“Marcus—”
“Forgive me, Claire—I failed—”
“You saved our lives. Now stop the self-flagellation and tell me what to do.”
“There is—nothing.” He opened his eyes. Green swallowed the gold, and the pain in their depths stunned her. “You must leave me.”
“Like hell.” She leaned over him and whispered. “I’m not going anywhere without you. Not again.”
With Mindy Kay’s help, Claire got him to the open door of the van—and nearly fell out of it when she recognized their mystery driver. “Simon—”
“Let me, Claire.” He pulled Marcus to his feet, at eye level with the six foot plus Jinn. Muscles bunched under his shirt as he kept Marcus upright, half-carrying him to the cabin all but hidden in a ring of pine and oak trees.
Lea took her arm. “How are you?”
“Scared. You?”
“Yeah.” She slipped one arm around Claire’s waist. “Lean on me. I know you’re exhausted.”
“You can see that?”
“Like a neon sign. Will Marcus be okay?”
Claire closed her eyes briefly. “I hope so, Lea. I may need your help.”
“Whatever I can do.”
They walked to the cabin, Lea helping her up the steps. Every injury, old and recent, ached by the time she made her way through the main room and into the bedroom.
Simon had stripped off the bloody shirt before he left them alone, giving her a clear view of the damage. Marcus opened his eyes, caught her wrist before she could touch him.
“You can do nothing for it, Claire.”
“There has to be—”
“Metal is—poison to a Jinn.” He swallowed, pain tightening the lines of his face. “It is too late—”
“As long as you’re breathing, it’s not too late.” She eased out of his grip, laid one hand on his forearm, flinching at his raw gasp. “I’m going to get this bullet out, then we will go from there.”
His whisper stopped her. “It has already crippled my power.”
She leaned over him. “I won’t give up on you. Do you understand?” He closed his eyes, tears sliding back into his hair. Her throat ached with the need to cry, to scream. Instead she kissed his forehead, startled by the feverish skin under her lips. “You hang on, Marcus.”
She limped out of the bedroom, closed the door—and sagged against the wall, letting the fear take over, just for a moment.
“Claire.” Simon moved to her side, those clear green eyes studying her. “You knew about him, that he’s a Jinn.”
How he knew was a question she would have to save for later. “Since the moment we met. I had dealings with one before. Marcus is more—trustworthy than the last Jinn I encountered.”
“What can we do?”
“I’ve never had to care for a Jinn, not like this. I don’t—” She closed her eyes. “He’s dying, Simon, and I don’t know if I can save him.”
“You’re not alone.” He moved in, framed her face with strong, calloused hands. “Do you hear? Tell us what to do for you, for him.”
She took in a shaky breath, met his eyes. “We need to get the bullet out—it’s like poison to his system. Then we have to find a way to draw out what is already causing damage.” She closed her fingers over Simon’s wrist. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I saw this happen once. I won’t stand by and let it happen again.” He let her go before she could form a question, gestured to Mindy Kay. “I have a med kit in the van.”
“Got it.” She strode to the front door, stopping to glance through the narrow sidelight before heading outside.
“Lea—”
“I’ll sit with him, see what I can see.” She paused by Claire, kissed her cheek. “We’ll take care of him.”
Swallowing, Claire nodded, then closed her eyes, feeling the tears slide down her face.
“Take a minute.” Simon’s low, quiet voice opened her eyes.
“You’re going to be explaining that last statement before the night’s over.”
“I know it.” He held out his hand. “We deal with one crisis at a time. Marcus first, then my history with the damn witch.”
Claire studied him, and leaned in to whisper when Mindy Kay returned with a familiar medical kit.
“I look forward to it.”
*
Annie let Eric guide her out of the police station. Still rocked by what she’d felt, she tried to put logic on the impossible. It wouldn’t fit. She was probably hallucinating about Claire being here, wanting her dreams to be true, and not just dreams.