“Drink,” she insisted, the oily liquid dripping down onto my lips. The substance was sickeningly sweet and acidic, causing my stomach to churn. No! I couldn’t let myself drink it, couldn’t let her do whatever she intended to. Her grip on my cheeks eased as the liquid flooded my mouth.
I spit it out, the inky liquid dotting her face. She ground her serrated teeth, forcing my lips open as she poured her blood into my mouth again, and she released my cheeks to clamp her hand over my mouth, forcing it closed as her other hand rose to pinch my nose closed.
“Drink!”
My chest heaved as my lungs tried to draw in air, my body bucking. I couldn’t open my mouth to spit it out, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t—
I gagged, liquid slipping down my throat, and she released me, shoving my head back into the ground. The liquid burned its way down my throat as I gasped, coughing. God, what had she done to me? Her weight vanished as Cole dragged her back by her foot, throwing her to the side. She crashed into the ground, and he stood between us.
He glanced over his shoulder at me and caught sight of the wound in my stomach, of the blood seeping into my sweater and pooling on the ground. I clutched my stomach but failed to apply enough pressure to do any good, the pain too much to bear. His eyes found the wound on my shoulder.
He paled. “Gods, no.”
“I’m...” I winced, unable to breathe fully, every breath painful. The cough that forced its way out of my throat was ten times worse. “I’m okay.”
Melantha pushed herself up, a growl ripping from her throat as she lunged for Cole. He braced himself, fully prepared to do anything to defend me. No! She was too powerful, and he was unarmed.
A loud snarl shot out from the woods as Melantha reached for Cole, and a massive gray wolf crashed into her. Melantha’s shriek rang out through the trees as its jaws crunched down onto her arm.
My heart soared at the sight of her. “Thalia...”
They plowed into the ground, and Melantha cried out as Thalia tore her arm in half. Melantha pushed her up, baring her fangs as the tendrils at her back shot forward.
I tried to push myself up, desperate to see her. Cole’s hands reached out, though, halting me. “Stay still, Cas.”
A cold chill swept over me, icy needles scattering across the surface of my skin, sharp and painful. My eyes fluttered, exhaustion fighting to sink its claws into me, to drag me under. I tried to focus on him, his image splitting into two, then three. God, I was going to be sick. What had she done to me? Darklings didn’t trade blood with their victims. They just bit them.
“Cas, keep your eyes open. Stay with me,” Cole pleaded.
No, I couldn’t be bitten. I couldn’t change. What would happen if I was converted? I gasped, crying out as Cole applied pressure to my wound, trying to staunch the bleeding.
“Damie—” My breaths came in shorter and shorter pants, my heart slamming against my rib cage.
Thalia crashed into the ground beside us, and I looked in time to see Melantha rise from the dirt, her left forearm missing, black blood pouring from the wound and onto the forest floor. Thalia pushed herself to her feet, and when her eyes found Cole, she hunched low, a growl ripping from her barred teeth.
“Don’t—” I gasped, and Thalia stilled, pale eyes falling to me. “He was—” I winced, a sob breaking free from my throat as the pain surged again. “Corrupted.”
Thalia whimpered as her eyes roamed over me, lowering her muzzle to brush her tongue against my face.
“I’ll be...” My eyes fluttered. “I’ll be...”
Cole leaned over me. “Cas! Eyes on me!”
I couldn’t, his face splitting and blurring as my eyes failed to focus. I shivered, my lips numbing, an icy chill crawling over my skin.
Damien.
I didn’t know if I had the strength to reach him. I might not even have been able to reach Cole’s mind.
Damien!
A whimper tore from Thalia, and Cole cried out as darkness erupted and he was torn from me, the tendrils whipping through the air in a frenzy. I couldn’t see them, couldn’t lift my head to search for them, the only thing visible the blur of the sky through the slumbering trees above.
“You filthy mutt. How dare you put your mouth on me!” Melantha growled, the leaves crunching under her feet as she approached me. She came into view above me, her form blurring as I fought to keep my eyes open.
No! I couldn’t let it happen. I had to fight it, had to...
Melantha lowered herself to my side, her grin widening as she gazed down at me. My strength failed, my eyes falling closed as darkness swept over me, and I plummeted into the abyss.
