Lina did not reply, instead focusing every bit of magic she had left on the task at hand.
Yevad groaned and writhed under the green glow of magic shining down on him from Lina's out-stretched paws, but he did not regain consciousness. The gash on his arm started to close almost imperceptibly.
"She can't do that," James whispered to Mikaya.
She turned to see his face inches away from hers. Normally, Mikaya wouldn't let any man get this close to her. Yet, she didn't even react to his encroachment of her personal space.
"Why not?" she questioned, genuinely surprised that Lina couldn't ask the Harvest Lands for help.
"Not everyone is the same," he said softly into her ear.
Mikaya thought that perhaps James didn't want to offend his friend by talking about her weaknesses aloud. She nodded and let the line of questioning drop, turning away from James to watch Yevad's wound slowly heal itself.
James stared at Mikaya's silhouette. From where he sat next to her, some of her features were illuminated by the firelight. He could just make out the pointed tip of her ear mostly-hidden by her long, dark hair. James fought an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch it. Trying to distract himself he shifted his gaze to her face, and watched her moisten her plump, red lips with her tongue. A warm blush blossomed on his cheeks.
Meanwhile, Danny had been working his way closer and closer to Lina in order to get a good look at what she was doing. He'd had to go around the fire and approach her from the other side since both James and Mikaya had sat themselves at the best vantage point directly across from her, with Yevad laying between Lina and the pair.
Luckily, Lina was really short. So, Danny should be able to see Yevad if he looked over her shoulder. However, unbeknownst to him, the pendant he wore, hidden under the folds of his shirt had begun to move its way up and over the neckline of his shirt as if it had a mind of its own. It reached down toward the magical being beneath it, and touched the back of her furry, right ear.
The magic Lina had been using to heal Yevad rebounded back in a sudden explosive flash of intense green light before being sucked completely into the gemstone pendant with such force that Danny was thrown backward by it. At the same time, the shock of what had happened caused a loud scream to escape Lina's mouth.
Both Mikaya and James had recoiled at the burst of light and covered their eyes instinctually. Upon hearing Lina's horrified shriek, they uncovered their eyes and hurried to her aid.
Lina squatted on the other side of Yevad, shaking uncontrollably.
James reached her first, and took his friend into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Lina! Are you okay?"
She whimpered in response, unable to formulate words.
Danny sat up in his new position against the cave wall and felt his body to assure himself that he was okay. When he touched his chest, he realized that the pendant necklace he'd taken from the ruins had somehow exposed itself from its hiding place under his shirt. Quickly, he tucked it back into his shirt before anyone noticed.
However, Mikaya's eyes were drawn by his sudden motion, and she turned to stare at the boy.
"What happened?" she asked, demanding an answer.
"I don't know!" Danny protested innocently. "Honest, I have no idea! I was hit, too!"
The truth of his statement was undeniable.
Mikaya went over to Danny and extended her hand to help him stand.
"Lina . . ." James said, trying to comfort his friend and get a coherent response from her.
The elderly feline's fur stuck to her boney cheeks as James caressed and patted them gently. She grasped his jaw with her paw, forgetting to retract her claws and drew him closer to her face.
Wincing, James moved to avoid having the sharp nails impale his sensitive skin. When his ear was close to the Gatis's mouth, she whispered to him.
"It's gone. All the magic I had . . . has been taken from me."
"What?" he asked, attempting to turn his face and look at Lina.
However, she held him still with her claws.
"Someone or something stole it," she said, so softly that even James could barely hear her words.
Shocked, James struggled to process the information he'd just received. He took her paw into his hand and brought it away from his jaw, placing it onto Lina's abdomen and releasing it. Then, he nodded to let her know he'd understood.
Lina had been left completely powerless because someone in the cave had stolen her magic from her.
Gently, James laid Lina down next to Yevad and turned to face Mikaya and Danny.
"What did you do?" he demanded, looking fiercely at Danny.
Wide-eyed, Danny opened his mouth to reply, but James didn't give him a chance before rushing forward and grabbing him by the shirt. Nervously, Danny gripped the man's hand and tried to balance on his toes as James lifted him.
Mikaya placed her hand on James's forearm and pressed down firmly, moving so that she stared intently into his eyes.
"What do you think he's done? You seemed to be after this boy even at the inn," Mikaya asked, referring back to how James had questioned Danny in a similar manner in Merchan Town.
James flinched, remembering the death of his friend. He hadn't even stayed to see him buried. Pushing the thought forcefully from his mind, he continued. "That's right," James said, lowering his arm without loosening his grip, so that Danny could stand firmly on the ground. "I didn't get any answers then because your friend cold-cocked me," he said, motioning to Yevad. "Even so, we still helped save your asses, brought you to shelter, and even fed you!"
"I understand that you're angry . . . but . . ."
"You understand nothing! Your friends are asleep, not dead!" James shouted, thinking that Lina also could have been killed just now.
"I'm sorry for your loss, James. . . ." Mikaya said, acknowledging his pain. "Even so, this is a human boy. What could he possibly have done? . . . He wasn't the one who killed your friend at the inn. Those things did, and they tried to kill all of us."
James seethed, thinking to himself that Danny was not as innocent as he appeared. Everywhere Danny went, death followed in his wake, and James wouldn't rest until he found out why. James knew a lot more about this boy than Mikaya imagined, but he couldn't reveal anything to her or the others. No matter what, he couldn't compromise his mission to deliver Danny back to the High Church in Omanu for questioning.