Chapter 251: Brave In Face Of Trauma

  ZADE Andy was dead or soon to be good as dead. The words hit me with unexpected force, even though I'd known it was coming. Lumina, Lyn, and Lynn had gone to handle that particular loose end days ago, and none of them had shown any signs of regret when they'd returned.   I hadn't asked for details, hadn't wanted to know exactly how they'd ensured Andy would never hurt anyone again.     "That makes sense," Lyn said quietly, his fingers tightening slightly on my shoulder. "It might be both in a way. Curse magic is tied to the caster's life force. When Andy died, any active curses she'd placed would have started breaking down."   Xenois cleared his throat. "There's something else. Lake's being discharged tonight. The doctors want to keep monitoring him, but there's no medical reason to keep him in the hospital now that he's conscious and stable. And Riley..." He paused again, and I could hear the careful neutrality in his voice.   "Riley's refusing to leave the hospital without Lake. He