Read Relinquish: Book II of the Rising Trilogy for Free Online

still the wild spinning of my head. “Then you’re going to have to do it.”
    “What? Oh no, no way!” Carleon looks between me and the two-foot metal spike protruding up from my stomach. His face takes on a decidedly green tint. “I do minor healings, like headaches and ingrown toenails. You know I’m not good at big repairs.”
    I close my eyes and fight to breathe around the pain. “You have to. I’m too weak to heal myself and Kyan is busy. Besides…” I lift up and a hiss of pain passes my lips as the metal slices deeper into my flesh. “You owe me.”
    “How do you figure that?” I can see his pupils are dilated with fear as he leans over me, brushing hair out of my eyes.
    “You didn’t run.” I blink rapidly to clear my vision. It does little to help.
    “You knew I wouldn’t.”
    I start to speak, but a scream bursts from my throat as the spike shifts enough to cut deeper into my flesh. The pain is overwhelming.
    “Please, Carleon,” I beg as I grip my friend’s arm. “There’s no time.”
    Carleon’s hand shakes visibly as he moves to grasp the metal. He winces at the heat radiating off of it but doesn’t let go.
    “You can do this,” I whisper as my eyes flutter closed. I can feel the pool of blood growing around me as it seeps beneath my fingers, moistening the earth.
    “I should get Kyan,” he says, almost as an afterthought.
    “No need,” a new voice calls, emerging from the shadows. “I’ll help her.”
    My vision is dim as I struggle to see the approaching figure. I know by his voice that he is a man. It sounds strangely familiar, but I struggle to place it.
    He drops down beside me and I flinch as he takes my hand in his. Startling sapphire eyes stare down at me with such intensity that my breath catches. “Bastien?”
    His eyes look the same. Even the rugged stubble that has grown upon his chin is recognizable. The minty scent that clings to his breath is deliciously familiar, but it isn’t until he smiles that I begin to trust my eyes. “Are you really here?” I whisper.
    His deep, throaty laugh nearly makes the pain worth bearing… nearly.
    It has been nearly a year since I last saw him in the alley down from the Shard. An eternity since he turned his back on our love and gave me up for the sake of a destiny I did not ask for, nor was able to deny. It took months for the sound of his name not to feel like a knife serrating my heart, and several more months for the numbness to come and steal away the ice he left behind. I have tried to tell myself I no longer care for him, that I have moved on. It was a lie, oh such a terrible, foolish lie.
    “Yeah,” he whispers as he places a hand to the side of my wound. I flinch, but his touch is firm, demanding. “Don’t move.”
    “I can’t believe you are actually here. Kyan never said—” My words cut off with a groan as Bastien presses around the edge of my wound.
    “Maybe you two can reminisce after Illyria is done hemorrhaging.” Carleon grunts with disapproval.
    I bury my teeth in my lower lip as Bastien lifts my side to blindly examine the exit wound.
    “This is a pretty nasty deal you got yourself into,” Bastien mutters, rubbing his jaw with bloody fingers as he sinks back onto his heels. “I think the only option is to just pull it straight out.”
    He turns to Carleon. “You need to find a stick, something large enough that she won’t bite through. Then I’m going to need you to hold her down.”
    I offer my friend a brief nod of approval as he rushes away and watch as Bastien eyes him up. “He’s a friend,” I say, surprised to find he still cares enough to be jealous.
    “A very protective friend,” he mutters.
    He looks tired. I can see it in the lines drawn heavily around his eyes. A laser gun has been set down beside him, forgotten. Why didn’t I know he would be helping with this attack? “He’s just worried about me.”
    Bastien’s gaze hardens as he turns to look back down at me. “Does he