Free Reluctant Adept: Book Three of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life by Katherine Bayless Page B

think Lorcán found a way to share his shroud at distance. The vamps were resistant to my magic. My lightning affected them, but not as much as it should have."
    "Tíereachán thinks Lorcán's been sharing his blood with them."
    She sucked in a shocked breath and then spat out a few fervent curses. "That explains how she could run in those ridiculous stilettos," she said acerbically and then sighed. "Lorcán is depraved. If that's true … shit. If he's sunk that low, the king will hunt him. He's signed his death warrant."
    "I thought the king was already hunting him."
    "With his agents, yes. If this proves to be true, though, the king'll definitely spare a— " She faltered but continued smoothly, "He'll find a way to send the Wuldrífan ."
    Find a way? What did that mean? Wasn't it easy for him to dispatch the Hunt? Maybe I didn't have as much to worry about as I thought I did. At least, from the king.
    There was so much Kieran hadn't bothered to explain to me.
    "Kim, what's going on with Kieran? Can I talk to him?" I just wanted to hear his voice.
    And then ream the shit out of him.
    "His injury wasn't minor," she replied. "You know how healing magic is. Duran supplemented as much as she could, but Kieran's reserves had to sustain the rest. She figures he'll be out for at least ten hours. He's crashed on the couch here with us."
    He should be in our bed, not on the neighbor's darn couch!
    Fortunately, I smothered the uncharitable thought before voicing it.
    Duran's healing was a great gift. Performing the ritual up in my apartment would have been complicated, requiring Duran, who was human and therefore not immune to my clairvoyance, to wear a skin-suit. I couldn't fault them for not wanting to bother with the inconvenience. And now, to get Kieran across the hall, up the stairs, and into our bed, he'd need to be carried. The djinn could handle that, but it was easier for Kim and Jackie to keep an eye on him if he stayed where he was. Based on my own experience, he'd be dead to the world until late tomorrow at the soonest.
    I'd received one major healing in my life, back in my Coventry Academy days when I'd run afoul of a desperate teen with a poisonous bite. My history teacher, a Glindarian like Duran, saved my life, neutralizing the poison and healing tissue damage that would have taken my own body weeks to mend. Compressing that much healing into the span of a few minutes takes its toll, both in pain and energy. Besides the steep monetary cost, it was one of the reasons most people didn't seek out magic healing unless absolutely necessary. The more severe the injury, the more energy required and pain endured. If the healer couldn't (or wouldn't) supply all of the necessary power, the patient's body bore the cost and there's a limit to the energy a person has available to give. Even with a full coven, there's no cheating death, at least, not without resorting to black magic, exchanging one death for another.
    I shivered at the sickening thought.
    "Lire, have Tíereachán bring you home," Kim said, breaking into my scattered thoughts. "My lord King Faonaín has extended you his offer of protection. You're not safe here right now. This attack proves it. Brassal wants me to tell you that he's crossing over, tomorrow, to escort you to the king's fortress. He'll keep you safe."
    "You know as well as I do, he can't protect me from the king."
    "The king's not going to hurt you, but his enemies aren't so honorable. You'll be safe in his territory. There's no one stronger or more capable. He commands an army of thousands, all of them trained warriors and skilled in magic. Nothing can stand against them. Listen to me, hon. I've been to his fortress. There's no place safer."
    Maybe, but my friends and family would remain unprotected on Earth. And safe was a relative term. I had no desire to be King Faonaín's mate, much less his prisoner. Ostensibly, I'd end up being both.
    "It doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere without Kieran.