“Pamela be on hers way. I found thems already on their ways here. Shouldn’t be long now. You sleeps, I’ll be watching over yous both,” Charlie said and, feeling a little guilty, I Tracked him, Tracked demons and evil spirits just to be sure.

Charlie was clean, and there was nothing close by. I Tracked Pamela and felt her moving toward me at a good clip. “She’ll be here soon. No point in sleeping.”

The violet skinned book poked me in the thigh as I sat up. “So much death, Charlie. Is it worth it?” I stared at the book, unable to not see my hands. They looked like something from a horror movie, like a prop made to scare little kids. Blackened and charred, nausea rolled through me at the thought that perhaps I couldn’t be healed. Perhaps this was part of my destiny.

“The world might not be worth it,” he said as he rocked the little boy. “But there is enough good in the world that I thinks yous has to keep fighting.” Charlie handed the baby back to me, setting him carefully into my arms above the burns. “Whats yous going to be calling this little tyke?”

That was a good question. He needed a name, one strong enough to carry him through his whole life, however long it would be. I thought of those who’d passed, my friends who’d given their lives for the fight against Orion. Jack and Dox were at the top of the list. But Milly wouldn’t want her baby named for either of those two.

Dark lashes rested against milky skin as his lips puckered and he started to suck in his sleep. “Milly had a brother who died when she was very young. His name was Zane. I think she would like it if her baby was named for him.”

“Zane, good name fors him.” Charlie leaned over and touched the boy on the forehead. “Looks like his mammy.”

That he did; the resemblance was strong both in his coloring and the shape of his face, right down to his eyes which were already green. Unusual for a baby, at least from what I understood.

I leaned back in the hay, biting the groan of pain that bubbled up with the movement. Zane snuggled against me and I couldn’t help but love him. Shit, I was turning into a sappy mush. But Milly knew me well, better probably than anyone but Liam. She’d known I would protect Zane with my life, if need be. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. Protecting him was all well and good, but only if Pamela could heal the mess of my hands.

I rode on Eve by myself as we flew for the farm. Erik and Alex rode Marco. I couldn’t stand to have anyone touch me. Anger and rage still flowed through me like hot lava, making my magic burn inside.

“Charlie said she’s hurt bad, but that there is a surprise too,” I said as Eve dipped low, avoiding a cloud.

“Surprises can be good, Pam,” Eve said.

I snorted, unable to keep the bite from my words. “Not usually in our world.”

Giselle’s words came back and swirled around in my head. “You will face darkness, and you will have to fight through it.”

At the time, I hadn’t understood what she’d meant. But now I was starting to see. I couldn’t stop the anger that flowered and grew within my heart. All I wanted was to wipe out those who would hurt us. I wanted to rip them apart, piece by piece, with no thought of what would come after. The darkness of those thoughts grew each moment and I worried I would turn into someone bad. Really bad.

I swallowed hard as Eve spiraled down to the farm. With only the barn left intact the place was a strange sight. The burned remains of the house had crumpled and were partially covered with snow, leaving bits and pieces sticking out like lumpy bones.

Eve landed lightly and I slid from her back, running toward the barn. I burst through the door, ready for an attack, for the surprise to be bad. So when I took in what I was seeing, I couldn’t understand it at first.

Rylee was holding a … baby?

Then I saw her arms and hands and I couldn’t stop the gasp that slipped out. “Rylee.”

“Yeah, I look like shit. Don’t need a mirror to see it this time.”

Charlie took the baby from her arms. “Do yous stuff, young witch.”

Healing was not something I was good at and that normally only frustrated me. I’d been better at it when I first learned, and slowly, my skill with it had slipped, though I didn’t know why. I swallowed hard, then went and sat beside Rylee in the hay.

“I have to touch your hands.” I didn’t want to, not just because I didn’t want to hurt her, but they looked awful and smelled like burnt meat.

“It’s okay. Just do it.” She closed her eyes and I carefully wrapped my fingers around hers, the skin under mine flaking away. Rylee sucked in a sharp breath and I closed my eyes, focusing on the parts of the healing I needed.

Water, air, and earth blended to put the pieces back together, but fire was needed too and I was afraid to use it. Afraid I would somehow make the burns worse.

“What if I can’t, what if I make it hurt more instead of heal it?” I whispered.

“Then we’ll find someone else. You can’t make it worse, Pam.” She said those words with confidence, but I saw the sweat break out on her forehead.

Before I started, Alex and Erik came into the barn. Erik sucked in a sharp breath, but Alex was oblivious. He ran to Rylee’s side and curled up around her, hugging her tight and almost pulling her from me.

“Alex!” I snapped. “Not now.”

He cringed and his lower lip stuck out. “You is not the boss of me.”

I let go of Rylee and flicked my hand at him. He flipped over once in the air before adhering to the wall, like a fly to sticky paper. “I am right now. Now stay out of the way.”

Rylee stared at me, the three colors in her eyes swirling. “You okay?”

I didn’t really know how to answer without getting into the whole darkness thing, so I just nodded. “I’m fine. He’s just in the way.”

I took her hands again and slowed my breathing. Healing took all four elements and then something from myself as the healer, a piece of my essence. Not a lot, but it was the binding between the elements to make the healing take place. I plunged in, tying the elements to Rylee’s form and threading them through her essence. I fought not to let go when she cried out as the skin sloughed off and broke away, as her tendons relaxed and the muscles rebuilt.

A minute passed and I’d done all I could. I looked down at her hands. They were pink in patches, like she’d had a bad sunburn, but the worst of the damage had been dealt with and her fingers were no longer charred sausages, nor were her arms black to the elbow.