Instantaneously, my eyes flew back into my head as power surged within my Core. Dizziness took hold as my Shifter power began rotating inside my frame like a fan’s unhindered blade. Sweat beaded on my body as I felt it physically take hold of the potion I had consumed. Struggling to stay upright over him, I grunted as a whirlwind of power rippled down my arm to Ezra’s chest.

His body arched under me, his mouth opening on a silent inhale. My hand glowed black, sparkling with gold where I touched him, but I didn’t release him, throwing myself on top of his straining body. Power began to churn in the air around us, enough energy to toss the items in the spare room into the air.

Thoughts beginning to blur, I turned my head to the side, ordering Bonnie, “Keep Bindi back, but don’t hurt her too bad.” The order was given not a moment too soon. I heard Bindi exit the room she had gone into — the door banging open — and then Bonnie was springing off the bed and racing out of the bedroom.

Gritting my teeth, I beared down, using all of my Shifter strength to keep Ezra still. Beginning to see sparkles in my vision, I closed my eyes and tucked my face close to his neck so I could smell his blood. Ignoring the shrieks from Bindi in the living room, I sniffed hard and long. And growled, still smelling silver in him. I pushed harder on the tumult inside my body, throwing to him the full force of the power that still resided in me.

A low groan escaped his throat, and it was the most joyous sound to my heart, even as I felt myself slip and begin to fall. Physically and mentally. Physically, it was the beat of my heart, the very air inside my lungs, and the racing pulse of energy that flew through my system. And mentally, I couldn’t stop the fall because it was beautiful. All consuming. A link that pulled me to him, wanting me to give more.

Give it all. Give myself. To him. To save him.

I would willingly give my life for him, and the spell knew it. “Ezra.” Shoving my vitality into his Core, I released my life for his, loving him.

Him.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A hard, blunt object slammed against my ribs.

Grunting, I rolled to the side, the contact breaking. Breathless, I blinked blurrily at the dark ceiling, lying on my back next to Ezra and hearing the flying debris inside the room fall in a clatter to the floor. An odd silence attacked my ears.

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Until Bindi screamed, “What the hell were you doing?”

My head fell to the side in the direction of her voice. Even though she was out of focus, her tall, beautiful form fuzzy, I could see she was the one that had hit me. She was clutching a long candlestick in one hand and, I blinked, Bonnie’s limp form was cradled in her other arm. Her lips were trembling on her furious face. Blood was drying on her arms, where there were thin scratches that were now only pink marks, almost healed.

My eyelids drooped on a shaky exhale. “Helping.” My body shuddered, my muscles relaxing to the point that I knew I could no longer move.

She shrieked, “Helping? I’ve never seen magic like that before! Are you insane?”

A muffled laugh croaked from my chest, my breathing beginning to falter. “Maybe.”

“Sweetheart?” Ezra’s voice was soft and hoarse.

The sound entirely captivating, my breath wavered completely.

Bindi gasped, her mouth gaping wide. The candlestick fell from her fingers, and she dumped Bonnie’s limp form on my stomach and bent over Ezra, clutching his face. “King Zeller? Can you hear me?”

Bonnie didn’t move on top of me any more than I could, but I heard a soft growl from under the bed even as Ezra rumbled softly, “What? Bindi? Did I hear Lily?”

Bindi’s answer was to stare wide-eyed, then her hands started glowing, roving over his head.

Ezra blinked bewildered eyes. “Bindi, what are you doing?” His voice was growing stronger. He even lifted a quick hand, grabbing her shoulder just as Clyde jumped onto the bed, and grunting, he raised his other hand to catch the lion cub, but Clyde wasn’t aiming toward Bindi. Instead, he darted around Ezra’s reaching grasp and raced to me, or more precisely, to Bonnie.

Ezra’s gaze darted to the side, leaving Bindi’s shocked one and following Clyde. His eyes met mine. And it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Green light so perfect they should never close again, bright and full of life. I felt my lips tilt slightly, the small movement all my body would allow, my own eyes tearing.

Slowly, he blinked. “Lily, what’s going on?”

I swallowed, the effort hard, and whispered between unmoving lips. “You’ll live.”

Again, another slow blink, then his eyebrows slammed together. Suddenly, he blurred, pushing Bindi away and rolling to his side, rising on an elbow over me. “Your heartbeat’s not normal.” He pressed his hand between my br**sts, his breathing faltering as his power surged. “Something’s not right. Your power’s off.” Eyes scanning the room, his gaze quickly slated to Bindi, and he asked on a hiss, “Did you hurt her?”

“King Zeller, please lie back down,” Bindi babbled, eyes still wide. “You shouldn’t be moving.”

Ezra’s gaze narrowed dangerously, even as Clyde made a whimpering noise next to me and thumped his head against Bonnie’s limp paw, and Ezra yelled, “Tell me what you did? There’s something wrong with her!”

“Nothing. She was doing damage to you. A spell.” She shook her head, trying to push him back on the bed, only to have her hands slapped away by an increasingly infuriated Ezra. “You’re sick, King Zeller. Silver poisoning. You need to rest.”

Ezra’s eyes slammed wide, and his breath hitched. “The battle.” A blink. “There was an arrow…I was shot three times.” Bindi nodded vigorously and tried to push him back again but received the same aggravated brush-off. “I’m fine. Leave me the hell alone.” His gaze slammed to mine. “What is she talking about? What spell?”

I swallowed again, a shudder racking my body, and managed to whisper, “You’ll live.”

He froze. Two panting breaths. “Sweetheart, what the hell have you done?”

Gazing into his eyes, my lips tilted in the barest smile. “Worth it.”

Stunning green eyes slowly enlarged, and again I felt his power surge. His gaze darted to his hand on my chest. His breathing faltered, and then he shouted, “What the f**k have you done?” Frantic eyes found my drooping gaze. “Oh, Jesus Christ. No, no, no, no.” A beat later, he was standing next to the bed, tugging a sheet around his bare waist.




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