Enthralled: Tainted Book Four

20. No Other Remedy

Gemma

The boy followed me silently, moving closer than my shadow as we crept along the hallway.

My heart was pounding like a drum, my adrenaline high with the fear we'd run into someone any second, especially since I had someone else to be responsible for now.

That weighed on me the heaviest, even more than knowing that Kerry was going to absolutely lose his mind when he found out I brokered a deal with Darius to bring me to the Alchemists' lab.

Or maybe not, I thought as I slunk along the wall, eyes and ears alert for any sound of another person. Maybe he'll be proud of me for rescuing myself, or at least trying to. And I think he'll understand that I had to help Darius and his brothers, even if it doesn't work. He might not be able to understand why I had to, but he knows me by now. He knows I'll always help someone in trouble.

"You don't have to be a warrior to be a fighter," he'd told me once. "You have this deep determination and you know what's right. You're also brave, although I think that might give me heart failure in the future."

Well, I hope he's still with Chance or another healer, I thought with a grim chuckle, because his blood pressure's going to skyrocket if he finds out about this stunt.

During that same conversation, we'd also talked about me being his Achilles heel, his one weak spot, how I'd make him vulnerable when we started going on missions.

And I was right, I thought, tears pricking my eyes. Here I am, running blind and scared through an enemy stronghold while said enemy is trying to manipulate my boy through me.

Kerry had assured me I was anything but weak, however, reminding me that I was a level ten healer and encouraging me to find creative ways to use my power.

He'd also vowed to kill anything that tried to hurt me or take me away from him, and I knew he would, too.

Was doing it right now, in fact.

I didn't like thinking of anyone dealing out death, but was wise enough to know that there were some diseases no other remedy could reach, the Alchemists being a prime example of the kind of cancer that needed to be eradicated down to the cellular level.

And as soon as Darius finds a way to get him here, Kerry will do so. He's going to blow the lid off this place, and any of Reginald Hubler's minions scurrying around will find out...

The chattering of teeth behind me brought me out of those unusually dark thoughts, and I glanced over my shoulder to see the cutie pie shivering as his lips turned faintly blue.

Time to focus, Gemma, I told myself sternly. Get someplace relatively safe, then find some clothes for him. Even if he can't or won't help me, I can't let him freeze to death.

Thankfully, one of the doorknobs finally turned under my hand, and I opened it cautiously to see a nearly empty supply closet. It looked as if it hadn't been in use for a while; there wasn't even any water in the washtub or dripping from the faucet, and the lightbulb didn't come on when I flipped the switch.

After I shooed the boy inside, I let the door close behind us and immediately regretted it. I'd toured a cave once and the guide had turned off the lights so we could experience 'cave dark.' This wasn't quite so bad because a thin line of light came from the bottom of the door, but it was bad enough to make my skin shiver.

I hated the dark, and I didn't have either Sir Martin or Kerry to hold onto in here.

When the cutie pie whimpered nearly soundlessly, I wondered if he also hated the dark.