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He frowns, darting his gaze around the fallen trees and burned bushes. There are charred marks where the fires spread.
“I did all of this? I caused this damage? Did I kill any animals?” He brushes a hand over his mouth, his blood singing with emotion, with sadness at the thought that he killed a creature.
My mate is too kind for the likes of me, and it’s his kindness I love the most.
“No, Honeybee.” I soften my voice, stepping in front of him to block his view of the crash. “No animals died. This is the damage. There’s more. It goes on for a while, but this is where I scented your blood and found you on the cliff.”
“You smelled me?”
“I did.” I tilt my head as I marvel at him, unable to get enough of my mate. “Your blood calls to me. I’ll always be able to find you.”
“What does your gift have to do with my crash, though?”
I head to the nearest tree, the leaves and branches burned, the bark the color of charcoal. What used to be lush greenery is now wilted and dead.
“I might be a little rusty. I haven’t used this ‘gift’ in I can’t remember how long.”
“What are you talking about?” Helios crosses his arms, waiting for me to prove myself.
“Just watch.” I press my hand against the charred tree; its pain soaks into my palm, hitching my breath.
Not only can I bring the environment back to life, but I can feel the agony. It’s as if the plants, the trees, the flowers…they find a way to speak to me and I understand them.
I blow out a breath, focusing, planting my other hand on the opposite side of the trunk. A low hum rushes in my ears, a buzz tingling my arms, my veins turning black as I absorb the pain and death.
The soot turns to a healthy brown, the healing traveling up to the branches. Bright leaves sprout in greens, oranges, reds, and yellows since autumn is here.
“Holy shit,” Helios gasps, following the magic as it spreads through the roots buried in the soil, causing the surrounding bushes to come to life.
I take as much death as I can before I have to rip my hands away from the trunk and fall to my knees; the agonizing fire traveling in my veins has me gasping for breath.
“Alaska!” Helios rushes over to me, taking my hands in his. “This is what it does to you? No wonder you don’t use it. You didn’t have to show me this if it causes you pain.”
“It only hurts so bad because it’s been so long since I’ve used it. Think of it like a muscle; the more I use it, the stronger it becomes.”
He lifts my arms up, watching the darkened veins return to normal. I suck in a much-needed breath, and Helios kisses me, his lips gentle and soft.
“I think you’re amazing,” he whispers, his mouth moving against mine as he speaks. “What you just did was magic, Alaska. Do you know that? I can’t believe you haven’t used it.”
“I didn’t have a reason to until now. I can control the plants too. That’s why Lorcan says I can use my gift against the hunters. I can give us the upper hand when it comes to a fight, but we will have to kill them fast. I’m not sure how long I can hold them off. Especially since this part of me is so out of shape.”
“Out of shape?” Helios chuckles, tilting his head back to look up.
His Adam’s apple is more prominent in this position, and all I want to do is lean in and give it a small nibble.
“Look at this. Look around, Alaska. This isn’t ‘out of shape.’ You saved this part of the forest. It would have taken years for it to heal, and you did it in a matter of minutes.”
I twist and turn, seeing what he sees, how everything is full of life again. He’s right, but I do need to last longer. Especially if we are fighting hunters. I stop looking at the greenery, the bushes alive and reaching towards the sun. I’m watching Helios and how amazed he is.
He plucks a small white flower that bloomed while I was healing the area, and he holds out my hand, placing it in my palm.
“You did that. Do you know how beautiful that is? Do you know how beautiful you are? You become more amazing the more I get to know you.”
I look down at the flower, holding the tiniest stem between my thick fingers.
“It wouldn’t have bloomed without you.”
“Just as I wouldn’t have without you,” I murmur, tucking the flower over the shell of his ear.
