Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) Chapter 26: 26: I Felt Something

Read chapter 26 of Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) by Deb E Howell on NovelPedia.

Sound. Darkness and sound. The sound of wind playing through leaves and bending grass, the blades touching in light kisses. Water flowing. A man sobbing. Llew knew that voice. Alvaro. Her neck ached. A woman whimpered. Herself? She hadn’t felt herself make a noise, but she couldn’t feel anything beyond the burning ache through her neck. She needed to turn it. The crunch ripped through her ears. Pain fired up the back of her head, through her jaw and across her chest. She breathed and it hurt. Light blazed. “Do you want to die?” “No, I—” “Then get off the ground.” That voice. Flat and authoritative. She knew that one, too. Jonas. Llew lay, aches easing. The light turned to the pale grays, whites, and hints of blue above. “It was an accident, Llew. You gotta bring her back.” Al. “Give her a minute.” “But K doesn’t have a minute.” Alvaro’s voice was thick with withheld sobs. Llew breathed deeply. All her aches and pains were gone. And she remembered what had happened. “Can’t give back what I’ve taken. Besides, she’s Syakaran.” There. Simple. The woman who had helped kill her babies was dead and there was nothing Llew could do about it, even if she wanted to. She breathed again and turned her head enough to see Jonas and Alvaro standing near, only boot-covered feet and crutch tips touching the ground. She turned a little further to see the dead grass encircling her. Her hands were empty, clutching no flesh, resting in the grass. She raised them, placing them on her belly. “Check her,” Jonas said. “She got a pulse?” Alvaro crouched. “I think? I think— I don’t know. I haven’t done this before!” Llew sat up to see Alvaro crouched by Karlani, who lay on her back, her hands raised to her belly, too, and her head and bare neck separated from the bare ground by Alvaro’s coat. She was almost certain that would be at Jonas’s suggestion, saving Karlani. But why? “Please, Llew. You can’t let her go,” Alvaro said little above a whisper while their heads were close. Shifting both crutches under one arm, Jonas reached down, pressed fingertips beneath Karlani’s jaw. “Hold on, K,” Alvaro pleaded and moved back, giving Jonas space. “She’s alive.” Jonas stood. “What do you want me to do about it?” Llew held Jonas’s gaze, determinedly ignoring Alvaro. He’d kept his voice flat, but Llew was almost certain she’d caught a hint of relief. “She’s Syakaran.” “ So ?” Jonas pressed his lips together. Yes. Llew had made the same argument, such as it was, but things had changed rather dramatically. “Come on, Llew.” Alvaro placed himself between Llew and Jonas, as if that would make her listen to him. “It was supposed to be a joke. And after Cassidy …” “Don’t say I owe you.” She did look at Alvaro then. “It’s not you I owe. And I can never pay Cassidy back.” Jonas stepped in close to Alvaro. Despite his weakness and Alvaro’s added height, plus the attack moments earlier, he managed to don all his authority and a hint of menace. “You want her saved? Get her to the Ajnais. Llew can’t do nothin’ here.” Alvaro looked between Llew and Jonas, pained. “It was a mistake. I swear. A stupid joke. Let her live, Llew.” “If that was a joke, it was the worst.” Llew pushed herself to stand as Alvaro crouched and gathered Karlani in his arms. “I know. I’m so sorry. I mean, we knew you’d live.” “And Jonas would be on the ground!” Llew’s anger heated her core and filled her with the urge to hit someone as a full accounting of the situation took shape, yet somehow Jonas found the situation funny as he hissed out a single laugh. “We train for years to face the Aenuk reflex. If you get the chance, remind Karlani she’s just a pup. She ain’t got no business messin’ with Aenuks, especially Llew. She’s lucky she’s alive.” Alvaro paled and swallowed. “We didn’t … I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.” “Then shut up and get her to the trees,” Jonas said. “We’ll follow.” When Alvaro was halfway to the first gate, Jonas turned to Llew. “He’s just a kid, Llew.” “He’s older than me.” “H