Chapter 23
Chapter 23:
“Julian,” Stone barked, his face flushing. “If you let this girl touch him, and he dies, the liability falls on you. I am washing my hands of this p>
The heart monitor let out a long, erratic whine. Elias’s oxygen levels were dropping. 88%. 85 p>
“Nurse!” Stone shouted, lunging toward the bed. “Prepare for intubation! He’s crashing p>
Aurora moved. She simply occupied the space where Dr. Stone intended to go. She was half his size, but she stood with the immovability of a mountain.
“Step aside,” Stone snarled.
“Silence.” The word wasn’t shouted. It was spoken with a cold, absolute authority that sucked the air out of the room.
Stone froze. In that crucial second, Aurora turned to the bed. She unrolled the pouch, revealing rows of gold needles that glinted under the harsh lights. She reached out and touched Elias’s chest, her fingers cool, feeling for the blockage. She found it.
Her right hand moved. She plucked a needle from the pouch.
“Don’t—” Stone started.
The needle pierced the skin. Aurora flicked the tail of it. A visible ripple moved under Elias’s pale skin.
“Julian,” Aurora said, her voice devoid of emotion. “If he speaks again, remove him p>
Julian stepped toward Dr. Stone. “Quiet, Doctor. Please p>
Aurora worked faster now, her hands a blur. Second needle at the temple. Third in the wrist. Fourth at the base of the skull. She was creating a circuit, the “Golden Gate” formation.
Dr. Stone lowered his phone, his eyes glued to the monitor. “Equipment error,” he muttered. He reached out to check the leads.
Aurora slapped his hand away. The sound cracked through the room like a whip. “Do not break the circuit p>
Ł Ŧ ¢ħ∆₽ŧ€Ř$ įŋ g𝒶l𝑛ovєl𝑠𝒸o𝓂
She placed the final needle and stepped back. The room fell silent. The only sound was the monitor.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Steady. Strong. Rhythmic.
Oxygen saturation: 92%. 95%. 98 p>
Color began to flood back into Elias Thorne’s face.
“Impossible,” Stone whispered. “Spontaneous remission p>
Aurora waited exactly one hundred and eighty seconds, then began removing the needles. As the final one left Elias’s chest, he let out a long, deep exhale.
She turned to Dr. Stone. “Is intubation still necessary, Doctor p>
Dr. Stone’s face turned a blotchy purple. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Julian Reed collapsed into a nearby armchair, his legs giving out from relief.
Aurora walked over to her bag. She didn’t look at Elias. She didn’t need to. The lion was no longer sleeping.
Elias Thorne’s eyelids fluttered.
The room held its breath. Even the air conditioning seemed to pause.
Elias Thorne’s eyelashes, thick and dark against his cheekbones, fluttered once more. Then, they opened.