I nod at the golem, and he takes the vial from my hand and downs it in one gulp.
The second he swallows, his eyes go wide. He drops the empty vial, and it shatters on the floor, but he doesn’t seem to notice. He rubs his hands over his face, stumbles backward, and then his face transforms into an expression of pure bliss. He’s grinning so wide it looks painful, and he’s so ecstatic that he can’t form words. He just makes these sounds of pleasure, like he’s been transported somewhere beyond language.
Viktor leans forward, impressed.
“I’ve never seen him like this. Drugs that render normal people and monsters speechless barely affect him. But this...” He studies the golem with keen interest. “It’s like he’s been transported to another world.”
Lucien addresses me directly for the first time tonight.
“Is it dangerous?”
“It’s not more dangerous than Crimson Haze and other drugs. If anything, it’s pure and adapted to the person’s DNA, so the experience is unique,” I assure him.
“What do you call it?” asks Cesar.
“How about the Flame?”
Viktor nods appreciatively, and when he looks at me, there’s respect in his eyes.
“We’ll do great business together, Wren Hayes.”
I smile and hold his gaze.
Olivia claps her hands together, her face lit with excitement.
“This is wonderful! Viktor, darling, imagine what this will do for the business.”
Viktor turns to Garrett.
“Walk Miss Hayes out, will you? I believe she’s tired, and as I hear, she didn’t have a very pleasant week.”
He doesn’t say it like he disagrees with my kidnapping and imprisonment. It’s more for show, to maintain the illusion ofcivility. What I understand is that he wants me gone so he can talk privately with his family. My audience with the boss is over.
Garrett leads me out through the dragon’s maw and down the stairs. Outside, Dale is waiting by the car, engine already running.
Garrett stops at the curb.
“Dale will take you anywhere you want.”
I turn to him, surprised.
“No supervision? I’m just free to leave?”
“As long as Dale knows where to pick you up tomorrow to take you to the lab.”
I don’t question him further. I get into the car quickly, desperate to get away from this place.
The moment the door closes, I feel Zeth relax inside me. But it’s not a good kind of relaxation. It’s more like a complete collapse, like a puppet with its strings cut. I realize my whole body is sore from hours of his tension. Every muscle aches, my joints feel stiff, and I expect him to heal me like he usually does. He doesn’t. He just seems lost, distant, and unreachable.
“What’s wrong? Zeth, please talk to me.”
“I’m not ready.”
“It’s okay. I’ll wait.”
Dale drives in silence, and I’m grateful for it. I couldn’t make small talk right now if my life depended on it. I rub my tired eyes and stare out the window at the passing city lights. I have no idea how the hell I’m going to deal with this if Zeth has that kind of reaction to Olivia every time. She’s Viktor’s wife. She’ll be around. This complicates everything, and I don’t have any answers, only questions, and Zeth is locked away inside me with whatever demons Olivia represents.
Chapter Twenty-One
