Chapter 15

Ethan looked down at Chloe, a bemused smile working over his face. "Look at that."

Chloe brushed her finger over where the cut used to be. The smooth skin felt normal and soft. How was that possible? She healed him. "How—?"

"I think we've found it." He curled a warm hand on her cheek.

She took a step back, shaking her head. "I thought—I thought I'd never have an ability." Ethan had met her when she was born. That meant that at any time during her life she could have developed an ability. Usually, people got theirs right after they met their mate. After so many years passing, she thought her window of opportunity had passed. Now, she'd grown used to the idea of being ability-less.

"It's always freaky the first time you figure it out." As if to show her, Ethan help up two fingers, a single line of blue electricity jumping between them.

"What did you do when you found yours?"

"Honestly?" He stepped closer to her, wrapping his hands around her waist. A shiver shot down her spine in response. "The same thing you're doing right now. Panicking."

She hadn't been too aware of herself panicking, but indeed she was—her heartbeat had escalated, her breaths coming out faster, and her legs shakier than before.

"This will not change you." He told her. "It will help you. That's what it is meant to do."

But how could she not have known about it until now? What made these conditions just right to bring it ou—? "Oh my gosh, Danika."

Ethan's eyebrows came together. "Danika?"

"Remember when Danika was in the infirmary? She wasn't waking up and the doctors said—"

The sudden connection lit Ethan's eyes. "It was you."

"That weird lightheadedness must be a side effect. It happened with Danika too."

"I don't think I like the idea of side effects."

There had to be a side effect. If there wasn't, what would stop her from healing everyone she could? That would put too much strain on her body. "Does yours have a side effect?"

"Sure, if I use too much there's an energy drain, but that's to be expected."

The two were quiet a moment. Then, Chloe said, "we have to test it."

Ethan shook his head. "No way. Not if there's a side effect."

"How am I ever going to know how to use it if I don't try it out? What if I need it?"

"I'm not going to let you risk hurting yourself just to see if it works."

"I won't. I'll do little things—"

"No, we will wait until there's a doctor on hand."

"But Ethan, there won't always be a doctor on hand." She said. "I'm sure you didn't have a doctor on hand when you tested out yours. Let me do this."

"Elizabeth, you are not going to hurt yourself."

Her eyes caught on the dying little basil plant in the window. She'd put it there the other morning with the hopes that it would get better if it was in the sun. Half of its little leaves had browned and withered and now drooped down sadly. "What if I try something else?"

Ethan followed her line of sight and mulled it over. "I suppose. But if anything even feels like it's going wrong, I'm pulling the plug."

In the end they decided the table was a good place to start. Ethan wanted her sitting, so if the lightheadedness got to be too much, she wouldn't fall to the floor. He'd scooted his chair closer, ready to act if needed.

Right before they began, Darius stepped into the kitchen. "Why am I hearing about an 'experiment' you two are doing?"

Ethan rested his forearms on his knees. "Our future queen might be a healer. We're testing it out."

"A healer?" Darius nodded to Jim, cueing him of a shift change, and took up a spot near the window. "We haven't had a confirmed healer in years."

Ethan met Chloe's inquisitive stare. "Healing hasn't had a presence in our society in a long while. We have a lot of people with senses—like our nurse Haven who can gauge vitals—but not an actual healer."

Wow, okay, no pressure.

Chloe took a deep breath, holding the pot in her hands. Until she figured out what she could do, she didn't want to put a label on anything. What if she could do more? On the other hand, what if she couldn't do much more than a few cuts?

"Just try and do whatever you were doing when you healed me."

It took her a moment to shake off her nerves, but she did. She closed her eyes. Focus on the plant.

What had she done when it was Ethan? She'd touched it, but she'd been mad that he'd gotten himself hurt. She almost laughed at the thought. Did her ability want her to get mad in order to heal? Was that how it worked? It couldn't be. When she'd healed Danika, she hadn't been angry. She'd been sad.

The basil plant never moved, its drooping and browning leaves lowered in acceptance of the fate that was death. What a sad little guy, Chloe lightly traced one of the leaves, wishing it would come back. When she'd healed Danika, she'd had a desperate urge to make things right. She'd wanted to make her better, wanted to say sorry, wanted to understand why she hadn't come to her earlier about Frank.

Heal. She urged the plant. Come on.

Nothing happened.

Chloe released the plant and sat back. "It's no use. It must have been a fluke."

Ethan grabbed her hand and squeezed. "You have to give it time. Not everyone figures it out on the first try."

She blew out a breath. "Yeah, but shouldn't a part of it be innate? Shouldn't I already somehow know how to do some of it? It's an evolutionary thing right?" She wrapped her hand tight around his, taking comfort in his support. With her other hand, she reached out to the plant, tracing one of the lower leaves. If it would just heal, then—

The leaf slowly unfolded itself, green seeping back into the brown.

With a shriek of surprise she pulled back. "What? How did I—"

Ethan, eyes calculating, let go of her hand. He pushed the pot closer to her. "Try again."

She touched a higher leaf. Nothing.

"Okay." Ethan got close, until his breath fanned over her cheek. He threaded their fingers together. "Try again."

This time, the leaf strengthened and grew much like the other.

"Oh my gosh." She whispered. "It's you. I need you."

"Remember when Danika was in the infirmary?" The intrigue in his eyes made them glow. "You were holding her hand and nothing happened until—"

"Until you put a hand on my shoulder." Happiness burst in her chest. With a bubbling laugh, she pulled Ethan into a hug. "You're amazing."

His nose traced the curve of her neck, "You're beautiful." He said. He placed a kiss on her skin, a delicate whisper of love. "I'm so proud to call you mine."

Her hands curled into fists on his shoulders, the emotion building and building inside her. Without Ethan she'd never have gotten where she was today. He was her strength, and now, he was her ability.

"How are you feeling?" He tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

She took quick stock. "A little light headed, but nothing I can't handle."

"We have to be careful about that." He crossed his arms. "I wonder if there's any way we can pass some of the effects to me."

She gave him a look.

"If there's something that is serious, the effects would be big." He touched his forehead to her. "Unless you can somehow build tolerance. Until then, promise me you won't do anything big until we figure this out more."

She understood his concern, but she also wasn't a doll.

"Elizabeth, promise me."

"I promise." She said.

***

"You found him?"

"His name is Edward Columbine." Jackson said over the line. "Does that ring any bells?"

"No, not at all. Let me ask Ethan." At the sound of his name, her mate looked up from his spot on the couch. He still had his book—a post-apocalyptic novel—on his lap. "Have you heard of the name Edward Columbine?"

"No." He frowned. "Why?"

"Jackson says that's our guy." She moved her hand from the phone speaker. "Did you get him?" She asked Jackson.

"I have a team out right now doing a retrieval."

How did he find him? What did that mean for her and Ethan? Was it safe for them now? "Is there...how would I know him?"

"He was a gardener at the palace."

"A gardener?" She'd never hung out with the landscapers. Had she?

"Yes. And I know what you're thinking—there's no way you've met the guy. Maybe crossed paths, but probably nothing else. You're schedules never matched up."

"Oh. Okay." Relief slowly trickled through her chest, lightening the pressure. She wouldn't be completely okay until she knew for sure they had the guy. "What do we do now?"

"I've spoken with Darius already, so he knows what's going on, but until I have this man in my reach, I want you both to stay there." He said. "I've given your managers a cell phone to reach you both. It's a secure line, you can trust it. Darius will give you both a cell tomorrow morning. I'm having it delivered."

She was going to be okay. Ethan was going to be okay. "Jackson, thank you. I don't know what I would've done without your help."

"I don't need a 'thank you' for doing what a brother is supposed to."

Ethan stepped into the kitchen and lightly massaged her shoulders. "Are you going to tell him about your breakthrough?"

"Breakthrough?" Jackson asked, clearly hearing Ethan through the line.

Damn. Well, she would now. She wanted to wait until she understood it better, but... "I finally found out what my ability is."

"How?"

Chloe snorted. "My dummy of a mate cut his finger this afternoon—"

Ethan chuckled behind her. "Worth it."

"—and long story short, I found I could heal." Just saying the words made her chest lighten. Heal. I can heal.

"Wow, Lizzie, that's..." Even from so far away, she could practically hear him thinking. "There hasn't been a healer in a long time. Not that I've heard of."

"She's special." Ethan whispered behind her.

"There is a drawback." She bit her lip. "Of course, because nothing is easy."

"Drawback?"

"It takes a lot of energy to heal, and we think that when I do, some of it is absorbed into me. The pain, I mean." That was why the reaction after she healed Danika was so bad—she'd been taking whatever Danika had been feeling.

Silence over the line. "I don't know if I like the sound of that. You be careful."

"I will. I promise."

"And keep it quiet. It's been awhile since anyone's seen a healer. That last thing we need is someone trying to use you for it."

She'd thought of that too. If people knew she could heal, they'd either like her to play God or think that gave her too much power. She'd never want to get mixed up in something like that. "Of course. I can't wait to tell dad though. He's going to freak." Adrian Leonger had been convinced living with Frank all these years had done something to her psyche and that was why no ability showed. "It explains a lot. I never actively tried to heal someone before. That's why I didn't know about it. And it explains Danika's sudden recovery months ago."

"Are there any more stipulations?"

Trust Jackson to want to know every single pro and con about incoming news. "Ethan has to be with me." She said, "I haven't tested it fully, but it looks like some part of the ability depends on our connection."

She talked to Jackson a bit more about her ability and catching Edward Columbine before hanging up. It looked like Jackson had this guy and that soon, she'd be able to go back to her semi-peaceful life. That immense feeling of relief never left her that night.

***

???

He'd been made. They were going to find him—sooner rather than later. That meant he only had a small window of opportunity before they got him for good.

He'd have to move fast—Commander Jackson had a sharp mind and an even sharper team. They'd realize soon that he'd pulled one over on them. But no matter, by the same time tomorrow he'd be with his love. He'd finally get the chance to save her from that damn prince.

First though, he had to look the part.

The small porcelain sink in his bathroom had dark splotches littering the area. Halfway through the process, he'd rushed and gotten clumsy. The stains might not ever come out. Not that it mattered, in fifteen minutes he'd be finished and one step closer to her. When they were finally together, he wouldn't need this tiny apartment or the porcelain sink.

While he waited, he sat on the cold tile floor with her shirt in his hand. He held it carefully—not too tight—she'd need it when they ran away together. He could imagine the joy and happiness on her face when he brought it back to her. Her eyes would light up and she'd curve her lips up in a genuine smile. She'd thank him and tell him all about how happy she was to see him.

The shirt still smelled like her. Right now his bathroom reeked of ammonia, but when he put her t-shirt up to his nose it blocked out everything but her scent of clean flowers. He knew she'd have a great smell, just like her personality. It called to him, much like she did.

His timer went off—a shrill ring telling him it was time. He stripped down, starting up the shower, and got into the cold water to rinse it off. When he was done and the water ran clear, he stepped out and dried off. The hair needed a bit of extra attention, but he'd do it gladly. She would love it. She was going to run her delicate fingers through it and marvel at it.

When it was dry, he finally glanced into the mirror. Oh yes, this would do perfectly.

She would fall in love with the dark hair.