Page 11 of Deadly Reckoning (Broken Ashes #7)

“I’m surprised that he hasn’t dropped already,” Raiden says. “Although Coen and Reed don’t look very happy with him.”

I smile at how obvious it is that these guys care about each other like family. It’s one of my most favorite things about the guys.

Coen and Reed are following Doc out and frowning at his back, a mixture of pride and worry on their faces. I would be willing to bet that they told him to stop and take it easy a good few patients ago. They both stop him and start to talk to him sternly, no doubt telling him he pushed it too far.

“I’m going to go and check on him,” I say with a frown as I watch him sway on his feet and then pretend that he just wanted to lean against the medical building.

That’s not good at all.

River smirks, “Ooo, Doc’s in trouble.”

I chuckle, but I don’t deny that he is, and all of the guys chuckle.

Coen and Reed spot me coming before Doc does, and they both smirk slightly at the look on my face, and I try not to laugh as they both take a step back and away from Doc.

Doc spots me and begins to smile before he catches my expression, and his smile freezes in place. I almost feel bad.

Almost.

That almost turns into definitely not feeling bad as he starts to stand up, but can’t and stays leaning against the side of the hospital building.

“Camden,” I say firmly, my eyes narrowing slightly as I realize that up close, he looks even worse off.

Reed and Coen’s eyebrows hit their hairlines.

“Damn,” Coen mutters. “Erm, we’re going to go and help set the food up.”

Reed nods rapidly, “Yep, we’re going to do that.”

They rush away, and I don’t spare them a look as I study an exhausted-looking Doc.

“I’m fine,” he starts.

I raise my eyebrows and cross my arms over my chest, “Oh, yeah? Stand up without leaning on the wall.”

His eyes light with challenge, and he confidently pushes off the wall before nearly collapsing, and I dart forward to catch him before he face plants the floor and injures himself.

“Shit, okay, maybe I pushed it a little bit too far,” he says as he rests heavily on me.

“Yes, you did,” I tell him, as I lean him back against the building again, but stay standing close to him, my hand on his chest. Seeing how far he has pushed himself has worry gnawing at my stomach.

“I’m really fucking proud of you. You helped a lot of people.

But don’t help people to your detriment.

I need you, and draining your magic like this is really fucking dangerous. ”

His fingers tilt my chin up as he studies my expression, and I bite my lip. He’s really worrying me, for a supernatural as strong as Camden is to be this weak, it’s not a good thing, not at all, and I wasn’t being dramatic when I said that it’s dangerous, it really is.

Overuse of magic can lead to comas and even death, and as a doctor, he knows that.

Regret colors his expression, “I’m sorry, Neith. I didn’t think. I just wanted to help as many people as I could, and I pushed it too far after already doing so much healing today. I really didn’t mean to make you worry.”

I nod and repeat my thoughts. I need him to understand how worried he’s made me and how dangerous what he did was, even though I understand why. “You’re a doctor, you know how dangerous it can be.”

He nods. His expression serious as he replies, “Yes, I do, and if one of you did this, then I would be yelling at you myself. I hear what you’re saying, beautiful. I promise that it won’t happen again. I just need to rest, and I should be okay.”

I watch him worriedly.

He’s so pale and still needing to be propped up against the medical building. He can barely walk, and we still have to go back to the compound and make sure that everything is sorted before we can take him home.

Shit, home. We’re going to have to drive home. There is absolutely no way that he can transport us like he normally does, it will kill him. I don’t even know how far away from the guys’ place we are, but I don’t imagine that it’s close by.

His eyes drift closed as I study him, and before I can yell for the guys to come and help me move him, my memory pings and the Voices mutter.

In the Choosing, I helped Ransom save Reed and Griff by giving him some of my magic. There is absolutely no reason why I can’t do that with Doc, and it should actually work better since I have all of my magic now, and I didn’t when I helped them.

The Voices mutter again, but this time I’m not sure if they’re agreeing with something or just chatting shit because they can.

It’s most likely the latter.

My hands move up to cup Doc’s cheeks, and his eyes open half-mast as he smiles at me. Those eyes gradually widen and become more alert as I ask my magic to restore his and stop him from nearly collapsing.

I smile proudly as I begin to move my hands off his face, and he picks me up, spinning us so we’ve switched positions and my back is pressed against the building, his hand on my waist, and the other one resting against the building above my head, as he looks down at me with liquid gold eyes.

Well fuck me, that’s stupidly hot.

“You gave me some of your magic,” he says, incredulous.

I frown, not understanding why he is so surprised.

“Oh, shit, was that something that I shouldn’t do?” I ask, worrying that I’ve committed some sort of supernatural faux pas.

He smiles softly, the hand on my waist moving to cup my cheek, “You shouldn’t do it with everyone, only those that you really care about.”

I relax, “Oh, that’s okay then. Are you feeling okay now?”

He studies me closely, looking for something, and I have no idea if he finds it or not, as I try not to let my mind wander to random things and potentially spoil a moment.

But seriously, it's amazing how trees can communicate and give warnings to each other through their roots.

Damn it.

He chuckles, “Your mind took you off on a tangent, didn’t it?”