His body slumps back, and he makes a low, guttural, strangled sound that makes me wince.
He’s choking on his lifeblood, the sounds wet and horrifying.
Albion was just a man who lost his son. A man who was twisted into believing this was the way to bring that son back.
Jorah leans over and vomits, adding to the overall ambiance of the moment. The room spins, and I close my eyes.
“Mmmm, delicious.”
The voice is low, ancient, and amused. It shudders up my spine, echoing through my head. It’s the same voice I heard when I freed Gradon and the others.
I slam my eyes open, searching for the owner of that voice. But Jorah is still losing his stomach, and no one else is here.
Rolling to my side, I drop the knife, my hand smearing the painted sigil beneath us.
Fuck.
We’re still positioned on that sigil. And I’ve just sacrificed Albion to the god of ruin. The god who may have just spoken in my head.
Again.
“Arvelle. Arvelle!”
I force my eyes open. Tiernon’s leaning over me, his face white as he pulls me into his arms. His hands push frantically at my undershirt, his eyes wild.
“Not my blood.”
He shudders, pressing his forehead to mine. “I thought you were dead.”
“I told you she wasn’t,” Jorah protests, his voice trembling. He looks better, no longer sheet white. I must have lost time again.
“You’re a hero, Jorah,” I mumble.
“Me? A hero?”
“Tell him, Tiernon.”
“Shhh. Rest.”
“Tell him.”
Tiernon sighs. “Was that knife wound in Albion’s shoulder from you?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re a hero. You saved Arvelle’s life. You probably saved countless lives.”
Jorah’s shoulders straighten, and a wide smile stretches across his face.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Thankfully, gorgon poison is treatable if you get to a healer soon enough. When I stumbled in, refusing to allow Tiernon to carry me, Axia took one look at me and shook her head.
“Why am I not surprised?”
Tiernon’s blood healed the rest of my cuts and bruises. Later, I can worry about my likelihood of becoming a blood addict, but now, I’m in bed in Tiernon’s quarters, Evren and Gerith curled up beside me.
I made sure everyone knew Jorah saved my life, and when I left the healers, he was retelling his story to Maeva, a wide grin on his face.
