Page 30 (1/2)

Chapter Thirty

I screaony was joined by a wo of a baby My face plowed into a tile floor, and s went askew Flat on my stomach, I lay on cold tile and burned, the salt-laden air cauterizingbeats burned across my shoulders, and I oyle cried out, and I sobbed with relief when he settled beside me and it was only the salt in the air that burned my skin I was on fire, and I tried tounder me

"My God Rachel?"

It was Trent, and I started to cry Bis had found et up Every breath hurt So hysterics, and Lucy-it had to be Lucy-was crying at the top of her lungs, frightened by the noise

"She’s burned!" Bis was saying, and my body started to shake as I curled into a ball "She was in the lines I felt her burning, and it woke me up I found her Got her out Please pick her up She needs help"

I sucked in the air in giant heaves, recognizing the sound of surf over the un ushered out I ith Trent Where e?

"Ms Morgan!" Bis babbled, and a spasm shook me when his clawed hand touched me and the broken lines of San Francisco exploded in me

"Bis! Don’t touch her!" Trent shouted, and a door shut The crying baby and the woone," Bis said, and I sobbed in relief when his fingers fell away Oh God, it hurt "Soive her an aura That’s why I brought her to you I saw your aura in the kitchen It’s the saht not know the difference She really hurts, Mr Kalaan to realize that I was out of the lines Bis had foundI had no aura to protect it I was dying But at least I was in the sun I was in the sun? With Bis?

I tried to open reen tile and the soft movement of a white curtain Bis had found er He ake in the sun And as I lay on the floor of the seaside patio, my heart see to die It was so unfair

The air shifted, and the breath in me hissed over one cold, and I shivered as Trent’s black slippers scuffed to a halt and he dropped to his knees before me, his hands outstretched but afraid to touch me There was a bloody stick beside hin sweat but blood

"Please asped when Trent turned me over and lifted me into his arms The twin sensations of fire and ice flashed like a cracked whip overas his aura-Trent’s aura, golden and hazy-ca eased, and I looked up at hih into die I felt it

"Is she going to be okay?" Bis said, and I smelled cinnamon and wine, warh, and I felt bits of h relief so that I could breathe "It’s better, right, Ms Morgan?" the gargoyle asked, shifting froe of vision His red eyes turned to Trent "Can you fix her?"

"I don’t know" The arms under me shifted, and a blissful coolness sifted oversensation,He smelled like hot wine, and all hts andfrom me every time the wind blew

"But you have to," Bis said, and I heard a bird crying far away My eyes were burning, and the trails of tears were like fire on ht her here"

Trent shifted, and I stifled a groan "She’s lost a lot of it," he said "Mine can’t keep her alive until she starts to an shuddering in earnest, unable to stop Mycold, even the fire licking as left ofdown I couldn’t stop it

"But you made her do this!" Bis exclaimed "You made her believe she could! You can’t just let her die!"

There was silence, and I felt Trent’s grip on ot ed to open an eye a bit "What?" I breathed, glad the pain had eased No one should die in pain The blessing of angels

Trent looked worried, a smear of blood on his face I alri "Hold on," he said, his voice sounding like he was in cotton "I have to set you down for a second I’ll be right back"

The beautiful haze I was in vanished and agony split between asped as he shifted , and my heart thudded wildly Eyes open, I frantically looked for hi as saucers His wings and ears were pinned back His tail rapped around his clawed feet, and he was as black as ht, scared to death I smiled at him, and he turned to Trent, fear in his eyes

"Mr Kala as he knelt beside me I could feel his aura, and I wanted to roll into it, but I couldn’tas he kneeled bya thin ribbon to drape around his neck and down his front He earing an odd shirt, red in front, white in back-very unlike him And then I realized it wasn’t red-it was soaked in ive him the curse and banish hih it burned as if a dog was chewing on it, I ers, and I started to cry I wanted it, and it was so close, sedain