Enflame (Insight #6)(57)
“I’m not doing anything. I watch them try. Maybe so...we’ll see after we do this.”
He nodded once.
“Is Marc dressed like you right now?”
“Why?”
“This may hurt. If you need to be somewhere, he might have to do it.”
“Oh, that will make his day,” Drake said with heavy sarcasm.
At that second, Phoenix appeared at our side. “If you are a man about it, it won’t hurt.”
“Is that a challenge?” Drake asked as Draven approached us, too.
“At least check his energy first,” I told Phoenix.
Phoenix beaconed his fingertips toward Drake, pulling his essence out. It was obvious that the light veining through the darkness and the gray lines that must have belonged to me were infecting him deeply.
“Wow, mate. They definitely focused on you in The Realm.”
“I’m sure that was the goal,” Drake said in an obvious tone.
“Does that have memories in it?” Draven asked. I knew why he did. The way he and others saw into souls was based on memories.
“Afraid so,” Phoenix answered. “Step back, Sunshine,” he said to me.
I held Drake’s gaze as I obeyed Phoenix’s request. In that instant, Drake was consumed with flames. He roared as soon as they touched his skin. Draven lunged forward, but Phoenix held him back with a glance.
Landen raced down the stone stairs at that moment. He was furious with Phoenix, but he had no intent to stop him from what he was doing.
Drake’s screams stopped, and the flames absorbed into his skin. Phoenix called the energy once more, finding that Landen’s energy was still in him.
Drake nodded once, holding a stern stare with Phoenix. Fire flamed across him again. I couldn’t bear the sight of it. The taste of blood was coursing through my mouth. Landen pulled me to his chest and squeezed me as tightly as possible.
I heard Phoenix say, “Again” at least two more times. After the last time, Landen vanished from my arms. When I turned, I saw him catch Drake just before his knees buckled.
“It’s over, right? It has to be! That is enough!” I yelled at Phoenix.
Draven was helping Landen balance Drake.
“All Drake now,” Phoenix stated, clearly unconcerned with his well-being.
I pushed by him to go to Drake’s side. “I think it was too much,” I said as my cool hands gripped the sides of his perfect image. His eyes were closed, and he couldn’t hold his head up.
“Give it a second,” Phoenix ordered.
“Go away!” I yelled at him.
“He’s right,” Landen said to me. “He’s going to be fine.”
“You have one second, or I’m giving him my energy.”
It was my fear and protective instinct talking, but no one else in the room noticed that. All I felt was Landen’s jealousy intensify and Draven’s shock. I ignored their emotions. They were foolish. I wanted to help Drake, not have some kind of moment.
Landen stepped away from Drake. I thought it was because of his fury, but then I saw Drake balance himself on his knees, then slowly stand tall. The only evidence that anything had happened was a slight glistening of sweat across his brow.
With glassy eyes, he locked gazes with me. “God help me, Woman...no fire can take you completely out of me.”
A relieved grin spread across my face. “Better?” I asked.
He nodded once as he swallowed and gave Draven a nod to let him go.
“Get yourself together. I’ll meet you in the study to hear about why the mourning was lifted,” Landen snapped at him.
Drake shook his head to stop us. “Low profile. The palace is taken over. I don’t know how either of you got down here without being seen. You are going to have to find a way to get there without using the main way.”
Landen pulled me against him. “I’ll meet you there,” he said, then nodded for Phoenix to follow him in some way.
A rush of warm air surrounded Landen and me and the next thing I saw was Perodine’s study, with her and August at the table.
Phoenix was with us, too. He locked eyes with Landen. “I’m going to find out where Charlie Myers is, what spells he may have in this web.”
“We won’t be here long. Find me in Chara. Don’t let Skylynn do anything crazy,” Landen ordered.
Phoenix nodded once, taking in his orders before vanishing.
Landen held up his hand to stop August and Perodine’s questions. “One minute.”
He pulled my hand, guiding us through the study into the observatory to the farthest corner of it, leaning me against the wall.
“What is your problem?” I gasped.
“Less than five minutes, and we are right back where Donalt wants us.” he bellowed into the echo of the room.
“What are you talking about?”
He glared down at me. “What am I talking about? What was that you said? ‘I’ll give him my energy.’” He swallowed his anger as his eyes rushed across me. “You were right before, that is a line we should not cross. A quick fix. It’s too dangerous for your energy to be with his. I can’t watch you destroy yourself again.” His voice cracked with a mix of emotions. He was not in this life with me. He was back on that battlefield watching me die in Drake’s arms.