Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5)(70)

Mrs Damon shrieked her son’s name, but her husband lifted her off her feet. He glowed white, and they were suddenly gone, doing as Elder Farrar had so steadily ordered.

I stared unblinkingly as Elder Merrick jumped over the table, easily helping to lift the One onto the cold marble table and lying him flat. A flurry of activity happened all around me in my instantaneously numb state while I walked steadily toward Elder Farrar. And…my boot crunched on something as I walked. I blinked down, moving my boot slowly.

And saw…my nose ring. The Primal Diamond.

Just lying on the floor.

I blinked and bent, squatting. I picked it up, numb to my movements and unhurried. I stared at it a long moment as around me people shouted orders to one another. It disappeared from my hand with the barest use of my power, gone into the collection of my secret treasure trove, which was the one place the One couldn’t find, and more importantly, that no one could find.

Elder Farrar glimmered golden, wiping away at the One’s blood to view the wounds better. Queen Cooper was on her cell phone calling the physician, Bindi. King Zeller was blurring in and out of the room, bringing in supplies. Roselle was on her cell phone, apparently giving a byplay to Mr Damon wherever he was with Mrs Damon now. Reese glowed and flashed out of the room.

Lifting to stand, I looked up. Queen Ruckler was directly in front of me holding an armful of towels. Blue eyes with years of deep knowledge gazed into mine. She said not a word, and I didn’t really care. I moved around her, lifting onto the table and getting a few glares in the process. I sat crossed-legged right above the One’s head and stared down at his bloody torso, which continued to bleed both red and silver as the Mages in the room worked on him.

“Ms Jules,” the One said in pants, his breathing labored. “You shouldn’t see—”

I slapped a hand over his mouth gently but firmly. “Save your breath.” He was lucky Elder Zeller was gifting him peace. Those wounds were deadly. I took my hand back, placing both hands calmly on my lap. “If you die, there’s going to be a lot of pissed off people.”

He actually chuckled, not feeling a thing thanks to the Vampire power. “True.” He went quiet, but I could feel his eyes roaming my face while I watched the others work, and I felt very cold inside, bizarrely detached as his chest labored for air. “You should leave.”

“And I said be quiet.” My eyes flicked down to his nose, then back to his bleeding wounds. “You should know, the Primal Diamond is now back in its rightful owner’s hands.” He went completely still for a long moment, and my gaze snapped to Elder Zeller, but his hand was still on the spirit Elemental. My gaze altered to Bindi as she raced into the room, already glowing and assessing the situation. “And you really won’t find it this time.”

It was silent in the room as Bindi began running her hands over him, so everyone in the room heard him bark, “That is my goddamn diamond. I want it back. You will give it—”

I snapped a hand back over his mouth. “Bindi’s trying to work and you’re not helping, so shut up.” I pointed out, “You shouldn’t have dropped it for anyone to pick up.”

His voice was muffled behind my hand but not any less mad. “Excuse me for f*cking being shot by goddamn automatic machine guns.”

“You should have moved faster,” I muttered absently and waved my other hand at Bindi. I snapped at her, “Do you think you might put a rush on healing him before he bleeds out or too much silver enters his damn bloodstream?”

Golden eyes flicked to mine as she worked. “Maybe you could take your hand off his mouth so he can breathe while I save his life?”

“He’s got a nose for that,” I stated clearly, in case she had forgotten. “And his mouth will only make my head pound.” I snapped my fingers at the wound on the right side of his body. “He’ll breathe easier if you fix this one first.”

“A doctor now, are you?” she muttered, but she did start healing it first.

“No, I’ve just been stabbed and shot and beaten enough to know what helps and what doesn’t for certain issues.” I leaned to stare at one wound on his chest, pointing at it. “And I’m thinking this one next. The bullet could move and nick his heart.”

His voice was a strong growl beneath my hand. “I. Want. My. Diamond. Back.”

“Are we back to this again?” I glanced down to his nose, back to the wound I was waggling my finger at, and then to his nose again. “It’s not that hard to understand. You dropped it. I took it. It’s mine. Has been for the last five years.”

I yelped—he had bitten my damned hand. “That was uncalled for!” I held my stinging hand in a fist against my chest, glaring down at his nose. “I didn’t physically hurt you.”

“I barely bit you,” he muttered. He bared his teeth. “But I will bite your f*cking ass if you don’t give me my damn diamond back.”

I scratched my chin with my middle finger. Glancing back to his injuries I saw that at least half of them had been healed now with Bindi’s experienced hands.

He snorted, watching me, then he stated very calmly in a cool rumble, “I will have it back.”

I hummed, rubbing at my abused hand and watching Bindi’s work. “So…did you get any useful information or did you just go there for the prostitutes and bullets?”