Jule sat back on his haunches, dizzy with the abrupt return of his power. It settled into him, and he flexed it.
"Don't do that too much," Darian warned. "We're trying to lay low and not attract the attention of the Watchers."
We could use the help of a couple of Original Beings. The thought came from nowhere, and Jule thought again of the vamp from his fever dream.
"Everyone on the planet is out to get this girl. I doubt I'll have a choice soon," he replied.
"I can use her, Jule."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I might be able to seal the breach I made, if it doesn't get bigger and I can borrow Damian's power. I touched her so she could show me where you were, and I felt what she can do," Darian said. "You gotta keep her alive while Damian figures out what to do."
"I will," Jule said. "If I fought off a guardsman as a human, I can take on an Other with my powers back."
"Or die trying."
"That, too."
"You men really are crazy," Bianca said. "Not an ounce of common sense in any of you."
"Just fighting for a higher cause," Jule said with a smile. "You married an assassin. Of all of us, your mate's the worst."
"Retired assassin," she corrected sweetly. "He's not allowed to kill people anymore."
Jule laughed. "Seriously?"
"Oh, yeah," Darian said. "Some things have changed. She's a slave driver. Dusty's not allowed out of his room without her-"
"Darian!" she said with a laugh. She punched him in the arm, and he feigned a look of pain.
Jule's throat tightened as he listened to the two of them spar verbally. Darian had been a shell of a man when Sofi found him several months ago. Now there was life and light in his eyes, even if he wasn't quite the man Jule remembered. He carried on with Bianca like the sister she now was, and Jule couldn't help feeling a sense of gratitude towards the small woman with the quick smile, warm gaze, and healing energy. Between her and Sofi, they'd brought Darian back from the dead.
"I'll let you two fight this out," Jule said with a smile. "I've gotta get to the station. Thank you both, and send my regards to D and Dusty."