Grim Echoes

Chapter 88 - Will

Will carried Maeve into their room. Ander stumbled in and reached for his medical bag. Will cradled her in his arms, comforted by her even breathing. He worked through his mental list and made sure they'd covered their tracks after fleeing the property. Such a damn disaster for so many reasons. His fucking fault. He'd been the one who told her she could be involved. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He'd been trained better.

Ander sat next to him, his hands steady despite the way he looked. Ander's color still pale from the magic. Knew that look. Fuck, that was his fault, too. He listened to her heart, took her blood pressure. All that doctor shit. Will moved her however Ander told him to. Fuck!

You failed because you were distracted, the guttural voice in his head snarled.

Will stared at the floor. That was true. Maeve was hurt, the kinda injured someone couldn't bounce back from. Soul damage. Sure, he'd been hit too, but it was nothing. He healed fast. A shade hadn't wrapped its fucking hands around his throat and sapped the life from him.

"Will you are shaking. Are you injured?" his tone soft with concern.

Will shook his head no. All these months his cousin had kept his word. Even when he was an intolerable ass to him, Ander stayed clean. Because he didn't remember the spell words right and fucked it up, Ander had to cast or Maeve would be dead. He glanced at her face. She looked peaceful, more like she rested versus fighting for her life.

"Alright, we need to lay her down. I should check a few other items," Ander said in a thin voice. Exhaustion wore on him.

Will stood and put her on Ander's bed. Was his night, anyway. Didn't want himself around either of them, he'd only fuck things up worse. As Maeve's head touched the pillow, her dark eyes opened and peered up at him. Her hands raised to his face and pulled his lips to hers. Too stunned to pull away. Or maybe he didn't want to. She gave him a brief, soft kiss.

"Good night," she murmured against his mouth before her hands fell to her sides with a quiet thud.

Ander stopped moving and stared at him.

Will shrugged before he returned to his bed and sat. "Two fucking shades, should've figured from your info," he admitted. Tasted her again. Fresh berries. Made it hard to breathe.

"I assumed there would be two or that I might not be able to locate one of the two focal points." Ander drank a bottle of water.

"I packed extra holy water, definitely needed it. She gonna be ok?" Will studied Maeve.

Ander's face was grim. "I would say no, she is not. But she did just wake for you," his voice tight.

"We cut the tether and destroyed the tea set. You iced the kid, but what happened to the mother?" Will rubbed the back of his head fiercely.

Ander stared at the floor. Fuck, he'd destroyed her, too. He didn't need to say it. It was why Ander was so drained. After months of not using any magic, probably wiped him to do it. Furious with himself for his mistake, and angry at Ander for practicing magic twice tonight.

"It was necessary. It had Maeve in the air. I panicked." The resignation clear in his tone.

Will peered at Maeve's still form. He took a deep, steadying breath. "Was she hurt then too?"

"Yes. Apparently they both could drain life." Ander's voice trembled as he spoke.

Crap, Ander felt responsible, too. Will scratched at the back of his head. He'd been lead on the mission, all this mess was his. Not hers, not Ander's, his. Wanted to stay angry at Ander. It was easier, but it wasn't right. Andy only resorted to magic, out of panic, when he screwed up the spell. He hadn't hidden it. Wasn't the same as before.

"Is that why you don't think she's gonna to be ok?" Will's eyes burned with moisture.

"Yes. I am astonished she did not pass out earlier." Ander fidgeted with his knife again.

Maeve murmured and reached out to the air. Her eyes fluttered open. Ander got to the bedside before Will stood. When did his cousin get so fast?

"Ander," she mused and caressed his face. "Come to bed, I'm tired," she slurred the last word. With clumsy actions, she tried to pull Ander down to her.

Will raised an eyebrow. She knew where to place her hands on Ander, even in a confused state. Something about her body language bothered him. It was comfortable. Ander didn't like when others touched him, even women he was sweet on. The only people he was comfortable touching him all familiar were Mason and Will.

"As you like,"

Did she really remember it was Ander's night? Will knew she'd been hurt. Saw the shade, put its fucking claws on her, watched the color drain from Maeve's face. He'd seen that before. Four people died from an attack like that, two went into a coma and never woke up. Only one had their soul energy consumed until they passed out and survived. He wouldn't say they were functional, but they'd lived.

Ander washed up in the bathroom and changed into his scrubs as Will got a beer from the fridge. Ander looked at Will, who nodded, showing he was on watch tonight. After opening his beer, he rested against the headboard and flipped through the few channels the motel had and wished HBO was an option.

Irritation flared inside of him at the sight of Ander and Maeve cuddled up in bed. Wasn't any different from any other night. Besides, she'd kissed him, not Ander. Why the fuck did it even matter? A monster or related to one, needed to distance himself from her. Returning to the fridge, he took another beer and on second thought also grabbed the whiskey too. It'd be a long night.