"Set her down over there." Liam quickly pulled his gloves off as moved toward the plush chaise in the solarium. He watched as Nadia began to convulse while Caleb quickly removed the writs blades he'd donned for battle. They were cutting it close; the poison Moloch carried was normally a paralytic to demons. He knew that humans did not survive the toxin with modern medicine, but it usually took time for death to come. It had only been a half hour and Nadia looked as if she wouldn't make it another fifteen minutes.
Andraemalek carefully laid Nadia down and refused to step away from her. He ignored the fact that Caleb had to wedge himself between them in order to remedy any emotional damage she'd suffered. Her hand was so small in his, so limp. Her skin felt as if it was on fire. "Liam, hurry up."
"You need to get out of the way," was all the redhead said as he pushed his way to Nadia. He took her soft hands in his immediately bent to the task of healing her.
Alexis placed his hand on his brother's shoulder to get him to step back. "Let them work. She'll be fine."
"She'd better be," Andraemalek replied. She looked so ashen. Her lips were moving slowly, almost as if she were speaking to someone. She was lost in the illusion Astaroth trapped her in. He wanted to call out to Caleb to free her, but he couldn't; his brother needed to concentrate if expected to help her. Andraemalek looked at Liam's glowing blue eyes and found himself frowning when he noticed the sweat covering his brow. Liam never had to put much effort into his healing.
Something was wrong.
Nadia's body began to tremble uncontrollably, forcing her to cry out. Caleb had to fight to keep their connection; her head thrashed from side to side and the audible grunts of effort he emitted were indicative of his troubles. After long minutes, he managed to calm her down enough to work. Andraemalek found himself pacing the length of the solarium, unable to remain still. His heart felt constricted while at the same time incredibly heavy. Blood rushed through his veins as a new, foreign emotion took hold of him. His hands shook and he had to hold onto the mantle to find a solid anchor for himself.
"Shit."
Andraemalek turned and walked to Liam. His brother looked exhausted; his breathing was ragged and his skin flushed from exertion. "What's wrong?"
"It's not working," Liam whispered, "It's not fucking working."
"What do you mean it's not working?"
"D, calm down," Alexis said. He looked to Liam and asked, "What's going on?"
"Astaroth put up some kind of block. Nothing I try works."
"So we're supposed to let her suffer while she pretty much turns into a statue?"
Liam didn't have the heart to look at Andraemalek as he said, "Moloch's venom is fatal to humans. If I can't heal her, she'll die."
"No." Andraemalek walked to Liam and grabbed him by the shirt as he said, "Don't let her die."
"Maybe that's the key," Jameson interjected. As he gently separated the two hot-headed men, he continued, "What if we let her heart stop long enough to drop the block and then heal her?
"No," Andraemalek said again with a shake of his head, "It's too risky."
"Riskier than Liam risking danger to himself to fight whatever is blocking his powers?" Alexis asked. As the practical one of the group, he had to know when to surrender a battle. He understood his brother's need to keep her alive, but not at the risk of Liam's well being.
"You expect me to just let her go?"
"It's what you were sent to do." Nadia slowly opened her eyes and took a ragged breath as she watched the men in the room stare at her. It was difficult to speak; her lungs felt as if they were on fire and her throat was dry. Her limbs were numb but there was a dull ache that pulsed through her. She was dying. "There's no use... no use in fighting it any... any more."
Andraemalek was fully prepared to contradict her but was stopped when Alexis pulled him out of the room and into the kitchen. "What the hell are you-"
"Astaroth wasn't the one who blocked Liam. She's doing it."
"What are you talking about, Lex?" Andraemalek wasn't in the mood for bullshit. He had to convince her to keep fighting, to keep living. Nadia was young and beautiful and perfect; she couldn't die.
"You know that it's a very rare instance in which I get premonitions of those of my blood?" Alexis waited for Andraemalek to nod before he said, "There are limitations to Liam's powers too. He wears the gloves when he fights-"
"Because it's not easy to control healing an injury, especially if it's an enemy."
"Right." Alexis looked toward the short hall that led to the solarium as he said, "He can heal an enemy unwillingly because there is a will to live."
"What are you saying, Lexi?"
"She doesn't have a will to live. Not anymore."
"Of course she has a will to live," Andraemalek scoffed, "She wants a future."
"Are you sure about that?" Caleb asked as he walked into the room. His head still swam from the journey he took through Nadia's mind. "She loves you."
"She has me and she knows it."
"Not the way she needs." Caleb moved to the island in the center of the kitchen and continued, "She thinks you only want her around because of what she knows."
Andraemalek didn't try to hide his shock to the accusation. In all the time he'd wanted her with him, it was never because of what she knew. He wanted her because she was the first person to genuinely make him want more than the life he'd led for centuries.
"You need to tell her that before we all lose her."
Andraemalek raised a brow and looked at Caleb as he asked, "We all?"
"She has a good heart and she brought you back where you belong," Alexis said, "We'll always be thankful."
