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He tossed me into the driver’s seat, then followed me in, trapping my body beneath his.

He cranked the engine on.

Mother above, we wereleaving.

I made a pained attempt to squeeze my body out from under his.

He laid on the gas and the tires squealed as the car shot forward.

I let out a cry, bucking beneath him. I managed to get part of my leg out.

“Goddamnit, Lana, stop fighting me!”

“I need to save him!”

“He’s just going to kill you!” Asher yelled at me.

“He’s my friend!” I shouted back at him. I could feel the hot burn of tears in my eyes. I fought the urge to hiss at him.

With a cry, I managed to finally extricate my body from under his.

I crawled over to the front passenger seat, pressing my face to the window. I couldn’t see Clades.

Damn these metal machines!

A whine moved up and out of my throat, and the hand of mine that was plastered against the glass now curled into a fist. I fell back into my seat, closing my eyes. I would just have to heal him at a distance.

“If you heal him, he’ll only try to kill us again,” Asher’s annoying voice filtered in.

I was breathing heavy. “I cannotnotheal him,” I snapped.

“Try.”

I opened my eyes. “You want me to go against everything that I am. Jame Asher, you aremad.”

“Listen to me, Lana,” he said slowly, carefully. “I know you can heal from a distance. I am asking you to give us long enough to get away before you do that.”

“You’re notaskingme anything, Asher. That is a plea, and pleas are for the weak.”

“It’s not a fucking plea,” he said. “I’m giving you a choice. You can either wait to use your magic, or I can knock you out and we wait for as long as I deem appropriate.”

“You savage,” I spat.

He had the nerve to smile for a split-second before it evaporated back into the scowl he usually wore. “I don’t want to knock you out, Lana.”

I glared at him.

“Will you wait?” he asked.

“It depends on how long you want me to wait.”

“Three hours.”

An eternity.

Asher

It bothered me.