Page 69

Her knees grew weak.

“Restore her, Ben. I’ll call the Healer to help you while I take care of Trevor.”

She wanted to plead with Damian not to hurt him. To tell him that Trevor hadn’t known what he was doing and Deni’s compulsion spell had caused this. But she knew there would be a price to pay for this day’s work.

In a flash, Trevor’s hand was gone from her throat, and Ben had her cradled in the circle of his arms. With one palm pressed to her chest, he performed whatever magical trick it was Death Dealers possessed to reverse the damage his son had wrought.

Burning began deep within her cells, and it felt like someone had poured acid on her organs. A screamwas wrenchedfrom her soul, but it never left her damaged trachea. She attempted to shove him away, but he held fast. What the hell were these Blane men made of? Granite? What made them impossible to dislodge?

Tears streamed from her eyes as she silently implored Ben to stop the torture and end her suffering. His eyes lacked the warmth of his son’s as they stared at her with dispassion.Herewas ajadedman who was only doing as ordered, with no careone way or anotherif she lived other than the consequence he faced from the Aether should he fail.

In another instant, the Healer, Jordan Brothers, knelt next to her, and the pressure of his hands on her throat made her wince.His kind eyesand friendly smile, along with hisspattering of assurances,eased her worry.

Oxygen filled her lungs, and she greedily sucked it in as if she’d been underwater for an hour. Great gasping gulps provided the life-giving air she needed. The bruised feeling in her throat eased with every second the Healer continued his ministrations.

Still, the inferno within her cells raged. With her newly healed throat, she screamed, threatening to undo Jordan’s repair and shatter the eardrums of those closest to her. Her horrific noise was nothing compared to Trevor’s, and when she heard his cry, her instinct was to get to him. To help in any way she could.

“Damian, no! Please. Don’t hurt him,”she sobbed.“Please!”

“Hush, girl,”Ben ordered, not unkindly.“All will be well.”

“He’s your son! Damian’s killing him!”

An amused twinkle entered his flat blue eyes.“He’s not. He’s only taking away what no longer serves.”

His magic.

Trevor would hate that.

“No!”She struggled harder, intending to stop it.

“All will be well, child. Trust the process.”Ben drew back his power in slow increments.

He didn’t release her to assist his son, and the knowledge she was weak as a newborn kitten was torturous. Soleil’s entire body throbbed, and she experienced a freaky sense of discombobulation.Likeher physical and spiritual selvesweretrying to reconnect butwere unable to.

Touching a hand to her head, she said,“I feel weird.”

“It’s a side effect.You’ll recover well enough, and ifyou don’t, I’ll be back for a second infusion.”

A loud pop echoed off the walls, and time restarted with a resounding bang.

“What the fuck?”Deni stared down at Sabrina, who held an uncapped bottle in her hands.“Who are—”Eyes widening in horror, she shifted her gaze to Damian and Trevor, then continuedon, meeting Soleil’s hate-filled glare.

Trevor bucked under the magic-removal procedure and shouted his agony, drawing everyone’s notice. His painful cry ripped Soleil’s heart from her chest, and her tears began again in earnest.

“Please help him, Ben,”she whispered.

“I am.”

She shifted to meet his gaze and saw genuine concern for his son but resignation, too.

“He’ll hate everyone after this,”she predicted.

“Perhaps, but I’m betting not.”

When Damian climbed to his feet, Deni’s instinctive need to save herself kicked in, and she turned to run.

Alexander Castor stepped into her path with his beefy arms crossed over a muscular t-shirt-clad chest.