Between Shadow & Ruin (Fangs & Fae Saga Book 2)

fifty-five.

I waited to hear their car pull out of the driveway before slamming my fist into the door frame. Val was walking down the stairs.

"What the fuck happened down here? What was all that yelling?" she asked, worried.

"What happened?" Zane said. All I could think about was what could happen to Ella if I didn't say something.

"I have to call Dylan. I can't let her stay in that house..."

"Let who stay where? What's going on?" they asked.

"Ella's parents. Thanks for letting me meet them alone by the way. I nearly ripped their throats out. Those two are the most disrespectful, backwards pieces of shit I've ever met... I try to stay subjective to other people's parenting, but..." I took a deep breath, clenching my jaw again. "Fuck, I need a drink..." Odie came inside, quietly. I could see his cheeks and nose were pink. We looked at each other in solidarity and I messed his hair between my hands. "Is Celia coming?" I asked Val and Zane. I had to change the subject.

"Yeah, she'll be here in a few minutes," Zane said, still confused.

"Let's get you checked out," I said to Odie, leading him to the living room. He scrubbed his eye in the process of wiping his tears. A bright portal opened up in the living room as Celia stepped through; it closed behind her.
"Hey!" she said, reaching for a hug. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," I said, hugging her back.

"Odie, you remember Celia, right?" Val said.

"Hey..." she said, kneeling in front of him. She grabbed both of his hands, and I saw them light up. "Take a deep breath and relax." He did so and I saw his shoulders and jaw unclench. "I heard you did a damn good job last night..." she said, beginning to survey his body. He nodded. "How are you feeling?" He looked over at me, Val, and Zane.

"I'm not sure. I've... been through a lot in the last few hours."

"That's okay!" she said. "Does anything else physically bother you other than your eye?"

"I guess I'm a little sore. But nothing as bad as my eye."

"Well, I heard you had quite the night," she smiled. "That's to be expected. Can you close your right eye for me and open your left?" He hesitantly did so. She held a light to his eye, again noticing it didn't react as it should have to the light. She held a hand up in front and asked him to follow it, if he could. He took a deep breath after a few minutes. We noticed he was mostly staring straight, not following her movements. Val gripped my arm tightly and Zane held his breath. Celia gave us a look. "Odie, you can open your other eye..." She took both of his hands in hers. "Can you squeeze my hands as tightly as possible?"

"Uh... I don't wanna hurt you," he said.

"I think I'll be okay. Just squeeze," she smiled. He did so. "Good. Are you ambidextrous with your magic or do you mostly focus on one side?"

"Uh, no. I can do most of my magic with both hands. Mom made that a big deal when I was little. Why?"

"I know you've had a big night with a lot of magic, but can you make a light ball with both hands?" He nodded and did so. The magic of his left hand was not as bright or the ball as large. She nodded her head. "Okay." She stood up and walked over to us. Odie leaned back on the couch as we walked over to the kitchen. We all took a deep breath. "So... there's not much I can do for his eye. Like you said Zane, the nerves are fried. But as for the rest of his body? That left side is losing mobility."

"So, what, he's going to be paralyzed!?" Val whispered loudly.

"Not if I can help it. After you two told me what was going on... I gathered some ingredients to make a potion. I won't lie, it's disgusting, and it'll hurt like hell, but it keeps him from losing his left side entirely..." We nodded. "I'll get started then. It will take a few hours to get it ready. Maybe Odie should just rest until then. He doesn't look like he's slept yet."