Part 10 (2/2)

”Wish I could help.”

She stroked his hair away from his forehead, committing the feel of it to memory. She'd always have the memories of touching him to keep her company.

”You're going to get better,” she told him, meaning every word. ”You're going to help so many people, you won't even be able to remember all their names.”

”Grace,” he started. She knew where he was going and refused to let him. ”Chancesa””

”No. I don't want to hear about the chances you'll never get better. I believe in miracles. I have to. You were mine.”

”Hero wors.h.i.+p. Useless.”

She did smile then. A real smile. ”My case of hero wors.h.i.+p has kept you shaved and fed. Don't knock it.”

His eyes slid over her cheek and centered on her mouth. ”Never.”

Grace knew if she let herself, she'd stay here and put off what she knew she had to do. It was time.

Time to say good-bye.

”I'm going to change your sheets before I go to work my s.h.i.+ft in the kitchen; then I'm going to hop in a car and drive until I see the ocean.”

”Bring me a sh.e.l.l?”

”Two, if you're good.”

She had mastered changing the sheets with someone lying in the bed while caring for her comatose mother. Torr was a lot heavier, but Grace had gotten stronger and managed it without trouble.

She was going to miss that strength.

While he was lying on his side, she slipped the palm-sized, p.r.o.nged disk from her pocket and pressed it into his skin, right over the scar left by the creature that had paralyzed him. A drop of blood slid over his back, but she wiped it away on the dirty sheets.

On anyone else, the sharp, barbed p.r.o.ngs on the disk would have hurt going in, but Torr never felt a thing.

She finished her work and got Torr looking comfortable again. ”Want to watch some TV?”

”No. Tired.”

”I'll close the curtains, then, so you can sleep.”

She pulled them shut over the sliders, dousing the room's only source of light. A thin strip of sunlight slipped under the curtains, guiding her feet.

Grace went back to Torr's side, and before she lost her nerve, she leaned down and kissed him, telling him without words how much she loved him. How much she was going to miss him.

His lips were cool, and she could feel him struggling to move them against hersa”trying to deepen the kiss.

She didn't let him keep struggling. The wound to his pride would be too painful, and she didn't want that for him.

”Soft,” he whispered, slurring the word.

Grace smiled down at him, committing his handsome face to memory. It was the one image she wanted to take with her and hold close.

”I love you,” she said. She hadn't meant to admit it, but the words spilled out, the feeling too big and powerful to be denied a voice.

His pale eyes widened and his mouth moved as he started to say something.

Grace turned and ran. She didn't want to hear him tell her not to love him, that he could never love her back. She didn't want to hear him tell her that they had no future together. She knew that. She knew that he was an ancient warrior from a strong, magical race and she was a mere human. She knew she was a fleeting moment in his long life when he was the center of her short one.

She knew all these things and still couldn't stop herself from loving him.

Grace raced all the way back to the empty suite she'd prepared. The key card she'd stolen opened the lock without incident. It would have been nicer to do this in her own bed, surrounded by familiar things, but she didn't want her brother to find her. That wasn't fair to do to him after the difficult life he'd already had.

A swelling wave of fear broke inside her, making her hands shake. For a brief moment, she let herself consider turning back from her course.

But where would that leave Torr? At the rate he was going, he wouldn't even be able to swallow soon, wouldn't be able to talk. What kind of life was that? He had so much to offer the worlda”so many people who needed to be saved the way he'd saved her and her brother.

She owed him this. Even if she hadn't loved him, she had a responsibility to repay him for saving her and her brother's lives. She had a responsibility to the countless others he would save when he was whole and healthy.

Hesitating was the most selfish thing she'd ever done and she knew it.

Before she could lose her nerve again, Grace positioned the matching disk, sticking it to the wall with a glob of putty so it lined up just right. She stripped off her s.h.i.+rt and bra, moved so the p.r.o.ngs of the disk aligned against her spine, and shoved back with all her weight.

The metal teeth sank into her skin, stealing her breath with the pain. It streaked through her, consuming her world. Then, after a few moments, there was nothing. No pain, no feeling at all.

That nothingness began to spread down her spine, into her legs. Fast. Much faster than she'd expected.

She stumbled toward the mattress lying on the floor, where she had food and water stacked within reach. She'd hidden so no one could reverse the process until it was too late, but because of that, she didn't know how many days it would be until someone found her. It wouldn't do Torr any good if she died of dehydration before this magical device had finished its work.

She pulled a sheet up, covering her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s, but even that small effort had left her panting. So much for her plans to drink and eat. She knew now that the process was happening way too fast. Hopefully, it would finish before she died of thirst.

An odd, vibrating cold slid through her in the wake of the numbness. It climbed up her body, inching higher with every pa.s.sing second. Soon, her ribs were gone, then her shoulders. Her arms were next, then her fingers.

Fear and satisfaction mingled together, causing Grace to panic even as she smiled.

It was working. Whatever had happened to Torr was being transferred to her through the device Gilda had given her. She was taking on his paralysis, freeing him.

She imagined the look of surprise on his face as the feeling came back to his limbs. He'd be weak at first, but he'd get strong fast. She knew he would. He'd be back to his old life, wielding a sword against the demons before her next birthday.

Tears slid from her eyes, wetting the hair at her temples. She was going to miss their time together so much. She'd never again touch him or hold his hand or stroke his hair.

And then she closed her eyes and saw his face and felt the silky texture of his hair sliding through her fingers when she washed it, the rough stubble of his beard when she shaved him. A hundred little memories were right there, waiting for her to call on them and calm the panic that weighed her down.

She might never walk again, never feel again, but she'd always have the time they'd spent together to keep her company.

Chapter 7.

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