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Instead, he murmured, “Squeeze my hand if you need me”

With a shaky nod, she turned and followed the procession up the stairs to the bedroom in which Aquarius rested Inside the cool, shadowed room, everyone fanned out around the bed where the little woman lay, still bloated and red, lips cracked Sabelle had reown Aquarius’s eyes rehtly labored

Bram drew his wand and held it at Zain “Go on”

Zain growled at theaze Tears streamed down her face, and she clutched Caden’s hand His heart lifted She’d co the soft crown of her fiery hair, he squeezed her hand in return

Behind her, Sabelle patted her shoulder Standing beside Marrok on the opposite side of the bed, Olivia gave her a reassuring smile

Tynan shoved Zain closer to Aquarius

“How does this work?” she whispered to Caden

“I’ve never heard of it But Brah, so”

Sydney exhaled, clearly trying to calm herself Caden wanted to reassure her that if Zain did anything more to hurt Aquarius, Bram would let Tynan at hiive the Denzell bastard any ideas

Zain finally stepped forward, leaning over the bed, and reached for Aquarius

With a ruthless grip on his arm, Braainst me,” Zain explained

Bracertain your family needs tweezers to pick up your re, Zain turned back to Aquarius He sat on the bed beside her and pulled her aardly into his lap, bringing her sainst his chest Her hair drifted down to his thighs Her ar limply from her shoulders Zain took in a deep breath and closed his eyes

His aran to shake He drew in a sharp breath, his eyes popping wide open as if stunned Caden could see whites all around the dark irises

Tighter and tighter, Sydney squeezed his hand The air thickened with tension and fear He could s off Sydney and wished he could do ed by, one after the other, and still Aquarius sagged against Zain, unan to shake Sweat rolled in fat drops down his forehead and tehostly white

Suddenly, he released Aquarius, collapsing back to the bed Bram rushed forward She fell face first in a heap across hio of Caden’s hand and tried to dart to the bed He held her back

“Let them,” Caden whispered“ Just in case it’s a trick”

“She’shappens”

Tears took over then, and Caden’s heart broke for her Sinceher, he’d been dazzled by her beauty and smarts Her moxie and dedication had impressed the hell out of him as well, even if, at ti Aquarius’s injuries Sydney’s incredible loyalty and love ic aside, it was no wonder he was falling in love with her

Caden closed his eyes This wasn’t the ti cosmic joke that he should finally led in the very world he despised

Gently, Bra her away from Zain Neither stirred “Aquarius?” Bra

Sydney looked about her with a desperate glance “Can anyone else help her? A bit of ret “Only the one who inflicted the hurt can heal her Check hirove leaned around Sabelle, as gently brushing Aquarius’s hair fro form He waved a hand across Zain’s face

“He’s out,” Duke declared, pulling hie of the bed

“Oh God” Sydney’s voice treh to bring Aquarius around Caden squeezed Sydney tighter He hated to see her pain, but a part of hi And this was just a sliver of the possibilities The things he’d heard about Anarki attacks in Bra He hated using Aquarius as an illustration for Sydney, but if it got her to forget the transcasting idea, then soedy

Suddenly, a wohed It wasn’t Sydney or Sabelle Caden glanced up and saw Olivia staring wide-eyed at Aquarius Glancing past Sabelle’s bent form, he studied the delicate woy, unfocused— but awake

“What is it?” Sydney de to peek around the blond witch “Tell me!”

Sabelle pulled back frolance at the other woman’s face showed her to be perfectly healthy, if still a bit red

“See for yourself” Caden thrust Sydney toward her friend, as relief poured through hirasp, charging headlong toward her friend, arms open wide

Bram thrust an arm between theorous nod, Sydney leaned carefully toward her friend, brushing her cheek “How do you feel?”

“If I said terrible, you’d only cry ave a watery laugh “You scared ten years off me!”

“Can’t have that Who else will put up with roaned as she leaned toward Sydney “Where am I?”

“My home Where do you hurt?” Sabelle asked

Aquarius sent Sydney a quizzical glance

“That’s Sabelle You remember Bram from my flat? This is his sister”

“The cocky one with the angry aura?”

Bram chuckled “I bet if you look at ed”

With a slow turn of her head, Aquarius stared at Braer for stress You should learn to meditate”

“She’s better already,” Sydney joked, wiping tears froested to Aquarius

Sydney patted Aquarius’s shoulder, then urged her to sit back in the bed, against the pillows