The Beast And The Blessed

Fifty-Eight: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

Cyrus threw up for a long while. The healers pushed me aside when it went from stomach acid to blood. As much as I detested vomit, even though I was able to hold back some of my own, I stayed. He needed people, and I needed answers.

A line of sweat appeared across his forehead, and every time his eyes instinctively closed as he lost his stomach, he would jerk them right back open. He hadn't been kidding about the darkness he saw when he closed his eyes.

He looked haunted and terrified. The man, who typically looked like a teenager, was nothing more than a scared little boy right now, and it broke my heart.

Tobias had his chest to my back with his hands on my hips. While half of my mind was on Cyrus in bed, there was nothing I could do until this wave of nausea passed.

The other half of my mind was zeroed in on how Tobias had his thumbs sliding along my waist to show that he supported me.

It was so comforting, but I was still waiting for him to tell me that I smelled different or that he could hear or feel a little heartbeat inside me. I wondered if he would know before I did since I was stalling.

Once again, I pushed aside those thoughts. I didn't have the courage to take a test right now, nor did I have the time to run to a store, get one and then take it without anyone seeing me.

Deal with Cora first.

I had to keep reminding myself to stay on task. Cora was the threat here; the potential of a baby inside me was not. It was a distraction, one that I could push aside until I received confirmation that it was even true. Until then, I could continue to pretend it wasn't real and focus on the actual issue.

When the healers stepped back, they looked uncertain and uneasy. Flora's hands were up like she was backing away from a rabid animal and looked exhausted.

She had healed him several times, but it hadn't held. Trauma and magic were powerful things.

water. He took a

as I fought back the bile pushing its

and while he was worried, I also sensed his amusement at my statement. I needed to get

look weak, and it would

his mouth, more than likely still tasting his vomit. His lips pursed, and his eyelids lowered as his stomach jerked as if he were going to gag

longer. We didn't have time for more delays. We needed to be ready to take action as soon

but she was trapped. I had been able to talk to her, to Rona. I don't know how it worked, and it was only for a short period." He looked

feel relieved. I knew she was a terror as a kid, and I assumed that Cora controlling her had been recent. So, I still wasn't a huge fan of Rona, but knowing that the motive behind her most recent

her. She had been using Cora's leg to track her. Rona was trying to find out what Cora

This was it.

after me after you brought me back here. That's why she was so determined to find out what I was.

rail of his bed to stay out of the way of any vomit or the healers in case they needed

of someone he had bonded with before they died. They may not have been friends or anything more than that, but they went through something awful together. He had been there, in her mind, when she died, and that would be enough to make anyone protective of the other

been trying to learn how Rona had taken her mother's powers without performing the ritual on her. Once she figured that out, she spliced the two spells and found a way to get to me without facing me." A tear leaked from his eye, and

from my past actions, but those were all intentional, and I owned those. This one was unintentional, and that made it hit harder. If there was any question about my afterlife, it was

his life would never be the same

us had solidified. I could still feel her, but this time I could see through her eyes and feel her pain. We were trapped in her body, but I couldn't talk or move. Cora was ranting about how the love of

for most of his life, but he looked just as lost

any interest in anyone I could remember, and I had to wonder what else I

saying that she should have done what she

"What had Rona been

shook his head. "I don't know. That was when Cora started cutting and chanting. I couldn't understand anything she was saying at that point. I didn't even know if it was Rona pulling at the chains or if I was, but neither of us were strong enough to break free. I couldn't use my magic while I was inside her body. I

that had sent me flying across the dining hall when I was trying to save him. He had used his magic; he just used them through his body and hit me instead of through Rona's to get to Cora. I wasn't even sure if that was possible, but by his lack of attacks after, I had assumed Cora had gone far enough in the ritual to suppress his magic or weaken him too