He laughed. “No. Drinking any demon’s blood will just enhance you. Your strength and speed, your ability to heal.” He paused, then said, “Actually, we should talk about that.”
“Talk about what?” Isaac asked lazily.
“What exactly my blood will do for you.”
“Besides the strength and healing?”
“Yes. You see, with my blood in your system, you’ll heal so fast that your cells will regenerate.” He waited, dark eyes gazing intently into Isaac’s.
Isaac’s mind churned. His cells would regenerate. Notjust heal when injured butnotdeteriorate over time. “Tell me what you’re saying. I don’t want to make assumptions.”
Shadrach pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You’ll be immortal for as long as you keep my blood in your system.”
That was what Shadrach had meant when he said ‘your life won’t be fleeting.’ Every time he swore Isaac was hisforever, he’d meant it literally. He wanted them to be together forever. He wanted Isaac to keep drinking his blood—that was why he’d told Isaac to bite him while they were fucking.
Eternity. That was a very long time. Far longer than he’d ever expected to have. What did it mean for his soul if he lived forever? It was hard to rearrange his expectations for his future. All the choices he’d made throughout his life had been with the intention of avoiding Hell. Was it all for nothing?
“Isaac?” Shadrach murmured, guiding his chin up. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I never expected living forever would be an option,” he said. “Will drinking your blood… do something to my soul?”
Shadrach’s face softened. “No. Your soul will be just fine. I know it will take time for you to come to terms with everything, but you should know that Hell is not something you have to fear anymore.”
Isaac’s brow furrowed. “It’s not?”
“No. If you died right now, I’d travel down to Hell and find you. You might have to become a halfling to get back out, but we’ll be together no matter what.”
A fragile feeling took hold in Isaac’s chest. No one had ever cared about him that much. Shadrach was promising to traverse Hell to find him and bring him home ifanything ever happened to him. Isaac could barely wrap his head around it.
He didn’t care if loving a demon was wrong. Cast his soul into Hell if that was where he belonged—it would be worth it. And apparently he wouldn’t have to stay there long.
Isaac leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Shadrach’s lips. He couldn’t possibly put his love and gratitude into words right now, but he hoped the kiss might be able to say them for him.
“Is that a ‘yes, Shadrach, you handsome devil, you. I’ll happily drink your blood and spend eternity with you?’” Shadrach asked.
Isaac snorted softly, settling once more against Shadrach’s chest. “Yes, it is. You’re stuck with me now.”
Shadrach’s arms tightened around him. “Good.”
Isaac chuckled. “Wait, so would drinking any demon’s blood heal a human like that? Even the monsters we hunt?”
“Well—yes. But don’t go getting any ideas. I don’t want any other demon’s blood in you but mine.”
Isaac’s nose scrunched. He couldn’t imagine cutting open one of the beasts that roamed the dark and drinking its blood. It soundeddisgusting. “No worries there.”
“Good.” Shadrach settled deeper against the pillow with him, satisfied.
“Yes, yes, you’re possessive, I get it. Why do some demons look human while others don’t?”
“Why do some animals have more intelligence than others?” Shadrach countered. “Why are humans more intelligent than chimps? Why are dolphins smarter than catfish?”
“Evolution? Are you saying some species of demons have evolved to be more sentient than others?”
“I would assume so. At some point, we were all probablywallowing in the muck down in Hell. Over time, some of us evolved to higher forms of thinking.”
“But why did you evolve to look human?”
“The better to lure in our prey, perhaps.”
