I shook my head hard, then reached across the ward lines. \u201cCome across,\u201d I said firmly.<\/p>\n
Cariocecus just stood there, blinking at my hand. Phelan grasped my shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeann\u00e1n<\/em>\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know what I\u2019m doing,\u201d I told him, even though I didn\u2019t. He knew it, too, but he let it go. At least this time, it seemed he\u2019d realized that he needed to just let it go for now.<\/p>\n I had no doubt we\u2019d talk about it later, though.<\/p>\n \u201cCome across, Cariocecus,\u201d I said, still holding my hand out to the amber-eyed man.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll burn me,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot if I\u2019m inviting you across,\u201d I said. \u201cTake my hand. I\u2019m letting you in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t,\u201d he protested in a voice that was little more than a whisper.<\/p>\n I swallowed the urge to swear at him. \u201cYou\u2019re bleeding and I don\u2019t think you\u2019ve got any friends left besides us to patch you up again. Take my hand, dammit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cListen to her,\u201d Phelan said. \u201cTake what she\u2019s offering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I failed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStanding at the edge of our wardings, bleeding and apologizing for whatever the hell\u2019s left you bleeding that you couldn\u2019t stop isn\u2019t going to help us. You stitched up and telling me what the hell is going on will<\/em>. Take my hand, Cariocecus. I\u2019m not going to ask you again.\u201d<\/p>\n He stared at me for a long moment.<\/p>\n He took my hand, squeezing hard.<\/p>\n I pulled him through the wards.<\/p>\n Cariocecus stumbled as he came across, eyes blinking wide in wonder, as if he hadn\u2019t quite expected to survive the passage. He twisted, letting go of my hand once he was clear of the boundary. \u201cThat\u2014that was strange.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned back toward Phelan and I just in time for his eyes to roll up into his skull and for him to collapse in a boneless heap at my feet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I shook my head hard, then reached across the ward lines. \u201cCome across,\u201d I said firmly. Cariocecus just stood there, blinking at my hand. Phelan grasped my shoulder. \u201cLeann\u00e1n\u2014\u201d \u201cI know what I\u2019m doing,\u201d I told him, even though I … Continue reading