Yet something brushed his cheek and he opened his eyes. Despite the fact no one was touching him, the sensation lingered on his skin and traveled down his neck to his right arm. Moving of its own volition, Will gritted his teeth and tried to hold himself in place. Then Kiarra whispered, “Heal him.”
Will’s hand flared a bright green and energy jumped from his palm to the slice on Jaxton’s leg. As the skin knitted together, Will finally gave up fighting and merely watched.
The light danced across the wound, jumping back and forth as if sewing a stitch. When the skin finally pulled together, the light dove into the cut and absorbed into the skin. When the light disappeared, there was no cut or even a scar.
Will never really had the chance to watch the healing process before since he'd always wanted to stop it. But after witnessing it through neutral eyes, he had to admit it was pretty amazing. If there was a way to replicate even a fraction of the process using science, he could help save so many lives.
The only question was—could he ever learn to embrace his powers? His reasons for hating magic were becoming muddier by the second. Leyna was alive and magic was helping him escape China in one piece. Maybe there was a balance to be found.
Still, Will needed more information before he made any decisions. Humans finding out about elemental magic would still cause pandemonium. Yet if the Talents were to stop some disaster, it might be worth it if it saved millions or even possibly billions of lives.
Later on, Leyna was going to help him get answers. Then he could make a concrete decision and sketch out the next phase of his life.
Will’s hands dimmed until the light faded completely. He didn’t feel more tired than before, which made him wonder how much healing he could do before it would harm him. From what little he’d gleaned from his research, using magic always exacted a toll on the user.
Millie clapped her hands together. “See, I knew it. Whether you like it or not, your power exists to help the Four Talents. Welcome to DEFEND, Dr. William Evans. We’ll keep you busy.”
~~~
Petra schooled her face into a neutral expression as the green glow faded from Will’s hands. She’d had a theory about latent abilities being connected to Talents, but she’d never had proof.
Until now.
Yet as Millie cheered and mentioned the connection, Will’s jaw tightened. Petra knew better than anyone what it was like to be at the mercy of someone without much of a say. No matter how grumpy Will had become, he didn’t deserve that life. She needed to protect him.
Petra leaned forward and cleared her throat loudly. Even Millie shut up as all eyes turned toward Petra. “While I like being right, I think there should be some rules governing how a Talent uses a Feiru with latent powers. Is there anything about that in those legends of yours?”
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Millie answered, “Probably. But don’t worry—Kiarra has a huge heart. She’d never abuse her power.”
Will grumbled, “Except right now.”
Kiarra frowned. “I’m sorry to do that to you, but you’re a scientist and can appreciate an experiment. This was something important that we needed to know, although Millie could’ve handled it better.” She crossed her heart. “I promise not to do that again, unless someone is mortally wounded.”
Petra pushed. “But what about the other Talents? There are supposedly four of them.”
Millie waved a hand. “We have another one on our team and we’re en route to the third one. Neena won’t let them step out of line.”
Jaxton sighed. “Why are you giving away such important information?”
Millie shrugged. “Neena said they were part of DEFEND. Take it up with her.”
Will spoke up. “Wait a second, go back. You said we’re en route to find another Talent. Are you talking about E-1655, the elemental earth user with abnormal magic?”
Jaxton studied Will and then nodded. “Yes, but how do you know about her?”
Petra watched Will debate something inside his head before finally answering, “I was supposed to study her.”
Kiarra and Jaxton glanced at each other. However, before anyone spoke again, Gio groaned on the floor. Millie grabbed his hair and smacked his head on the ground, rendering him unconscious again. She dusted her hands off. “That’s only a temporary solution. We’re going to need something more long term whilst we’re in Hong Kong.”
Kiarra glared. “How about not killing my brother, okay? I know he was an ass to you, but let’s find out why first.”
Millie shrugged. “I know how hard to smack someone’s head without killing them. He couldn’t be in better hands.”
Petra took out a small case from her purse. Opening it, two pre-filled syringes lay inside. “I’ve got it covered.”
Kiarra demanded, “What’s in the syringes?”