My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 43

43 /56

Sera

“What just happened?”

"Forced healing takes fuel," Yvara explained. She paced in front of me. "It pulls energy directly from your reserves. It burns calories at a massive rate. In a battle of attrition, this will keep you alive, but it will also kill you if you aren't careful. You just got the hang of the technique. If you use it too much tomorrow, you will exhaust yourself. You will pass out, and Taya will cave your face in while you sleep."

I looked at the pink line on my arm. The stinging was gone, replaced by a deep ache in my muscles.

"Again," Yvara said.

She stepped forward, drawing the knife again.

"Wait," I said, putting my hands up.

She didn't wait. She grabbed my shoulder, spun me slightly, and sliced a shallow cut across my bicep. I cursed loudly, grabbing the new wound.

"Heal it," Yvara ordered.

I closed my eyes. I did the breathing. I found the heat. I pushed it to my bicep. It was harder this time. The heat felt sluggish, resisting the pull. I forced it, clenching my jaw until my teeth squeaked. The itch returned. The skin knitted together.

When I opened my eyes, the world tilted. I dropped to one knee. The exhaustion was absolute. It felt like I hadn't eaten in a week. I was panting, cold sweat breaking out across my forehead.

"Stand up," Yvara demanded.

I pushed myself up. My legs were vibrating.

Yvara stepped in close. She didn't use the knife this time. She threw a short, hard punch directly into my stomach.

I doubled over, gagging. I hit the dirt, coughing violently. The pain radiated outward from my center, a deep, crippling ache.

"Heal the bruise," Yvara said, standing over me. "Internal bleeding kills just as fast as a cut. Heal it."

I was on my side in the dirt. I couldn't focus. Everything hurt.

"Heal it, Sera," Yvara barked. "Or we stay out here all night."

I closed my eyes. I dragged the air in. My lungs resisted. The heat in my center was barely a spark now. I grabbed it, focusing all my remaining willpower on the bruising tissue in my stomach. I pushed.

The itch started deep inside my gut. The sharp pain slowly dulled into a distant throb.

I finished the heal, and the remaining strength left my body completely. I went flat on the ground, my cheek pressing into the cold earth. I couldn't lift my arms. I couldn't bend my knees. I had nothing left.

Yvara stood over me. She looked down, her face impassive.

"Three," she said.

I didn't answer. I just breathed the dirt.

"Three is your limit," Yvara told me. "You forced the heal three times, and now you cannot stand. Tomorrow, you must protect yourself. You cannot afford to take unnecessary hits. Make every damn hit count. If you use this technique four times, you will lose the fight because your body will shut down."