Drowning with Fire #3 ✔

Chapter 30 - Theo

When we returned, Ember was a sobbing mess at how much she'd hurt me. I was a broken mess; once I'd retracted my claws, I fell to the cave ground. Killian slumped over, entrapped by the bone circle.

As they had been in Killian's head, my bones were still broken – healing at an excruciatingly slow rate. Killian's bones were broken as well; the same bones I'd broken.

"Theo!" Ember cried out to me and, once Wednesday had dismantled her bone circle, rushed to me. Tears streaked her face, "I'm so sorry..."

I shook my head, "You didn't know – it's okay."

Defeated, we left the cavern. Maia stayed behind to watch Killian. As Ryder and Thea helped me limp up the valley, I stared around at the darkness of the night.

"You were out of it for quite a while," Ryder told me as a way of explanation. "What even happened to you in there?"

Not wanting to talk, I simply shook my head. I was broken and battered; Ember was exhausted and heartbroken at having wounded me as well as Killian.

Once back at the house, Thea and Ember set me up in one of the rooms. I tried to sit up – but my body instantly contracted with pain. The aching sensation coursing through my body only heightened as my werewolf instincts tried to heal me. Yet the process was slower than ever before; possibly because so many of my bones had been broken.

"You have to heal, Theo," my twin told me harshly. "There's no point in you rushing around and hurting yourself more before you heal."

"I... have to... explain... why," I panted out between gasps. A few of my ribs were definitely broken; I could literally feel them threatening to pierce my vital organs. Even breathing was painful.

"Tell me telepathically, and then I'll tell the others – word for word – what went on." Thea locked eyes with me. "Okay?"

I nodded, welcoming the sight of Wednesday who was bringing a mug of what smelt like sweet, hot honey.

"These will help you heal." Wednesday dumped a pile of bandages on me and handed the mug to me.

I took the mug and barely glanced at the bandages. I finished the warm drink, tasting other healing ingredients like soothing chamomile and even a hot burst of ginger.

"You need the bandages," the witch informed me, then stormed out.

Thea left as well, casting a glance back at me. I started telling her telepathically all that had happened while Ember and I were inside – not leaving out any details.

Face grey and drawn in with worry and exhaustion, Ember hovered on the edge of the bed. Her eyes met mine and we didn't even have to verbally communicate our love for one another, despite all that had happened – it was as obvious in my eyes as it was in hers.

"Bandages?" She held them up and shrugged a shoulder. "It might help... You know, if you mentally think you're healing, you might physically heal as well."

"Someone's searching for a reason to undress me." I laughed – then winced at the pain splitting across my chest.

Ember's cheeks pinkened slightly as she shook her head. "I just want to make up for what happened... Even if I don't know why it happened exactly."

"Remember the fact that the same Alpha bit and turned me and Kaden?" I asked, remembering how I'd been in the bath, recovering from that insight skill that had drained me. "It links me and him together, much more than I would have thought possible."

"Shit..." Ember drew closer to me. I lifted the bedcover up and she shuffled in beside me. "How do we help Kaden if whatever I do to Killian hurts you too?"