Annie's Song (12 page)

“Annie.” He looked up at her. Pain shredded his whisper. “Counter spell—in the knife. Handle. Don’t hate me.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Diana has the knife.”

“Let me rethink that.” A smile touched his mouth, and his eyes drifted closed. “Thanks, honey.”

She brushed hair off his cheek. He was already unconscious, the slight rise and fall of his chest the only proof that he was still alive. She spotted the blood staining his skin, under the torn sweater. And swore at the long ugly wound just under his left ribcage.

Fury burned away the fear, the uncertainty. Her ring hummed, and she pressed her left hand to her stomach. Tears stung her eyes.

Blinking them clear, she reached in, layered as much power as she could afford over the protection spell. More than she could afford. “Hang on, baby. We’re almost there.”

She flinched as the elemental battered harder at the block, determined to be free. Blue fire sparked out of her ring, and it felt—impatient. Startled, she glanced down at it. What it did to the part of the elemental that went after Zach shocked her. But as much as it enhanced what she had, she knew she didn’t have to power to take on the source.

So she was going to cheat, and hope to hell it worked. She whispered the first quick binding that came into her mind as she backed toward the box, never letting the elemental out of her sight.

“For the greater good of all and with harm to none,

This spell is bound, and will not to be undone.

By the power of three times three,

As I will, so mote it be.”

It fell flat. But it got the elemental’s attention.

“Damn it—”

She repeated it, feeling even less successful, started in on the third time—and let out a cry when she lost her balance and fell backward. The tangled and burned length of velvet wrapped itself around her feet. With a shriek that sounded like triumph, the elemental circled her. She could have sworn it was gloating.

And while it was doing that gloating, she took advantage, crawling toward the box. It looked bent, but it was still in one piece. She could work with that.

She reached for the box—and her ring flared in warning just before heat licked her back.

“No—” Annie lurched sideways, slamming into the wall. Pushing hair out of her eyes, she recoiled as the elemental hovered in front of her, feet away. “Now you’re just toying with me. You’re going to regret that.”

Going with gut instinct she inched the ring off her finger, hoping Eric would forgive her. She aimed for the center of the fiery column and flung it. Not waiting for the outcome, she crabbed across the ground, shouting the third repetition of the spell over the hideous shrieking as she grabbed up the box. She finished the last line and swung the box around.

This time she felt the spell click. Pain roared up her arms. She ignored it and held on.

Blue fire wrapped around the elemental like a rope, dragging it toward the box. Annie pushed up to her knees, her muscles screaming at the growing weight of the box. The elemental struggled. Tendrils lashed out, scorching her arms. One whipped across her left cheek, the pain shocking the breath out of her. She still held on.

Scraping together every last ounce of power, she tightened the shimmering blue rope. The elemental shrank away from it, compressing into itself as it struggled to keep itself free.

Her head felt like it was about to explode. Her arms shook so badly she was afraid she’d drop the box. The sleeves of her jacket were gone. Most of the skin on her arms had long, nasty burn marks, only making it harder to keep her grip. She pushed past the exhaustion, and the blue coils tightened, until they all but smothered the thin column of flame.

The elemental let out a final, ear shattering shriek before the blue fire dragged it into the box. The lid snapped shut, a blue glow surrounding it for one endless second. It brushed her fingers, and faded, leaving her empty, stripped bare.

With a sobbing breath she let the box slip out of her hands. She wanted to collapse, but she had one more thing to do before she got herself and Zach out of here.

“Annie!”

The shout had her fighting to stand, ready to do battle again. Warm hands closed over her shoulders, eased her back down. “It’s all right, Annie. You did it. You won.” She lifted her head, met Michelle’s eyes. “Oh, look at you. That elemental didn’t give up easily.”

“Zach,” Annie whispered. It hurt to talk, to think. She didn’t want to try moving yet, but she did. She’d left Zach alone, hurt. “I need to—”

“Penn is with him—all right.” Michelle caught her around the waist when she fought to push herself up. “Let me help you.”

Annie focused all the strength she had left on getting to Zach. After Michelle eased her to the ground, Annie gripped her arm. “Counter spell—it’s in the knife handle.”

“Where?”

Annie looked across the room. “Diana.”

“I’ll find it, get it to Marcus.”

Annie shed what was left of her jacket. Cool air brushed over her burned cheek, and tears stung her eyes. She laid one hand over Zach’s, held on to him.

Penn touched the wound on his side; a soft white light surrounded her hand, and he bolted awake. “Keep still, Zach. It’s over, and you’re safe. Both of you.”

He nodded, swallowing. “I want to go.” His hoarse whisper had Annie and Penn leaning over him. He clutched the amethyst, tears gathering in his eyes.
God, no—
“I can’t feel Mom anymore.”

FIFTEEN

A
nnie didn’t know how they got back to the hotel so fast. But the chaos they walked into had her pulling Zach to the far corner of the hotel room.

Marcus straddled Claire on the bed, doing chest compressions, while Michelle read the counter spell from a piece of parchment. Eric stood at the end of the bed, both hands on Claire’s ankles.

“Mom—”

“No, Zach.” Annie held him, fresh pain bursting up her arms as he struggled with her. The tears slipping down his face nearly broke her. Seeing Claire like that, still and unresponsive, finished the job.
I can’t do this to him—not if this is—
She couldn’t complete the thought, even in her mind. “Okay—but you have to stay out of—”

He pulled free and limped over to the bed, one hand pressed against his left side. He used every available surface to get himself there, his injured leg dragging behind him. Eric held out one hand, drew him to the bed.

Annie followed, feeling useless. She was empty, hollowed out after fighting with the elemental. So she stood, hurting, terrified, unable to help.

Penn took over the counter spell. She was the more powerful of the two, and as she spoke the words they sliced through the air. Annie could almost see them wrap around Claire.

Marcus must have sensed it. He stopped pounding on Claire and sat back. After endless seconds, Claire’s hand twitched.

“Mom—” Zach moved. Eric moved faster, caught his arms.

Penn finished the spell. Silence hummed around them, broken only by Zach’s harsh breath.

“Please,” Annie whispered. Tears clogged her throat. “Please . . .”

She let out a gasp, clutched Eric’s arm. Something dark and slimy slid out between Claire’s grey lips. As soon as it hit the light it writhed, twisting in on itself.

Marcus laid his hand on Claire’s throat. Gold light spread up and over her face. It touched the slime—and Claire started to convulse.

“Mom!” Eric held on to Zach. His sobs tore Annie apart. Moving in, she eased him out of Eric’s grip and wrapped both arms around him, careful of his wounds, ignoring the flare of pain from her burns.

More slime spilled out of Claire’s mouth. Every muscle in her body clenched, so hard Annie expected to hear bones break. The slime coiled around itself, flinching away from the gold light of Marcus’ healing.

Even with her power scraped dry, Annie felt the malevolence of the spell. Whoever attached it to that knife meant to kill, slow and ugly. Zach shook against her, and she held on tighter.

The spell fought to hang on to its victim, and Claire suffered for that battle.

Marcus kept her from tumbling off the bed, but he didn’t, couldn’t, interfere. This battle had to be won alone.

Slowly, meticulously, gold light surrounded the ugly spell, kept tightening the circle until the slime had no escape. Annie watched in fascinated horror as the slime turned inward. Like the mythological snake that ate itself, the slime disappeared into a gaping black maw until the last bit let out a final defiant twitch and winked out of sight.

“Mom.” Zach pulled free and worked his way along the bed until he sat next to Claire. “Please, Mom—wake up.” He brushed soaked hair off her forehead, the normally vibrant red brown dull and flat. “You have to wake up.” He took her limp hand, rubbing her fingers. “She’s ice cold, Marcus.”

Still kneeling on the bed, Marcus cradled her face, whispered ancient words that sent tingling heat across Annie’s wounds.

“Come back to us, Claire.” He brushed his lips over hers, looked into the wide, unblinking eyes. “I know you can hear me. Come on back to us, sweet.”

Nothing happened.

Annie lowered her head, choking back a sob, and felt Eric’s hands on her shoulders. She turned into his embrace, grief ripping at her. “Eric . . .”

“Mom?”

Zach’s whisper swung her around. He gripped Claire’s hand—and the same blue light that had flared across his tattoo surrounded both of them. A clean, sharp blue light. Even more shocking was Marcus’ gold weaving through it. He stood next to Zach, gripping his shoulder.

Her gaze moved to Zach’s tattoo. Light shimmered across it, the flaming sword and wings almost alive on his pale skin. And then her heart jerked in her chest as Claire blinked.

“Zach.” If everyone hadn’t been holding their breath, she never would have heard the hollowed out whisper.

“I’m here, Mom. Don’t try to move, okay? Just rest.” Annie heard the tears in his voice. Her own eyes stung, her throat tight. She wanted to run over and examine every inch of her friend, but this was Zach’s moment. Hers would come.

“All right.” Claire slowly closed her fingers over his hand. With a choking sound he lowered his head. “Hush. It’s over, sweetheart.”

“Welcome back, sweet.” Marcus brushed her cheek. “You had me worried for a bit. I thought I had lost you.”

“Almost did.” She closed her eyes. “Sweet heaven. Tired.” Her raw voice told everyone that.

“Get some sleep, Mom.” Zach watched her, waiting for what they all hoped to see; the soft, even breathing of healing sleep. Once she drifted off, he pushed to his feet, and to Annie’s surprise threw himself at Marcus. “Thank you.”

The poor sod looked stunned. Then he did something that endeared him to her forever. He wrapped his arms around Zach and just held him.

“I love her as well.”

“I know.” Sniffling, Zach looked at him. He was leaner, with narrower shoulders, but damn if he wasn’t almost eye level with the Jinn. “I’m working on getting past it.”

Marcus’ laughter burst through the room. “I believe we can find common ground, you and I.”

“Later,” Annie said. She moved to them, and raised her eyebrows as she glared at Marcus. “If you didn’t notice, you have two patients here, from a recent encounter with a fire elemental.”

“I did, and was waiting for permission.”

Annie snorted. “Like that’s ever stopped you before. No,” she backed out of reach. “Zach first. And you two.” She turned to Michelle and Penn, who stood near the head of the bed. “Thank you, for being my backup, for getting the spell to Marcus.”

“We’ll get out of your way,” Penn said. Her eyes were red—at least what Annie could see of them under the curtain of black and turquoise hair. She couldn’t see Michelle’s, since the woman was busy examining the floor. “You all need time to—”

“Not yet.” She moved forward, forcing herself not to flinch with every movement. She really wanted a cold bath and a date with her pillow. “Not until I invite you to a wedding.”

Both of them stared at her. She waited for them to try and back out, and already had her rebuttal.

“That invitation is from both of us,” Eric said. She heard him clumping across the floor. “And Annie won’t take no for an answer.”

“I don’t—”

“We’d be honored,” Michelle said, talking over Penn’s objection. “You just let us know when, and how we can help.”

“I’m honored—let me finish, Chelle.” Penn batted away her friend’s hand. “But I don’t do weddings.”

“And I’ll have her there,” Michelle said, gripping Penn’s wrist as she headed for the door. “With bells on.”

Annie smiled as their argument took them to the door and out the hall—along with her last distraction. Every injury decided to crash in on her at the same time.

“Whoa—” Eric dropped one of his crutches, caught her around the waist. “Time for a session with Marcus.”

“Zach—”

“Is already in bed. It’s your turn, blondie.” With a shaky breath he rested his forehead against hers. “You scared me this time. Really scared me.”

“Me, too.” Running her thumb over her ring finger, she leaned in until she could kiss him. “Marcus can play doctor, then I have a couple things to tell you.”

SIXTEEN

C
laire woke, slowly, every inch feeling like it had been pummeled. A smile touched her lips when she saw Marcus in the chair next to her bed, sound asleep.

He looked exhausted, the angles of his face sharper, his skin pale against the limp black curls. She knew that was due to her. Despite the likely outcome, he never gave up on her. Swallowing, she closed her eyes against the sun streaming through the window. She just needed to rest, a minute or two longer.

The next time she opened her eyes it was dark outside.

Marcus bent over her, fingers brushing across her forehead, his touch soothing.

“Welcome back, sweet.”

“I was out a while.”

“You could say that.” Amusement lit the jade green eyes. “Three days.”

“Well.” She let it sink in. “I guess I needed to sleep.”