Page 75 of Solar Shadows

“By Hecate,” I breathed, in desperate need of water and healing.

“I’ll get you some water and painkillers,” he said.

“What…what am I doing here?” I took a painful swallow. “I… I…”

“I had to get you out of there,” he responded, placing the back of his hand on my forehead. “Spells were flying everywhere, then you got poisoned. But don’t worry, I gave you something to counter it.”

Another jolt of surprise. “You did?”

“Yeah. Let me get you some water.”

He left the room.

Fuck. This wasn’t right. I shouldn’t be anywhere but the mansion.

I pushed myself up a tad, checking my surroundings. Apart from the bed, the chair, and the table, there was nothing else in this room.

Stripy brown-and-green wallpaper peeled from the walls, and thick black curtains were drawn across the window. At least, they looked black from here, heavy rain beating on the glass behind them.

The air was dusty, the damp smell twinning with the rich aroma of Tony’s cologne. Since when did he wear sandalwood?

I didn’t like it.

Shit. That darn shadow witch. She’d hit Helen first, spurring me into healing action before I could unleash my sunlight. At the exact moment I’d healed her, the shadow witch attacked again, getting me. Pow! Right in the side, the poison taking immediate effect. Invading my veins, making my bones ache, my chest burn, bringing on a fever and a nasty case of bleeding.

I checked my wound. Closed. Red and sore, but closed.

What had Tony given me? Did he just happen to have a special potion lying around to combat the effects of a shadow witch spell?

What was he, some sort of magical human pharmacist?

My clothes were dirty and blood-stained, torn inseveral places. My shoes were still on, my jacket missing.

Got to get out of here,my inner warning system declared.

The door opened, Tony returning with a bottle of water and some pills.

“What did you give me?” My throat burned, my head pulsating with agony.

“We’ll talk,” he said. “Drink first. Relax.”

A terrifying thought hit me right in the soul. I’d used my powers in public on Helen. Had she now put two and two together and made The Sun?

Fuck.

Who else? Ben? Survivors of the attack?

Tony?

I gulped the water, then took the paracetamol. The cold liquid poured down my throat in a heavenly gush, soothing the burn.

“You’ll be better in no time, babe,” he said.

Don’t call me that,I rejected him mentally.

Yet, well, I kind of liked it. I missed it, craved that sort of attention again.

From him, though?