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God knew, the female had repaired more than her share of combat injuries for the Order over the past two decades
But now Tess seemed less than assured "I can restart his heart," she said, "but I won’t be able to stop the bleeding and repair all the bullet wounds at the same time I can revive him, but he could bleed out faster than I can fix him"
"Let me help you" Tess and Dante’s son, Rafe, hunkered down next to her The young warrior’s face was solemn with purpose, his eyes - the same aquamarine shade as his mother’s - intense with a determination Lucan had seen him display in equal measure on the field of combat Rafe placed his palave his mother a nod "You kick-start his ticker Leave the rest to me"
Tess smiled, her face full of maternal pride as the pair of healers went to work on Kellan
Lucan wanted to know as badly as anyone else gathered around the scene if the Order would have a miracle here today or a loss that would send the body of one of their own - one of their kin - up to ardless of in what condition Kellan Archer returned to the Order’s headquarters, Lucan and the other warriors had serious problems of their own to contend with now
Probleent with the execution-style slaying of GNC director Benson a few an, Dante, and the rest of the Order’s elders "Opus Nostrurimly, a question in his dark tone
Gideon shook his head, as did the other warriors "It’s Latin Means ’our work’ "
"Any idea what it refers to or, star project?"
"First I’aze flat and cold "I’ll get a tearound at sundown"
Lucan nodded "We’re gonna need whatever you can gather Leave no lead unturned Report back toto several other warriors to join him
"What about the summit reception?" Dante asked "You want to step up security, put ot ideas about doing soht?"
Lucan considered for ahe needed to do was storm into the peace summit with an arear and heavy firearht into the hands of anyone who ht harbor a private wish to see the truce between rate
What better place to incite a war than at a peace sulanced over at his son Dare’s observation froan, had been troubling enough to consider then Now it seemed all too possible that his son’s keen head for tactics and strategies had predicted it right
What if soht?
What if someone wanted to undo all the strides that had been o and set back the clock to a time when there was no peace? Orforward?
To do so, they would have to get through the Order first
Lucan looked at Dante, gave a curt shake of his head at the question of putting on a very public display of the Order’sis in play, let the bastards get comfortable Let them show themselves first We’ll be ready for them Meanwhile, no one is above suspicion"
Chapter Twenty-Six
MIRA CAME AWAKE ON A GASP, LIKE A FISH TOSSED OUT OF the ocean and onto dry land
Shocked
Confused
Slapped into a sudden, harsh new reality
She shot bolt upright in bed, breath heaving Her heart was pounding fast and hard, as though it wanted to burst out of her breast
She was back at the Order’s headquarters, alone in a darkened bedroo but silence all around her She hardly noticed her surroundings, hardly cared how she’d gotten there or how long she’d been unconscious
She vaguely re her after they’d left the GNC building She couldn’t bla her under a hypnotic sedation She’d been inconsolable, hysterical with grief
It all see But no, it had been real She still had Kellan’s blood on her clothes
He had been shot
Kellan was dead
And yet
She rubbed her chest, felt the steady beat of her heart, heavy and strong, beneath her pal in her veins All of her senses honed on one pure point of awareness
Kellan
She felt hi
She felt his pain, his struggle to cling to sorasp
Life
She felt hi for each breath, forcing each heavy beat of his heart to pushfor her Felt their bond reconnecting, giving hith
Oh, God
Kellan was alive
Mira swung her feet to the floor and stood up, just as Renata entered the room
"Kellan?" Mira blurted, both a question and a prayer
Renata smiled, relief written across her face "Yes, Mouse He’s not out of the woods yet, but Tess and Rafe - "