Page 143 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“We have to get out of here. We’ve triggered some alarm.” Faolan’s words were the first I processed.

“How? I can’t carry him.”

“You have to use some of your reserves to heal him,” Faolan said like the answer was obvious.

“I’ve only had him give me magic through our connection that way. I don’t know how to do it in reverse.” Kiera’s voice shook.

I wanted to tell her to just touch me. Hold me and I’d do thework, but I couldn’t make my mouth form words. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and my jaw wouldn’t move.

“You have to try.” Faolan grabbed her wrist and pressed her hand to my neck. “You’re a healer. Don’t you breathe life back into your patients?”

“Not like this. Only mates can do this.” Kiera’s voice wavered like she wasn’t sure what she said was factual.

“Trace your connection points and just push your magic across the connections, I guess. Not too much, or we’ll have to carry you out, but enough to get him on his feet. Hurry!” Faolan’s tone sounded urgent. “There will be guards upon us soon now that we’ve triggered some kind of alarm.”

I tried to tell them to leave me, but no words came. None would even go to mind speech. I was too weak.

But it only lasted a moment longer. Kiera forced power across our threads and I inhaled, feeling coming back to my limbs. I sat, forcing myself to my feet with the little energy I had before it faded.

“We have to move,” I said, throwing my hands out as vertigo hit me.

Kiera grabbed my arm, giving me more magic. Each hit came like a jolt of adrenaline.

“Ease it back a little.” I pleaded, doubling over, trying to equalize the energy I’d been injected with.

“We need to go.” Faolan grabbed my other arm, and we ran.

I only stayed on my feet because of them on either side. We ducked through tunnels.

“Stop,” Faolan hissed.

We froze.

Faolan tilted his head, listening. “They are in?—”

As he spoke, a blood-curdling scream hit me in the chest.

My brother’s cry was unmistakable.

I pulled out of their grasp, not sure where I found the strength, but I stumbled towards him. Faolan and Kiera were onmy tail, and we came out into a chamber. Cornered. My brother clutched at his side, blood staining his shirt. His breathing came labored.

The fae turned on us and sent a barrage of stun magic our way. I barely got a shield up before they switched to bows.

“Kiera. They are going to shoot.” It was our standard training to send a volley of arrows after stunning, so we threw ourselves back into the tunnel to evade them.

“There has to be another way around.” Faolan peeked around the corner only to be met with another volley of arrows. “We aren’t getting out that way.”

“We can’t leave my brother,” I said through my teeth. “And he has the vessel.”

“Emrys doesn’t have it?” Faolan asked, locking eyes with me and I knew what he wasn’t saying.

“No,” I said firmly, shutting down anything he might say out loud.

“But—“

I cut him off. “He is carrying it. We have to rescue him.”

Faolan nodded, but there was an edge to his attitude. “How then?”