Chosen One (Forever Evermore #6)(48)

I slammed my hands together hastily, the ground shaking under us, settling him off balance, the room vibrating as I shouted, floating in the cosmos, pulling on the closest stars power, blinding white light erupting between my palms, growing, cascading in a shimmering globe, and I breathed into it at the last second for peace, my legs buckling under the power I held as he flew at me. Fangs pierced my throat as he gripped my head. I bowed backward, screaming as agony such as I had never known erupted in an intoxicating cascade, just as I smashed my hands together, the power I wielded exploding between us against our bodies.

The lights went out.

“Wha’z hap’nen?” I mumbled as someone shook my shoulders. “Mu’z sleep.”

“Caro! Wake up!” King Collins shouted loudly.

“Ezra!” Queen Ruckler’s voice was frantic next to me. “Open your damn eyes or I’m going to kill you myself!”

I rubbed my eyes, blinking them open in a hurry, hearing multiple shouts around me, and a vibration on the soft, but cold, ground I lay on. I stared up into the worried faces of multiple different Mysticals, Royals who hovered over me, but I tried focusing on King Collins face, smiling at him sloppily, asking, “What’s wrong?”

He blinked. “Are you alright?”

I laughed giddily, waving an absent hand from where I lay, patting his cheek. “It’s all good.”

Another blink. “Caro?”

“It’s like she’s drunk,” Elder Venclaire murmured, his head cocking oddly as he stared at my neck. “She’s still bleeding. Maybe he took too much.”

“Ezra!” Queen Ruckler shouted next to me.

“I think he’s alright,” Elder Zeller muttered, also, to the side of me. “His heartbeat and Core are operating like he’s sleeping.”

I giggled when Elder Venclaire blurred down, stopping my head from turning to see what the hullabaloo was about, wiping his tongue over my neck, and I slapped at his head. “That tickles. Stop it.”

Elder Merrick slammed a hand down on Elder Venclaire’s shoulder, yanking him back up, his tone gravelly, but sharp. “She said stop.”

Elder Venclaire licked his lips, brushing Elder Merrick’s hand off his shoulder. “I was just healing the wound.” He licked his lips again, blue eyes glowing dimly. “But,” he hummed softly, “she tastes fantastic.”

I waggled my finger at him. “No bets. No licks.” More waggling. “Got it, mister?”

King Collins muttered a curse under his breath, and then gently grabbed my shoulders, helping me to sit up straight.

The room spun a bit, and I put a hand to my forehead. “What happened?” I wiggled my shoulders a bit. “I feel great.”

“Get her over here to fix him,” Queen Ruckler shouted, her wolf growling loudly.

“There was a…boom…when King Zeller bit you,” Elder Farrar stated steadily, bending to stare me in the eyes. “And you both went down.”

“A boom?” I smiled, but rubbed my forehead, trying to remember. My head cocked, and I tilted my head to King Zeller where he lay on his back, eyes closed, appearing content to the world, even though he wasn’t waking as Bindi and Queen Ruckler tried to revive him. “Oh…yes.” I snickered, and patted my neck. “He’s got quite a bite.”

“Yes,” Elder Farrar rubbed at his ear, “and you have a pair of lungs that could rival warlords.” He pointed a finger at my hands. “And quite the…boom…or whatever the hell that was that knocked us all back against our seats.”

My shoulders bounced as I grinned merrily, joy suffusing my system. “Thanks.” My eyes teetered to Elder Merrick. “I don’t hate you right now.” In fact, he looked damn good. Curls dangling around his face, navy blue eyes fierce down on me, pouty red lips pursed in irritation. Kind of good enough to gobble up. Slowly…then in much larger portions.

His eyes widened marginally, and he barked gruffly to King Collins, “There’s something wrong with her.” He swung his head to Bindi, his wolf growling. “Get over here and check to see if she hit her head.”

“She’s awake,” Bindi muttered, her hands glowing over King Zeller’s head. “He’s not.”

I snapped my fingers, pulling my gaze away from Elder Merrick. “I know what to do.” I pushed Elder Venclaire aside, and crawled a few feet to King Zeller, shooing Queen Ruckler with a hand when she growled. I gripped his chin, pulling it down so his mouth parted. Inhaling heavily, I glowed brightly, setting my lips to his, thumping my hand on Queen Ruckler’s head when she started to dip down, her wolf growling loudly, barely holding her back as I exhaled deeply, the stars flying into his mouth as I whispered, “Wake.”

Instantly, he groaned quietly, a bit like a purr, and I hurriedly pulled my head back, smiling up at Queen Ruckler’s furious, but anxious face. “He’s good.” I patted his forehead, shutting my power down. “I didn’t hurt him, since you said no killing blows.”

Her wolf growled quietly at me, but she instantly started patting his cheek. “Wake up!”

He grinned…and I knew that wasn’t a smile meant for everyone to see, so I tilted a bit so those behind didn’t have a view, slapping a hand over his mouth when it opened ready to say who-knew-what-the-hell, stating on a laugh, “King Zeller?”