Page 86 of Black Hearted
Reaching into the depths of my being, I visualized my center of power as a glowing orb in my chest. With a mental blade, I sliced it in two. Agony ripped through me, worse than anything I’d ever experienced. I don’t know how I remained upright, but I did.
With a roar, I shoved the glowing essence into Zane. Even though I was giving my life force willingly, the process was excruciating. Pain shot through me as if I were being torn apart.
I bit my lip to keep from crying out and tasted the coppery tang of blood, but as soon as I transferred some of my life force into him, his body jolted as if struck by lightning. Relief flooded me when my magic circled the essence, anchoring it inside him as I’d hoped.
I wasted no time funneling healing magic into Zane, feeding the spark until it grew into a roaring fire. The pain only intensified, but I refused to stop.
Minutes ticked by. Or perhaps even hours. Time was whittled down to just two things now: the agony that ripped through me and the healing fire burning inside of Zane.
Then, suddenly, I felt him. Zane’s presence brushed against me like a soothing balm, lessening the pain. For a moment, I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began.
But his heart still wasn’t beating, and his chest wasn’t rising. It wasn’t enough.
I pushed harder, emptying myself completely. I gave him all my magic, then took his fledgling energy into myself to fuel my efforts, filtering it and sending it back into him.
Finally, I felt it—a faint, weak thump beneath my palm.
My heart leaped as the beats grew stronger and faster. With a gasp, Zane’s eyes snapped open.
Completely spent, I collapsed forward onto his chest, my muscles like jelly, and my mind clouded with exhaustion. But I was alive.
And so was he.
Zane wrapped his arms around me, sitting up and cradling mein his embrace. He looked down at me, his blue eyes wide with wonder as they searched my face.
My gaze fell on the dead grass, shriveled flowers, and dry bushes behind Zane. I had drained the entire area of its life to heal him, and I’d do it again without hesitation.
“Thank you,” I whispered to the earth, acknowledging the tremendous sacrifice it had made.
“What happened?” Zane asked, his voice filled with confusion. “The last thing I remember—” He broke off, his eyes catching on the gaping portal beside us. His expression darkened with realization. “But … the sacrifice. I died.”
He turned to me, questions written all over his face. I nodded. “You did. But I saved you,” I said simply. The details could wait. All that mattered now was that he was here with me. I had brought him back, and I was determined never to lose him again.
Concern flashed across his features. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
A laugh bubbled up inside me, a mix of joy and relief. He had just returned from the brink of death, and yet he was worried about me.
Grinning, I nodded. “I’m perfect. Now.”
Reaching up, I brushed a lock of hair away from his face. My hand trembled, but it wasn’t from weakness. It was the sheer gravity of the moment. As my fingers lingered near his cheek, both of us stilled, our eyes falling to my wrists.
The wounds from when Zane had bound me were still there— minor but unmistakable. What shocked us both was the blood seeping from the small cuts. It wasn’t red as it should have been. It was black.
Black, like the blood of an Ethereum lord. Like Zane’s.
He gently grasped my wrist, holding it as if it might shatter. “Why are you bleeding black? How?”
“I … don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.
It had to have something to do with the way I’d healed him. When I gave him my life force and essence, when our energies intertwined and flowed into each other, something must have shifted—fundamentally altering me.
If I were being honest, I felt different. Not in who I was because, at my core, I was still me, but my magic had changed. It was sharper, deeper, more complex, though I couldn’t yet articulate the exact nature of the transformation. If this was the price I had to pay to bring him back, it was worth it. Still, I was alive, and I could already feel my strength returning.
Movement caught my attention, and a shadow flickered at the edge of my vision. I turned toward the portal and gasped. Four cloaked figures stepped through the swirling gateway, crossing from their world into ours.
Zane scrambled to his feet and reached for me, helping me up. His movements were swift, his instincts protective as he immediately tucked me behind him.
“We will not hurt either of you, Zane, Lord of the Western Kingdom, and Lorelei, Princess of the Spring Court.”
