Talon blinked, then looked at Leo for a few heartbeats. I didn't like that look. But he left Leo alone and instead stepped forward to turn on the extractor. It whirred, not doing much on the outside, but I knew inside it was bright and spinning. There had to be several layers to the machine. The collection vial was in a chamber to the left of the front panels. Talon watched—we all did—as it filled with dark crimson liquid.
Malik's magic.
It was so much worse than having it done to me. Standing there helpless as Talon hurt my husband was one of the hardest things I've ever had to endure. And my kishanos had endured it already. I looked around and saw them staring at the machine with matching expressions of fear and pain. We were more than a family, we were bonded by magic, and hurting Malik was like hurting all of us.
When the vial was full, Talon pressed a button, and the machine whirred to a stop. The panels opened, and the humans pulled Malik out of the metal chair and dragged him back to his cell. Even with all their muscles, moving a Bleiten, especially an unconscious one, wasn't easy.
“Malik,” I whispered and rushed to the right side of my cell.
Kyrian was already at the far side of his cell, reaching through the bars to feel Malik's pulse. He looked back at me and nodded. I went limp in relief. Then the pfft of a paintball being shot spun my head around.
Cyprian was down.
I whimpered. I'd have to go through this with each of them. Talon's stare went to mine, watching me carefully.
“Talon, please don't do this,” I tried again.
Talon took Malik's vial and placed it in a tray inside the fridge. “It's totally unnecessary.” He waved at the fridge as he shut the door. “I mean, it's magic, not blood. But why not?” He shrugged. “Bishop insisted that we keep the samples as stable as possible.”
They were loading Cyprian into the machine. What would happen when we were all drained? What would happen to the Fusion? As long as Talon left us enough magic to live, it should survive. I hoped.
I watched mutely as Talon collected vials of magic from all my men, each extraction hardening me further. I wanted to tear the asha from that Fury—suck it down until he was drained like this machine was doing to my men. It did seem portentous that I could kill him in the same manner that he was torturing us. Unlike Talon, I wouldn't try to steal his magic, just consume it. And that felt even more fitting. I'd destroy him and his magic.
By the time Talon got to the last member of F.E.A.R., I was frigid with rage, my hands locked around the bars and my teeth clenched. I wasn't sure if he was saving me for last to torture me or if he intended to leave my magic alone. Whatever it was, I was the last one standing when Leo got strapped in the extractor. I watched as Talon took a vial full of Leo's pale blue magic, then removed it and replaced it with another vial. The machine kept going.
“What are you doing?” I hissed, startled out of my furious composure.
Talon grinned. “You gave me an idea when you waxed eloquent about Leo's magic. If it's so similar to a Fury's, then a Fury might be able to absorb Leo's magic without any negative effects.”
“Of course!” Ugela declared. “It's the same premise as injecting a Triari with Amaranthine's magic.”
My stare went from Talon to the second vial. “You'll kill him. Stop! You don't need that much to experiment with.”
“I figured I might as well kill him now while everyone is sleeping.” Talon shrugged. “I'd rather not listen to the ruckus it will cause if I drained him while they were awake.”
“Don't. Please, don't kill him, Talon.”
“You have nothing to offer me, Amara,” he said flippantly. “Nothing I can't take.”
The second vial was nearly full. My stare shot around the room to my friends and lovers, all of them unconscious on the cement floor. I was the only one who could save Leo.
“Stop and I'll give you immortality!” I shouted.
Talon's eyes narrowed.
“If you kill him, you'll never know if I'm telling the truth!”
Talon stepped forward and pressed the button. The machine whirred to a stop and the panels opened. I frantically watched for signs of life from Leo, but it was hard to tell with him tranquilized. His body flopped as the humans pulled him out of the device.
“Is he alive?!” I demanded. “Show me, or you get nothing!”
My mind raced, trying to form a plan. I wouldn't risk telling them about my blood—that a race who used blood for fuel could process my blood and extract the elixir. With that information, they could probably figure out a way to draw the immortality out of me. But there was another way to makeoneman immortal. My stomach twisted to think of it, but to save my friend, I'd do it. There was a chance it could be undone, unlike a straight infusion of immortality.
“He's breathing, Sir,” one of the men said.
“Show her.” Talon waved his hand at me, never taking his golden-brown gaze from mine.
The minions dragged Leo to my cell, and I reached through the bars to feel his pulse. His heart beat steadily against my finger. I let out a sigh of relief. Bishop had said a supe could give up to four vials, but it couldn't be an exact science. There was no way to know until it was taken.
