As Eric drove, he felt as if someone was breathing down his neck. His chest tightened while he gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. They had no time to stop, but he wanted to. More than anything, he wanted to make sure that Jessica or Ricky were okay. His eyes stared straight forward.
"It's my fault she's hurt."
He remembered a lesson that Mia had taught him about mana when they were first getting to know each other. She had told him that when a mage uses too much of their mana, sometimes their blood vessels can burst because of the pressure it puts on their body.
Mia looked up. "Babe. Stop doubting yourself. You made the right call. We were able to get out of there thanks to you and Jessica."
Mia ran her fingers through Jessica's hair and kissed the sleeping young woman's forehead. "She will be okay. This is not mana overuse."
Eric didn't answer immediately, his eyes focused on the road. His lips were pressed tightly together.
"Mia."
