Page 80 of Claim the Light
His golden wings are spread as if he’s fighting the instinct to fly toward us. His breathing is so harsh, I can hear him from this distance. Sweat drips down his face. His normally calm demeanor has vanished and in its place is…fear.
Lana is in his arms, her feathery, black wings tucked around her body. Her eyes are closed and one arm dangles limply outside the cocoon of her wings.
My heart is suddenly pounding in my ears.
The keeper of light magic said…
“A powerful supernatural is near death.”
“No,” I whisper.
But my voice is drowned in Callan’s cry. “Lana’s hurt!”
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
Isaac bursts into action, racing down the steps to reach the infirmary door. “This room! Bring her here.”
My feet are moving and I’m aware of Beatrix and Micah on either side of me as we hurry down each step as quickly as we can.
I dart through the open door right behind Callan. Micah and Beatrix are close on my heels.
Callan hurries toward the nearest feathery bed and lays Lana down on it, carefully lowering her head and then rapidly straightening her out. He tucks her dark wings on either side of her.
“What happened?” Isaac asks, rushing to Lana’s side. “Did Tyler attack her? Has she come into contact with the ash?”
Callan sinks to a kneeling position beside the bed. He’s so tall that the bed rests at his waist height. “We were creating a diversion so that Zahra, Emika, and the other Dread dragons could re-locate safely to Grudge territory. We were keeping our distance from the Scorn, leading them away, but we walked into an ambush. Tyler was there.”
My hand flies to my mouth. “No…”
“There was no warning,” Callan says. “I didn’t sense him ahead of us. Neither did Lana. Then he was upon us.” Callan rubs his forehead, his expression stricken, his brown eyes filled with rage as he takes Lana’s hand. “He went straight for Lana. Cut her face. I used my fire, but she’d already collapsed. I caught her and when I looked up, Tyler and the Scorn were gone.”
“Are the others safe?” Isaac asks. “Zahra and Emika?”
Callan nods. “Felix and Melisma went with them. They sent me a message. The diversion worked.”
I’ve plastered myself against the wall inside the door, keeping out of the way. Micah has stopped next to me while Beatrix edges forward. She halts in the middle of the room, her focus on the feathers that are now rippling around Lana’s form.
Their soft surfaces stretch toward Lana, their color changing from white to rose pink and then…
Dark gray.
I clap my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out.
This can’t be happening.
Around me, everyone has frozen except Callan, but if he hasn’t been in this room before, he won’t know what the color of the feathers means.
Without another moment’s hesitation, I race to the cupboard where the blankets are heated and slap my hand against it. I can’t tell if it’s working until the door clicks open a moment later. Warmth rushes out as I pull two blankets from the top of the pile.
My hands are shaking, but Micah is beside me and so are Beatrix and Isaac, each of them helping to pull the blankets over Lana’s still body.
In the midst of covering her, I lightly press my hand over her heart.
Ice-cold.
So is her left arm between the edge of her sleeve and her golden armband.
I sink into a crouch beside Callan before Micah quietly brings chairs for us both to sit on, and then he just as quietly steps back, taking up position near the cupboards. His presence is calming to me, although his expression is grim.
