Page 47 of Crossing Between

I stared at Quilith, their words hanging in the air like a physical weight pressing down on all of us. The silence that followed was deafening, each of us processing the implications in our own way.

My gaze swept across the room, my healer's instincts kicking in automatically. Everyone was in various states of shock.

Zoey sat rigid, her face drained of all color. Her fingers trembled against the fabric of my shirt she wore, and her eyes had a distant, unfocused quality that worried me. Her breathing was shallow and too rapid. A classic sign of shock setting in.

Kenji's reaction was the opposite. His jaw clenched so tightly I could see the muscles jumping beneath his skin. His hands curled into fists, knuckles white with strain. The air around him seemed to shimmer with barely contained heat as his oni nature struggled to manifest in response to his rage.

Varon had gone completely still, a statue carved from marble. His face was utterly expressionless, eyes fixed on some distant point. This was Varon at his most dangerous, when the ancient vampire retreated so deeply into himself that his humanity began to slip away.

And Quilith, the dragon who had traveled realms to bring us this information, looked ready to collapse from exhaustion. Their usually vibrant skin had dulled, and dark circles shadowed their eyes. Even their posture, normally so regal, had crumpled with fatigue.

This wouldn't do. We couldn't help Zoey if we all succumbed to shock and despair.

I stood abruptly and clapped my hands together, the sharp sound cutting through the suffocating silence.

"Right," my tone firm and clear. "Everyone's in shock, and that's not helping anyone, least of all Zoey. I'm going to check each of you over, starting with our Soulbinder."

I moved to kneel in front of Zoey, taking her cold hands in mine. Her skin felt like ice, and her pulse fluttered rapidly beneath my fingertips.

"Kaerasta," I used the endearment that had become so natural. "Look at me."

Her eyes slowly focused on mine, and I felt a tug in my chest at the fear I saw there.

"That's it," I encouraged, letting my healing magic flow from my palms into hers. "Just breathe with me."

As our magic mingled, her Soulbinder energy and my Kraken healing, I felt the familiar connection spark between us. The mark on her side seemed to pulse in response, and gradually, color returned to her cheeks.

"There you are," I brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Stay with us, Zoey. We'll figure this out together."

She nodded slightly, her breathing steadier now. I squeezed her hands once more before rising to my feet.

Next, I turned to Kenji, who looked ready to put his fist through a wall, or worse, hunt down the Essencefeaster himself in his current state.

I stepped directly into his space, placed my hands on either side of his face, and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

His body went rigid with surprise before melting against mine. The heat emanating from his skin cooled noticeably as I deepened the kiss, pouring calm into him through my magic.

When I pulled back, his eyes had lost their murderous gleam, replaced by something softer.

"Better?" A smile twitched at my lips.

He nodded, his smile returned. "Your bedside manner is exceptional, Doc."

"Save it for later," I gave a wink and patted his chest before moving on.

Varon had remained unnervingly still, his ancient vampire nature having taken over. I'd seen this before, when threatened, Varon retreated into the cold, calculating predator who had survived centuries.

I approached him carefully, knowing words alone wouldn't reach him in this state. Without hesitation, I bit into my own wrist, breaking the skin and letting my Kraken-infused blood well to the surface.

I pressed my bleeding wrist to Varon's lips. "Drink," I commanded.

For a moment, he remained unmoving. Then, instinct took over, and his cool lips fastened onto my wrist. He took several deep pulls, his eyes gradually clearing as my blood, powerful in its own right, brought him back from the edge.

When he released my wrist, the wound already healing, awareness had returned to his eyes.

"Thank you," he sighed.

I nodded, squeezed his shoulder once before I turned to Quilith.

The dragon looked moments away from collapse. I slipped an arm around their waist and supported their weight.

"I'm putting Quilith to bed," I announced to the room. "They need rest. We'll reconvene in an hour to discuss our next steps."

No one objected as I guided Quilith from the room. In the hallway, they sagged against me more heavily.

"You pushed yourself too hard," I chided gently as we made our way to one of Varon's guest rooms.

"Had to know," they mumbled. "For Zoey's sake."

I helped them onto the bed, removing their ornate outer robes and pulling a blanket over their exhausted form.

"Rest now," my healer's magic washed over them in a soothing wave. "We'll handle things from here."

Quilith was asleep before I reached the door.

When I returned to the sitting room, I paused in the doorway, taking in the scene before me. Varon sat on the couch with Zoey cradled in his lap, her head tucked beneath his chin. Kenji knelt before them, his arms encircling them both, his forehead resting against Zoey's knee.

They looked so right together, so complete, that I felt a momentary pang of uncertainty. Perhaps I should give them space, let them comfort each other without my intrusion.

I took a step back, prepared to slip away unnoticed, when Kenji's head snapped up. His eyes locked onto mine with startling intensity.

"Don't you dare," he growled, extending one hand toward me. "Get over here, Kraken. This involves all of us."

Varon lifted his gaze to mine, his expression softer than I'd ever seen it. "Elias," the invitation was clear in his voice.

And Zoey—our Zoey, our Soulbinder—reached out one hand to me, her eyes still red-rimmed but determined.

Something loosened in my chest as I crossed the room to join them. Kenji pulled me into their embrace, and I found myself enveloped in their collective warmth, my back against Varon's side, Zoey's hand clasped in mine, Kenji's strong arm around my shoulders.

"We face this together," Varon was resolute. "All of us."

"No one's turning into an Essencefeaster on our watch," Kenji added fiercely.

I felt Zoey's fingers tighten around mine. "What if I can't control it?" she whispered, voicing the fear that hung between us. "What if I become what we're fighting?"

"Then we'll bring you back," the certainty of the promise bone-deep. "Your soul is bound to ours now, Kaerasta. We won't let you fall."

She looked at each of us in turn, vulnerability and strength mingling in her gaze. "I'm scared," she started to shake a little again.

"Good," Varon pressed a kiss to her temple. "Fear keeps us vigilant. But don't forget, you're not alone in this."

"Never alone," Kenji echoed, his usual playfulness subdued but present. "You've got three overprotective supernatural beings ready to fight the world for you."

A small smile tugged at Zoey's lips. "Lucky me." She relaxed more.

I leaned forward to kiss that smile, tasting the salt of tears and the sweetness that was uniquely Zoey. "Lucky us."

We remained tangled together as the fire burned low, drawing strength from each other. The revelation about Zoey's nature had shaken us all, but as I held them, as we held each other, I felt something solidify between us. We were in this together.