Chapter 146 - Xander

Wrenching pain was swallowed by searing heat as something was plunged repeatedly through my body. My chest felt like a herd of elephants were sitting on it while something was gnawing on my legs.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what was wrong, and I couldn't fucking open my eyes to see what it was either. The only thing I did know was that Kiema was with me. Her magic wrapped me in layers of love and peace even as agony rippled through me.

Phantom fingers mussed my hair, smoothed my brow. A cool kiss was pressed to my head as a blazing inferno incinerated me from the inside out.

"Xander."

I grimaced.

"Xan baby, I know you can hear me," a wrenching familiar voice said. I'd longed to hear that feminine voice one more time. To wrap it around me like a blanket, to store it forever in my memory. My memory hadn't done it justice.

A husky chuckle that brought a tear to my eye. "Come on, Xan baby. Just open your eyes."

I shook my head. If I didn't open them, maybe