Flare of Promise (Asylums for Magical Threats #3) (12 page)

Will had a few words he wanted to say to the cocky woman, but he kept his mouth shut. With all he’d learned lately about magic, it was entirely possible Kiarra could do what she said.

Jaxton pointed at Will. “You’ll standby to help, if needed. Even if we all survive without a scratch, we have no idea what shape that magic user will be in.”

Only because they’d agreed to keep the secret of E-1655 being a Talent did Jaxton not refer to her by her rightful title.

Will nodded. “I’ll try my best, but don’t expect for me to perform miracles. Like with any skill, it takes time and practice to refine it.”

“I understand that more than anyone,” Kiarra murmured.

“Right,” Millie chimed in. “Then while Kiarra does her flame trick, I propose Petra and I take care of the fleeing researchers and other staff. If one of them escapes, it might cause a headache for us later on.”

Jaxton grunted. “Fine. But I want them alive. I’d like to bring a few of them back to base and question them.”

Millie raised her brows. “Of course they’ll be alive.”

Jaxton muttered, “Just making sure. You get a little enthusiastic sometimes, Millie.”

Petra spoke up. “I’ll make sure she behaves.” Millie opened her mouth, but Petra beat her to the reply. “There’s no time to argue. If nothing else, then consider me your operation partner. We’ll keep each other in check.”

Millie slapped Petra’s shoulder. “Good. Glad to see you’re finally seeing me as your equal, Brandt.”

“Enough,” Jaxton jumped in. “The longer we stand here, the greater the chance we’ll be discovered. Let’s go.”

He turned and walked back toward the structure. As everyone followed, Will looked to his hand and imagined a gash that needed healing. It took a second, but his hand flared before returning to normal. He was ready.

Will only hoped his healing ability was unnecessary. Small cuts were one things; he had no idea what to do if someone’s life depended on him.

~~~

Petra stood about ten feet behind the two poles holding up the drawbridge structure, hidden behind a few trees and some bushes. Millie was at her side, thankfully remaining silent for a change.

Both of them waited for Kiarra to jumpstart their plan.

The wind rustled through the trees and a bird flew overhead. If the people inside the rectangular container knew of their existence, they were keeping quiet about it.
 

The only good thing about the weird structure was that it was easy to see who came and went. No one could escape through a hidden tunnel.

An eight-foot-high flame leapt into the air. At the bottom of the blaze, Petra could make out the dark, silhouetted figures of Kiarra and Jaxton. She had no idea why Kiarra leaned against Jaxton or how the flames licking both of their bodies weren't burning them alive. It must be yet another secret related to the Talents.

In the next second, the flame surged until it danced across the bottom of the floating container. Petra half-expected it to catch fire and burn, but while the flames surrounded the box, the exterior paint didn’t peel or change in any way as it would in a normal fire.

Still, as the only door to the structure opened and the drawbridge lowered via a remote, the magical fire must still be hot. Various voices yelled for someone named John to hurry up.
 

While the drawbridge lowered, a metal ladder descended from the drawbridge platform above. Petra looked to Millie and nodded. Millie gave a thumbs-up and the pair of them readied their stun guns.

The bridge clicked into place and people scurried across. Between the green glow from the orbs on the poles and the fire blazing around the rectangular structure, the six people above were as visible as if they’d been standing in broad daylight.
 

Two of the six remained calm and were ushering the others to safety. Petra would bet her life the two calm men were some type of guard. Turning to Millie, Petra whispered, “Wait until they rush into the forest. I’ll take the two guards. You take the other four.”

Millie answered, “That’s almost fair, although I could do with another two or three.”

She glared at Millie. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Petra waved above. “Once we have this group, I’ll go above to find the magic user. You can stay here and watch over the prisoners. Make sure to cover me.”

“Of course. I’m not about to allow my new bestie to die so soon.”

Petra blinked at being called Millie’s bestie, but pushed it aside as people began to descend the metal ladder from the platform. As the first person set foot on the ground, the woman wearing a white lab coat headed straight toward them. Millie and Petra’s earlier assessment, that the researchers used the faint trail they were standing in regularly, had been correct.

Just as the escapees were coming into range, one of the guards up above raced back into the structure. Petra whispered, “Damn. Let’s take these people down. I need to ensure that guard doesn’t kill the magic user.”

Millie answered, “They’ll be in perfect range in four, three, two, one. Now, come to mama.”

Ignoring her, Petra moved a few feet to the side. Trusting Millie to take care of the researchers, Petra followed the slow, calculated movements of the guard currently descending the stairs.

Cries came from her left and the guard jumped the last few feet from the ladder. Just as the guard went to draw his gun, Petra charged at him and fired her stun cartridge. It made contact, but just as it pumped electricity into the male guard’s body, he swung his gun barrel against the wires, severing the connection.

Pocketing her weapon, Petra rushed him and landed a kick in his stomach before he could react.
 

Not that she had time to gloat. In the next instant, the guard regained his composure and moved to the side. Petra took a step to her right and the guard matched it. As they continued circling one another, Petra scanned for weaknesses. Each second she spent with the guard in front of her was another second the magic user’s life might be in danger.

However, the guard was in prime physical condition and didn’t appear to have any injuries. Petra had a few tricks up her sleeves, but as she noted the silence from behind her, she had an idea. Millie must have her prisoners contained. For the first time in years, Petra was going to count on someone having her back. She only hoped Millie pulled through.

Petra stopped and raised a hand out, with her palm upwards. “Stop right there or I’ll use my own magic. Given how you’ve been protecting the elemental earth user, I’m sure you know what type of destruction I can cause.”

The guard cocked his head. “Then prove it.”

She raised her voice and hoped Millie would hear her. “I’m warning you. I control lightning and electricity. Come any closer, and you’ll feel a jolt like you’ve never felt before.”

Ignoring her, the guard charged. Petra did a back flip and rolled a few feet away. “Millie. Now.”

Petra landed on her back as Millie ran out of the forest and discharged her stun guns. The guard barely had time to do more than blink before both cartridges hit their target and zapped the man full of electricity. He dropped like a stone and twitched a few times before going still.

Jumping to her feet, she ran up to where Millie was flipping the guy over. Petra murmured, “Thanks.”

Millie winked. “No problem. I love tying up big, buff guys. Now, go. A woman’s life depends on us.”

With a nod, Petra ran to the ladder and jumped up. She climbed it quickly, as if fire were creeping upward, under her feet. She made it to the drawbridge platform just as the guard came out carrying an unconscious woman wearing a hospital gown.

He met her eyes and moved so that he held the woman over the side. “Step any closer and I’ll drop her.”

Since the drawbridge was at least thirty feet above the grass, the magic user would most likely die if she fell.

Petra stood her ground. Maybe reason would work with the guard. “There’s no way for you to escape. If you go back into the structure, you’ll cook. If you jump, you’ll probably break your neck. And I’m blocking the exit. But if you surrender, I can at least ensure you’ll live.”

The guard’s gaze flicked behind her and back. “You’re wrong.”

Petra opened her mouth but the guard charged. She half-expected him to toss the magic user off the bridge. Instead, he tossed her at Petra. She caught the slight woman, but lost her balance.
 

Unable to regain her footing, Petra made a split-second decision. She used every muscle in her body to toss the woman back onto the bridge. The action caused Petra to push back and fall over the side.
 

As she fell, Will’s face flashed before her eyes. Petra’s only regret was not telling Will she still loved him.

The regret didn’t last long. Her leg bashed against the smaller platform below and pain shot through her body. She barely had time to scream before the world went black.

Chapter Ten

Will crept up toward the battle scene bit by bit until he was only a few feet from the tree line. He barely had time to stare in wonder at the giant column of flame before the figures on the drawbridge above caught his eye.
 

Leyna stood about eight feet away from a man carrying an unconscious person.

Even knowing Leyna could more than take care of herself, his heart beat double-time. He should be up there, helping her.
 

And yet, he was stuck hiding in the forest. Clenching his fingers, Will decided he would do whatever it took to be able to fight at Leyna’s side in the future. He’d thought he’d failed her two years ago. He never wanted to experience that feeling again.

In the next beat, the man above rushed and tossed his burden at Leyna. While it had to be less than a second, Leyna stumbling and finally tossing the woman onto the bridge played out in slow motion.

Then he watched Leyna fall.

Not caring about his life or Jaxton’s bloody plan, he rushed out of the trees. Leyna’s leg smacked against the lower platform and she screamed.

He pumped his legs harder.

But no matter how fast he ran, Will would never be able to catch her.

Right before Leyna made contact with the ground, a cyclone of fire appeared under her body. While the force of the spin didn’t stop her descent and Leyna crashed to the ground, it might have just slowed her down enough to save her life.

He reached her side. A quick check revealed a bone sticking out of her lower leg. Since fixing her leg would mean nothing if she were dead, Will placed two fingers at her carotid artery. While faint, Leyna still had a pulse.

Quickly checking her head, there was a blow at the back and a lot of blood. It was entirely possible the wound could kill her.

If he didn’t do something, his Leyna could die.

Placing his hands on her head, Will closed his eyes. Each beat of her heart was a tap against his skin. He imagined the bone reknitting in her skull, any swelling going down, and all hemorrhaging ceasing.

Over and over he imagined her brain whole, pink, and free of any bruising or bleeding. He was concentrating so deeply that it took him a second to realize Leyna’s heart had stopped beating. Opening his eyes, he barely noticed the faint glow around Leyna’s body. Moving his hands to her heart, he pressed against her chest to begin CPR. All the while, he switched the image in his head to one of a steadily beating heart.

Leyna’s torso jolted with some unseen force and then again. Will moved to breathe air into her lungs when a faint thumping reverberated throughout his body.

Checking her pulse, Leyna’s heart beat again.

Will barely had time to acknowledge the relief that coursed through his body. His eyes were heavy, drooping from exhaustion. However, he tried to concentrate again. Even if he burned out from overusing his magic, it would be worth it if Leyna lived.

Just as he started to reimagine his Leyna whole and hearty again, a faint orange blaze mingled with the green light. He looked up at Kiarra’s weak voice as she said, “Let me help. Tell me where she’s hurt.”
 

His curiosity wanted to know how an elemental fire user could help, but he didn’t have time. He’d take whatever he could get. “She hit her head and might have hemorrhaging. While her broken leg looks worse, if we can’t ensure she’s free of brain trauma, she might not wake up.”

Kiarra nodded and the orange glow intensified. She answered, “I’m not at full strength, so we’re going to have to work on this together. I’ll have to stop if I think I’m going to pass out, though. You need to do the same.”

Rather than argue the point, Will nodded. However, if it took his life to save Leyna’s, he would give it gladly. “Right, then imagine a brain, pink, healthy, and free of injury in three, two, one, now.”

Will kept his eyes open as he focused on healing his Leyna. The green-gold light coursed over and caressed her body. With each second that passed, her heartbeat grew stronger.
 

Unaware of how much time had passed, the orange light faded from Leyna’s body. Looking up, Kiarra was rubbing her eyes. Before he could ask, the woman said, “I’ve reached my limit, Will. I think she’s out of danger. That’s the best we can hope for.”

Millie walked up to them. “Jax and I have held out as long as we can, but one of the guards escaped. We need to move if we want a chance to leave here alive.”

His concentration broken, Will’s green light faded from Leyna’s body. She breathed steadily and her heart pumped at a regular rhythm. He had no idea if he and Kiarra had managed to save her from the worst of it, but he couldn’t confirm that until he had access to advanced medical equipment to check the state of her brain and other injuries.
 

A quick glance told him that Leyna’s leg was still broken; the bone jutting out of her skin had to be painful. Will wasn’t a medical doctor, but he needed to try to set it before moving her or she might lose the leg. He said to Millie, “Give me another minute. I need to set this.” He motioned toward Leyna’s upper body. “Hold her down, just in case. I can’t afford for her to move or she may never walk on her own again.”