Chapter 61: Grace: Transference (I)

My body feels like it’s been used as a car crash dummy. Voices filter through the cotton stuffed between my ears, muffled and distant at first, then gradually sharpening into familiar tones. Angry tones.

"Absolutely not. Stay ten feet away at all times." Lyre.

An unmistakably familiar growl. "You aren’t in charge here."

"No, but they are, and you’re sucking her dry every time you make contact. Keep your damn mutt off her, too."

A snarl. Definitely Fenris.

"Stop looking at me like that. You’re a mutt without manners."

Consciousness hovers just out of reach, and honestly, slipping back into oblivion seems like the smart option. Nothing good waits in a room where Lyre and the Lycan King are squaring off. Death wish, party of one.

"Her energy is finally stabilizing, and you two want to go right in and take what she’s gathered—"

"If touching hurts, why are you letting them touch her?"

"They’re not feeding off her like she’s an all-you-can-eat buffet."

Oh. This sounds... not great.

A cool touch slides along my inner arm, followed by a sharp sting. Something tugs at my skin, and the sensation drags me closer to full awareness. Not Lyre’s touch—someone else’s. Cold and strange-feeling.

"BP is 90/60. Heart rate stable at 64." An unfamiliar voice, clipped and professional. "Okay, the IV’s in."

"All right. Let’s push some fluids." Another stranger.

Kind of sounds like I’m in a hospital.

"Let’s get ready to move her."

"You’re not taking her," Caine snaps.

Okay, maybe not a hospital. Oh. They probably called an ambulance. Now it makes sense.

"They can if they need to," Lyre argues.

Fenris whines.

My eyes flutter.

"She moved," Caine says immediately, tension vibrating through his voice. "Grace?"

Play dead, I tell myself. Just five more minutes of unconsciousness before facing whatever catastrophe awaits.

red through the thin membrane, and someone’s fumbling with my arm again, and everything feels wrong and strange and cold,

eyes open with a groan. The ceiling light

croak, voice

now. I might not be able to see,

a very looming kind of

starting to sound weird after using it twice in a

Lyre offers, sounding

like...

Something beeps. A lot.

touching her,

just

need to step

A growl.

and unconsciousness takes

* * *

when consciousness creeps back

stab into my eyeballs this time. There’s a faint amber glow illuminating the

for sure, I’m at a

side of my

cat-slit eyes look exhausted, with dark circles underneath. She tilts her head,

I’ve been gargling gravel. How long

there, sunshine." Lyre’s voice carries its usual musical

glass shards. I cough and try again, grimacing through the pain. "Like someone ran me through a washing

Lyre’s mouth. "Well, at least you’re clean, then." She reaches for something out

and try to push myself up. My arms tremble with the

behind my shoulders, supporting me with surprising strength. Her touch is cool against my skin, which feels fever-hot and oversensitive. "Small sips. Your system’s been through

down my throat like salvation. I hadn’t realized

Lyre cuts me off with a finger

within one hundred feet of the building, so he’s

I blink.

shrugs. "He

I believe her, but...

the space is warm, with natural wood accents and what looks like hand-woven fabric covering the walls. A string of small

"Where am I?"

a hospital. You’re in the special ward upstairs." Lyre’s

blink again.

"Yeah, but he isn’t."

my head. I’m a little dizzy even from that movement.

cheek. "You know what? I’m going to let him answer that

eyes narrow at Lyre’s evasive answer. "You can’t just drop that and walk away. What does Caine

"Let’s just say your boyfriend

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