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“Close
your eyes.”
    “Why? What are you . . . doing?” Kira’s eyes
drooped to thin slits as every muscle in her body went limp. She
was paralyzed. She felt the warmth of his touch and his strong arms
around her, but she couldn’t move. How can that be? She
tried to speak again, but now her lips wouldn’t move either. She
groaned.
    “You are safe with me. Do not fight it, Kira.
Close your eyes.” His smooth, deep voice hung in the air like a
thick fog as the other sounds around her faded away. She wasn’t
sure if it was the warmth of his breath rushing over her or the
effects of the powder that made her melt into his arms, but his
embrace felt . . . comforting. His natural musk mixed perfectly
with the earth and pine of the mountain. The combination engulfed
her senses. She closed her eyes and took it in.
    Octavion’s arms stiffened and a horrible
roaring sound filled her ears. It felt as though they were sucked
through a tunnel, racing between its cold stone wall and a speeding
train. It only lasted a few seconds, but the effect left her
gasping and fighting for her next breath. A strange, floating
feeling came over her as the stale air she tried to bring into her
lungs turned fresh and clean. She inhaled deeply.
    “You can open your eyes now,” Octavion
said.
    Kira forced her eyelids to part, blinking
several times until her eyes focused. He stood in the center of a
thick grove of trees, their branches so dense the area was almost
completely enclosed. In the middle, a fire crackled, surrounded by
several large rocks. The tiny flames licked at the night air,
sending sparks into the sky.
    Octavion lowered her to rest on something
soft. “You must stay here.”
    Kira still felt a little dizzy—her eyes
moving in and out of focus—but the movement in her fingers and
hands had returned, so she tried her voice. “What did you . . . do
to me?”
    “The effects of the V’Larian will wear off
soon. Can I trust you to stay here or shall I bind you to that
rotten log?” He motioned behind her, but she didn’t look. She
couldn’t have moved anyway.
    “I’ll stay, but . . . you said I could see
Lydia.”
    “It will be easier on both of you if you stay
here for now. You are safe here. I will come for you soon.” Then he
walked across the clearing and into the shadows of the forest.

Chapter Five
     
    Octavion discarded Lydia’s bloody clothes
near the cave entrance and helped her slip into one of his long,
white tunics. He rolled up the sleeves so she had more freedom to
move her hands.
    “Is that better?” he asked, while dabbing her
forehead with a damp cloth.
    “Yeah.” She moaned as she tried to adjust her
position under the wool blanket. “What are you gonna do?”
    He sat back on his heels and ran his fingers
through his hair. “I do not think we have a choice. I know of only
one way to heal this wound.”
    “What do you mean? You know if I go to the
hospital, they’ll find me.”
    He looked into his sister’s eyes and tried
not to show the emotion that was seeping from his heart. There was
only one way to save his sister’s life without putting her in more
danger. And she wasn’t going to like it. He didn’t like
it.
    Lydia’s eyes widened with sudden realization.
“No! You can’t!” She grasped Octavion’s wrist and pushed the cloth
away from her face. “Promise me you won’t involve Kira. Give me
your word.” The outburst seemed to draw all the energy from her at
once. She let her hand fall to her side. Tears welled up in her
swollen eyes. “I would rather die than live with the guilt—”
    “I took an oath to protect you, even if that
means another’s death.” His words sounded harsh, even to him. But
he had no choice. If he was to save his sister, he’d have to use
every means necessary, even if that meant the death of her friend.
The very thought made his heart twist and his stomach wretch. He’d
have to keep his feelings for Kira in check or he’d never be able
to do