Jez sat up and gently put the sleeping child on the sidewalk. She smoothed back one stray pigtail and watched the little chest rise and fall a couple of times. Then she looked up at Morgead.
"Thanks."
He shrugged, exhaling sharply. "It was the least I could do." Then he gave her an odd glance.
Jez thought of it at the same instant. She was the one so concerned about the child-why had she asked Morgead to wipe her memory?
Because I can't do it, she thought dryly. Out loud she said, "I'm really kind of tired, after everything that's happened today. I don't have much Power left."
"Yeah..." But his green eyes were slightly narrowed, searching.
"Plus, I hurt." Jez stretched, gingerly testing her muscles, feeling every part of her protest.
The searching look vanished instantly. Morgead leaned forward and began to go over her with light, expert fingers, his eyes worried.
"Can you move everything? What about your legs? Do you feel numb anywhere?"
"I can move everything, and I only wish I felt numb somewhere."
"Jez-I'm sorry." He blurted it out as awkwardly as he had to the child. 'I didn't mean ... I mean, this just hasn't turned out the way I planned. The kid getting hurt-you getting hurt. It just wasn't what I had in mind."
The kid getting hurt? Jez thought. Don't tell me you care about that.
But there was no reason for Morgead to lie. And he did look unhappy-probably more unhappy than Jez had ever seen him. His eyes were still all pupil, as if he were scared.
I'm not hurt," Jez said. It was all she could think of. She felt dizzy suddenly-uncertain and a little giddy, as if she were still tumbling off the roof.
"Yes, you are." He said it with automatic stubbornness, as if it were one of their arguments. But his hand reached out to touch her cheek.
The one that had been hit by burning debris. It hurt, but Morgead was touching so lightly.... Coolness seemed to flow from his fingers, seeping into the burn and making it feel better.
Jez gasped. "Morgead-what are you doing?"
"Giving you some Power. You're low and you need it."
Giving her Power? She'd never heard of such a thing. But he was doing it. She could feel her skin healing itself faster, could feel his strength pour into her.
It was a strange sensation. It made her shiver inwardly.
"Morgead..."
His eyes were fixed on her face. And suddenly they were all Jez could see; the rest of the world was a blur. All she could hear was the soft catch in his breath; all she could feel was the gentleness of his touch.
"Jez..."
They were leaning toward each other, or falling. It was that silver thread between them, shortening, pulling. They had nothing to grab on to but each other. And then Morgead's arms were around her and she felt his warm mouth touch hers.
Chapter 13
The kiss was warm and sweet. Not frightening. Jez felt herself relax in Morgead's arms before she knew what she was doing. His heart was beating so fast against hers. She felt dizzy, but safe, too; a wonderful feeling.
But the approach of his mind was another thing. It was just like the first time: that terrible, irresistible pull trying to suck her soul out and mix it with Morgead's until they were both one person. Until he knew her every secret and she had no place to hide.
And the worst thing Was that she knew it wasn't Morgead doing it. It was that outside force doing it to both of them, carrying them along helplessly.
Whether we want it or not. And we don't want it, Jez told herself desperately. We both hate it. Neither of us wants to share our souls....
But then why was he still holding her, still kissing her? And why was she letting him?
At that instant she felt his mind touch hers, reaching through the smoke-screen of protection she'd thrown around herself to brush her thoughts as lightly as a moth's wing. She recognized Morgead's essence in it; she could feel his soul, dark and bright and full of fierce emotion for her. He was opening himself to her; not trying to fight this or even holding back. He was going farther than the pull forced him to, giving himself to her freely....
It was a gift that sent her reeling. And she couldn't resist it. Her mind flowed out of its own accord to touch his, tendrils of thought wrapping around his gratefully. The shock of pleasure when she let it happen was frightening-except that she couldn't be frightened anymore, not now.
And then she felt him respond, felt his happiness, felt his thoughts enfolding hers, holding her mind as gently as his arms held her body. And white light exploded behind her eyes....
Jez! Morgead! What's wrong with you two?
The thought was foreign, cold, and unwanted. It broke into Jez's warm little world and rattled around annoyingly. Jez tried to push it away.
Hey, look; I'm just trying to help. If you guys are alive, then, like give us a sign, okay?
Morgead made a sound like a mental groan. It's Vol. I have to kill him.
I'm going to help, Jez told him. Then something occurred to her. Oh-wait. Where are we... ?
It was a good question. A weird but necessary question. It took them a moment to untangle their thoughts from each other and rise back to the real world.
Where they seemed to be sitting under the ruins of a redbud tree, arms around each other, Jez's head on Morgead's shoulder, Morgead's face pressed into Jez's hair.
At least we weren't still kissing, Jez thought abstractedly. She could feel herself flushing scarlet. The rest of the gang was standing around them, looking down with worried expressions.
"What do you guys want?" Morgead said brusquely.
"What do we want?" Raven leaned forward, dark hair swinging. Jez actually saw both her midnight blue eyes underneath. "You three jumped off the roof just as the fire got out of control. We put it out and came down to see if you were still alive- and then we find you here hanging on to each other and totally out of it. And you want to know what we want? We want to know if you're okay."