.
He led me into the training room and turned, shooing Rai off my shoulder before closing the door.
“Is it so bad the bird had to go?”
“We need to talk…without any
Similar Books
