Her eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Just because I never asked doesn’t mean I forgot,” he replied, referencing the Veilroot incident. “But if you could’ve done something similar this time, you would have already.”
“Yeah, well, you could’ve said something.” She huffed. “Anyway, yes, I already tried. That’s how I ended up here, wherever this is. But it’s different this time. Stronger. It’s like…” She waved her arms, struggling to find the right words. “Like the Source corrupted Void element has completely bonded with your…with every cell in your body.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Sorry, it’s hard to explain.”He has no idea what a cell is, you idiot.
“So, you can’t just pull it out of me like last time.”
“No,” she said, frustration creeping into her voice. “It’s a part of you now.”
“Then what are you suggesting?” Fenn crossed his arms, frowning deeply.
“That…” She grimaced, the weight of her idea settling over her. “The infection in me is stronger than the poison in you. If I…uh…share it with you, it should devour the Veilroot.”
“Which leaves me where? Seems like this infection could make me a monster worse than the Veilroot.” Fenn looked her up and down. “Plus, I’ll still have two mortal wounds.”
“Yes, yes, very good points. But for the vampiric infection to fully take hold, you need to die first.”
“That’s why you’re not a monster? You can rein it in, stay in control because you’re still alive.”
She nodded.
“But did you miss the part about mortal wounds?”
She rolled her eyes. “Stay with me, jackass, I’m trying to save you.”
The darkness rumbled around them.Time is almost out.
“Last time I took your blood, something different happened,” she continued. “You started healing spontaneously. And before you ask, I have no idea why or how, just that the sharing of blood between us seemed to generate powerful healing energy.”
Fenn glanced down, his fingers reaching for her as he processed the words. After a long pause, he looked back up. “Do you really think this could work? That I won’t…change? I wouldn’t want you to have to kill me to keep everyone safe or let me hurt anybody.”
“You’ll still be you, for the most part.” She hesitated. “You’ll have to battle the vampiric impulses and keep yourself under control at all times, but you’ll still be you.”
“I resisted you for over a year. I think I can handle it.” He snorted.
Her mouth opened and closed, a flush creeping into her cheeks. “Yes, yes, big strong Vessel and all that. But this will be harder. It took me years to get a handle on it.”
“Years?” He frowned. “I won’t have years to figure it out.”
“Yes. That’s why I’m going to ask Kaelith to share the burden with you. He’ll take your blood after I’ve shared mine. It should water it down if we do it right.”
Fenn considered it. “You think he’ll do it? This is his chance…”
“He’ll do it.”I hope.Part of her remained skeptical of his supposed reform, but she had to believe in him now.
The world around them began to crumble, dark ink dripping from above, seeping into the nothingness like spilled poison.
“No time left.” Rynna’s hand reached for his face, fingers tracing the rough contours of his skin, lingering on the jagged wound where Skarn’s blade had cut. “Will you come back with me?”
She braced herself for hesitation, for any sign of resistance to becoming like her, something monstrous. But none came. Instead, he pulled her close, his lips crashing into hers with a fierceness that broke her heart.
“Always,” he whispered against her mouth.
Chapter forty-one
