“We’ll be back,” Rainey promises. “No mind jumping until we are.”
“Deal.” As soon as the door shuts behind them, I lean forward and press a kiss to Bronywyn’s forehead. “I’m coming, baby. I’m coming to get you out.”
* * *
It’sanother two hours before Ridley and Fearghas finally re-appear.
“Do you have it?” I ask, pushing to my feet. Nerves, grief, and fear all fight to be my main emotion, but I shove them all back down, unwilling to let any of them control me. The fight’s not over until I’m no longer breathing.
Elijah and Rainey remain seated on the opposite side of the room. That way they’re closest to the sedative.
Ridley holds up a leather satchel. “We do.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me until you have your witch back. We are going to need another bed.”
“I’ll grab one from the other room.” Elijah slips from the room and heads down the hall as Rainey rubs the rest of the sleep from her eyes.
“How long can he safely stay in there?”
“A few days? A week? This has never actually been done before.” Ridley empties the pouch onto the counter. “We’re—what do you humans call it?—trailblazing.”
“You sure know how to instill confidence.”
“I don’t see the point in beating around the bush. Those are the facts.” He turns to Fearghas. “What do you need me to get?”
Fearghas studies the small root and still-attached leaves with scrutiny. “Hot water and a coffee mug will do just fine. We need to steep it and the leaves before we can do anything.”
“On it, Captain.” Ridley disappears, leaving Fearghas, Rainey, and me alone in the room. At least until Delaney and Cole shove in a few seconds later.
“Did you get it?” she demands, not bothering with pleasantries.
Fearghas nods at Delaney and holds up the bag. “Right here.”
“Sorry, we were delayed. Council members were in a private meeting.” Cole walks over toward Bronywyn and stares down at her. “You sure you’re going to be okay in there?” he asks, gaze shifting up to me.
“You’d do the same.”
“Without hesitation,” he replies. “But you would all still worry.”
Ridley reappears and sets a steaming mug on the counter. I watch, breath held, as Fearghas carefully places the root and leaves into the water then uses the spoon Ridley brought to hold them in the bottom.
“Should be ready to go in two minutes.”
The door opens, and Elijah pushes a gurney inside, stopping it right beside Bronywyn. Then, he looks to me. “Be careful in there, brother. Life would be rather boring without you.”
“Who else would clean up your mate’s messes?” I ask, looking from him to Rainey. She grins. Since she knew nothing of me or my company until Elijah came along, she’d spent the two years after Delaney’s death cleaning up her own messes.
“I’ve grown rather accustomed to not having to scrub blood from the pavement,” she says. “Don’t die.”
Chuckling, I take a seat on the gurney beside Bronywyn as those I’ve come to consider my closest friends surround me. It’s eerie, honestly, to have everyone looking down at me as though they half-expect me to never surface.
Hell, the odds are against me that I will. I suppose if this is my death bed, there are a hell of a lot worse ways to go out than to be surrounded by those you care for, and who care for you in return.
Ridley crosses his arms. “You need to get to her as quickly as possible. As soon as she wakes up, and is her, I will bring you back.”
“We will allow her to fully come out of the sedation before dosing her again,” Rainey promises. “That way, we can see who is waking up.”