Flare of Promise (Asylums for Magical Threats 3)

Just as he started to reimagine his Leyna whole and hearty again, a faint orange blaze mingled with the green light. He looked up at Kiarra’s weak voice as she said, “Let me help. Tell me where she’s hurt.”

His curiosity wanted to know how an elemental fire user could help, but he didn’t have time. He’d take whatever he could get. “She hit her head and might have hemorrhaging. While her broken leg looks worse, if we can’t ensure she’s free of brain trauma, she might not wake up.”

Kiarra nodded and the orange glow intensified. She answered, “I’m not at full strength, so we’re going to have to work on this together. I’ll have to stop if I think I’m going to pass out, though. You need to do the same.”

Rather than argue the point, Will nodded. However, if it took his life to save Leyna’s, he would give it gladly. “Right, then imagine a brain, pink, healthy, and free of injury in three, two, one, now.”

Will kept his eyes open as he focused on healing his Leyna. The green-gold light coursed over and caressed her body. With each second that passed, her heartbeat grew stronger.

Unaware of how much time had passed, the orange light faded from Leyna’s body. Looking up, Kiarra was rubbing her eyes. Before he could ask, the woman said, “I’ve reached my limit, Will. I think she’s out of danger. That’s the best we can hope for.”

Millie walked up to them. “Jax and I have held out as long as we can, but one of the guards escaped. We need to move if we want a chance to leave here alive.”

His concentration broken, Will’s green light faded from Leyna’s body. She breathed steadily and her heart pumped at a regular rhythm. He had no idea if he and Kiarra had managed to save her from the worst of it, but he couldn’t confirm that until he had access to advanced medical equipment to check the state of her brain and other injuries.

A quick glance told him that Leyna’s leg was still broken; the bo

ne jutting out of her skin had to be painful. Will wasn’t a medical doctor, but he needed to try to set it before moving her or she might lose the leg. He said to Millie, “Give me another minute. I need to set this.” He motioned toward Leyna’s upper body. “Hold her down, just in case. I can’t afford for her to move or she may never walk on her own again.”

Kiarra stood up slowly. “While you two do that, I’m going to check with Jaxton and the status of our helicopter.”

Barely nodding, Will moved to Leyna’s leg. The break was bad and setting the bone sticking out of her skin would be difficult. On top of that, Will had only helped set a broken bone as a student.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside his worry. The longer the jagged bone was outside the body, the greater chance of infection or any number of other problems.

However, before he could do more than study Leyna’s broken bone, Millie sat across from him and pointed toward Leyna’s head. “You hold her down. I’m trained as a field medic. And doctor you may be, but your expression tells me you don’t know what the bloody hell you’re doing.”

He met Millie’s eyes. “Have you set a broken bone like this before?”

Millie didn’t miss a beat. “More than a few times. Now, hold her down. We don’t have much time.”

Not having a choice but to trust the woman he’d met the day before, Will moved to hold down Leyna’s shoulders.

Millie took hold of Leyna’s leg above and below the break. She murmured, “Three, two, one,” and jerked the bone into place. Even unconscious, Leyna’s body twitched. Without any drugs, he couldn’t imagine the pain. It was a blessing she was out cold.

Ripping off his shirt, he pointed to Millie. “We need two straight sticks.”

Millie raised an eyebrow, but went without another word. Her silence worried him. He would probably pay for it later.

However, he pushed aside his concerns to take advantage of his moment of privacy.

Will caressed Leyna’s cheek. “After all of this trouble, you’d better wake up, Leyna Grunwald. And not just because I want you to live. No, we’re also going to start over and I’m going to woo you all over again. I love you, Leyna.”

Leyna remained silent, of course.

Millie raced back and picked up Will’s shirt. “I’ll do it.”

As Millie used his shirt and the sticks to secure Leyna’s leg, the faint whir of helicopter blades neared.

Millie tied her final knot and waved in the direction of the sound. “Our pilots will be here soon. I need to help Jax with the prisoners, so you’re in charge of Petra. Be careful when you move her.”

Nodding, Will looked back to Leyna’s body. Her face was pale and her brows furrowed.

He would do anything to have her glare at him again.

Lightly brushing her jaw, he willed for her to be okay.

The sound of the helicopter grew louder and for once in his life, he was impatient to board one of the blasted things. Even if he had to dangle below the bloody machine to give Leyna enough room to be transported to a hospital, he’d do it. He’d spent too much time being angry at both himself and Leyna. All he wanted to do was have another chance.