The Fates turned and looked at him, at least he felt like they were looking at him. And then they spoke to him.
“The magic that lives here has been given what it requires, a sacrifice. It is null and void of its power.”
Decebel nearly fell on his face as the barrier disappeared and the Fates along with it. He didn’t hesitate as he stood up and ran to his mate. He picked up Cosmina in his arms and held her close to his body and then knelt down next to Jen. She was barely breathing and she was pale, so very pale.
“Jennifer, baby, please stay with me, stay with us. We need you,” Decebel whispered as he leaned close to her, careful not to crush his daughter. He heard voices and running footsteps and looked up when the commotion grew louder. Vasile, Adam, Cypher, and the others came rushing in. They took in the scene before them and then jumped into action.
“Decebel,” Vasile said as he moved quickly to his side.
“She needs a healer now, Vasile.”
Vasile looked up at Adam. “Please get Rachel.”
Adam didn’t wait for any other instruction but immediately flashed. He was back in less than two minutes with a very frazzled looking Rachel.
She rushed to Jen’s side and laid her hands on her She pushed her spirit into Jen and began to seek out the damage her body had sustained. She saw the tear in the uterus and pushed her power there and mended the tissue. She took care of the destruction the birthing had wrought on Jen’s body and the aftermath of labor. She was careful to check for any other problems, but the only thing left was the blood loss. Rachel moved her spirit to Jen’s heart and pulsed power deep into it. She helped her body’s blood cells multiply rapidly, replacing the blood loss and sending it to her starving organs. As her heartbeat gained strength and her breathing evened out, Rachel pulled back from Jen and then pulled her hands away. She opened her eyes and stared at her waiting.
Slowly Jen’s eyes began to flutter and then blink slowly. They opened and landed on Decebel.
“Dec,” she whispered.
He smiled as tears welled up in his eyes. “Hey baby,” He leaned down and kissed her gently and then held up their baby girl. “She’s perfect.”
Jen’s eyes lit up at the sight of their child and her lips trembled as the tears came. “Of course she’s perfect, I’m her mother.” Decebel chuckled as he handed Jen their baby and then helped her sit up, propping her against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and tucked her into his side. His face buried in her neck and he breathed deep. She was here, with him and their child, it was a miracle. He looked up then and saw Rachel hovering over Cynthia’s prone form. Vasile knelt next to her. Rachel looked up then and met his eyes and he nodded. He realized what she would have seen in the last of Cynthia’s memories. Cynthia had asked the Fates to take her life in place of his child. She had willingly given herself so that their baby could live and have both her parents with her.
“Cynthia,” Jen said realizing for the first time that the doctor was not moving. “She’s... is she, Dec?” she stumbled around her words as he heard her pulse increase.
“Shh, baby,” he told her. “Cynthia has gone on to the next life. She gave herself in place of our child and the Fates accepted her sacrifice.”
Jen’s free hand came up to cover her mouth as she suppressed the sob that was there. Her heart was divided, part of it broken over losing her friend and part of it rejoicing over the life of her little girl.
“Thia Cosmina,” She looked up at him through her tears. “That’s what we will name her, in memory of the one who gave her life, in memory of our friend.”
Vasile looked down at the doctor and he felt pride and pain at the same time. She had been brave and loyal and given of herself until there was nothing left. He knew she felt that she could never be forgiven for her part in Jacque’s kidnapping, and she had found a way that she felt she could atone for it. As he stared at her still form, his mind wandered to all the death, pain, and torment that the day had brought and his heart broke all over again.
“I hate to interrupt this joyous, and at the same time, depressing, moment,” Reyaz sneered as he walked into the cave, “but I have business to attend to.” He pointed at Lilly and she fell to her knees grabbing at her throat. She attempted to suck in air but none would come and she began to struggle even harder.
Cypher snarled in a blind rage and charged his brother. Alston threw out his hand, just as Reyaz raised his other hand at Cypher, blocking the spell he might have tried. Cypher crashed into his brother with a force that hurled them both back and crashing into the wall. Cypher stood quickly and turned to check on Lilly. She was breathing and Crina was helping her to her feet.
Reyaz got to his feet while Cypher was distracted and, just as he turned back, Reyaz swung and landed his fist in his brother’s face. Cypher stumbled back and felt his head swim from the blow. He shook it, trying to regain his bearings, but the noises around him were muffled. He heard his brother’s laughter, a deep rumble that seemed to be in slow motion, fill up the cave and then he felt the shutter of the walls as Reyaz threw out his hands launching his power at them. Adam, Alston, and Cyn were throwing their own magic as balls of white light flew at his brother. Reyaz jumped, spun, and ducked as he tried to keep from being hit. He got in a few shots that knocked Fane to the ground and Sorin into the wall. But he was out numbered and the panic in his face showed that he knew it.With a renewed fervor he tossed a ball of blazing fire at them. It crackled as it flew through the air, the oxygen fueling its heat. He hit Cyn square in the chest and she fell back with a shout, more of anger than of pain. Suddenly Reyaz’s body was flung back and he crashed into the cave wall. An arrow shot through his right shoulder and pinned him to the wall. A second arrow flew through the air and pinned his left shoulder to the cave wall. Thalion stood across the room with his bow still raised. His shoulders heaved with his breathing as he tried to gain control of his rage. He looked Reyaz in the eye and smiled a menacing smile. “Be glad it is not I who will mete out your death. For what you just did to my mate, my future Queen, is punishable by death. But in my long life, I have learned there are things so much worse than death.”
Cypher stepped up to his pinned brother and shook his head. “You are a disgrace to your family and to your people. You have betrayed your king and your sentence is death.”
Reyaz’s fought against the arrows that held him captive but it was no use, they wouldn’t budge. “LORELLE!” he roared. He refused to give in, even if it meant calling out for help from the traitor fae.
Lorelle appeared at the entrance of the cave and looked in at them all. Her face showed no emotion as she looked at Reyaz. “You called?”
“Help me,” he snapped at her. His face had morphed into a beast as all the evil that ran inside of him leaked out onto his flesh and features.
Lorelle laughed. “Help you, right, well since what I wanted accomplished is done, I have no more use for you. My sister is dead, and by her own hand at that. You and I are finished.”
“DON’T YOU DARE LEAVE!” Reyaz yelled but was cut off when Cypher’s fist collided with his face.
“Your time is coming Lorelle,” Alston suddenly said. “You will be dealt with.”
Lorelle laughed again. “You’ll have to find me first.” She gave them all one last look and then flashed.
“Are you really going to kill me, Cypher, your own flesh and blood?” Reyaz asked.
“No, I’m not going to kill you.”
Reyaz sagged in relief.
“He is.” Cypher pointed to Vasile whose eyes were glowing and his canines had lengthened. He stalked towards his prey slowly, letting him feel what it was to be hunted and what it was to see your death coming for you.
“For the crimes against my people, for the death of my mate, our healer, and our friend, I sentence you to death. I would rather imprison you and let you rot, but then I would have to run the risk of you getting out. So instead I will just have to be satisfied that you will die by my hand.” Vasile grasped Reyaz’s head in his hands and gave a quick twist. The bones made a sick crunching noise as his neck broke. His body would have crumpled to the ground had the arrows not held him in place. Vasile stared at the broken man before him and it was then that everything flooded into him, every emotion crashing down on him, and he flung his head back and howled.
Chapter 25
“I will follow you wherever you lead. I will be your constant shadow, the voice that cheers you on, the arms that hold you up, and the heart that loves you unconditionally. Those are the promises I made to you, and I have failed you, for you have gone and I am still here. Why am I still here?” ~Costin
“What did Vasile mean when he said he took our healer, Decebel? Where is Sally?” Jen looked up at her mate’s face and though she asked the questions, she already knew the answers.
“I’m sorry baby. We failed her; we failed you all,” Decebel told her. Decebel pressed a kiss to her hair and stroked it gently with his hand. He hummed to her and their child as she wept over the loss of her best friend. He held her as her heart broke and her world was shattered all over again.
Vasile placed Cynthia’s body close to the cave entrance and then motioned for everyone to gather around Jen and Decebel. The group moved slowly as grief poured out of them. Each of them took a place on the ground making a circle. The mated males, whose mates were still here, each had their females as close to them as possible.