Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

theminto a corner as Cole carefully set Brokk on the bed.

When his head flopped to the side, Lexi heldher breath while she waited for some sign he was alive, but hedidn’t move. Just as she was beginning to think it was already toolate, she caught the subtle rise and fall of his chest.

The air rushed out of her burning lungs, andshe lifted her gaze to Cole. Anguish burned in his eyes and etchedthe lines of his face as he clasped his brother’s hand. She wantedto assure him it would be okay, but the words froze in herthroat.

She couldn’t bring herself to lie to him bypromising something that might not be true. Sahira was a talentedwitch, but she couldn’t perform miracles.

The clatter of bottles drew her attention tothe doorway a second before Sahira rushed into the room with a trayfull of supplies. She set the tray on the table Lexi hadcleared.

“What was he stabbed with?” she asked.

“A fae sword,” Cole said.

“A fae sword?”

“Yes.”

“Made of fae metal?”

“Yes.”

Sahira’s eyes flew back to Brokk as Lexi’shand went to her mouth. How is he still alive?

“Was it wielded by a fae?”Sahira asked.

“Yes,” Cole said flatly.

“Shit,” Sahira whispered.

That word summed it up. Fae metalthrough the heart was the only thing that could kill a fae, besidesdecapitation, yet as she watched, Brokk’s chest rose and fell oncemore.

The fae forged metal was the strongest in allthe realms and a powerful weapon against their enemies, but theydidn’t use it against each other. Apparently, that was no longerthe case.

Lexi gulped at this insight into how far thetwo sides had devolved into their hatred of each other. If a faehad used a fae weapon against one of their kind, then all bets wereoff.

“So, the only reason he’s still alive isbecause he’s half vampire,” Sahira said.

“Yes,” Cole agreed.

Lexi’s hand fell from her throat. “I’ll getsome blood.”

She turned and ran from the room. She tookthe stairs two at a time to the entranceway and sprinted past thestairs to the kitchen. Flinging open the doors of the fridge, sheshoved aside the meager contents to grab a couple of bags of bloodtucked into the back corner.

She closed the doors and ran upstairs. Whenshe returned to the room, she discovered Cole sitting on the sideof the bed. His hand rested on Brokk’s back as he propped hisbrother up so Sahira could pour a vial of green liquid into hismouth.

Lexi caught the scent of apples and pixiedust, but she had no idea what else was in the vial. She set theblood on the table before going to retrieve towels and water.

CHAPTER 29

“You’re injured,” Lexi said.

When Cole looked up from where he sat atBrokk’s side, Lexi gestured to his hand. It had stopped bleeding,but dried blood coated it, and when he turned his hand over, shesaw the ragged edges of a raw gash.

Sahira looked up from where she was applyinga healing salve onto Brokk’s chest. Her hands stilled as sheglanced between the two of them while Cole stared at his hand. Leximarveled at the size of that hand as he flexed his fingers.

“It’s healing,” he said and lowered it.

“We should still clean it,” Lexi said.

His gaze returned to his brother beforeshifting to Sahira as she rose away from Brokk. “I’ll take care ofit,” she offered.

“It’s fine. Though, I should probably cleanup.” Cole glanced around him and rose from the bed. “We got bloodall over your things.”

“It’s fine,” Lexi assured him.

“I’ll replace them.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll show you to abathroom and try to find you some clothes.”

“I can—” Sahira started at the same time Colesaid, “Thank you.”

Lexi ignored her aunt’s irritated gaze as shemoved toward the door. She felt Sahira’s eyes burning into her withevery step, but she didn’t look back as she led Cole from the roomand down the hall to one of the guest bathrooms.

She flicked on the light and hurried insideto remove the dust cloths from the vanity and toilet. She shovedthem into the closet and pulled out a few towels that she set nextto the sink.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

His skin remained paler than normal, and hiseyes were dull when they met hers. Then his brow furrowed as hisgaze latched onto her, and the silver bled out of his eyes. Leximarveled over the abrupt change as they resumed their vivid bluecolor.

There was so much in those eyes, but alsosomething raw and primitive, something far more lycan than fae, andsomething that wanted her.

That knowledge should terrify her; instead,she thrilled at it.

• • •

Cole started to reach for her when he recalled theblood staining his hands. He dug his nails into his palms as helowered his hand.

He couldn’t touch her with blood on hishands, but the scent of her and the beauty of her hunter green eyeswere difficult to resist. A clatter from Brokk’s room drew hisattention, and he stepped away from her.

“I’ll be right out,” he said.

He entered the bathroom and closed the door.When he stepped in front of the mirror, his heart sank when he sawthe amount of blood coating him. She never should have seenhim like this.

He also realized washing his hands wouldn’tsuffice though he scrubbed them before turning on the shower. Aknock sounded on the door, and he opened it to discover Lexistanding there with an armful of clothes.

“My dad wasn’t as tall as you, but I foundsome of his biggest clothes. Hopefully, they’ll fit,” she said.

There was something sad and wistful about heras she held the clothes out to him. She misses him.

The thought struck him hard, as did theimpulse to cup her cheek to offer comfort. He wasn’t one forcomforting or for noticing others' feelings, but with her, thingswere different.

She was different. He had no idea why,but she was.

“Thank you,” he said as he took the clothesfrom her. “Your father was my friend and a good man. I miss himtoo.”

Her luscious mouth parted, and his gaze fellto those ripe lips as Sahira called to her.

“I hope they fit,” she whispered beforerushing off to see the witch.

Cole closed the door, stripped out of hisruined clothes, and stepped beneath the hot spray of water. Hewatched