CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
PYTHONESS
Ice crawls along my cheek.Subtle enough to almost escape notice—to believe I am simply sinking into a dream.
The cold draws down to my jaw, along my neck, my nape, and to where I was bitten. But the chill doesn’t linger. Instead, fingers caress my collarbone, and an exhale tickles my skin. “Aon nere ko su, kamai?” he murmurs.
With a deep breath, my eyes flutter open, and I sit up, touching my neck. The sensations fade, taking with them the words that sparked like flint hitting steel on a frigid night.
I tip my head back, and as I run my fingers through my blonde hair, I groan.Shit. It’s like I didn’t sleep at all. Dropping my hands, they slap against a piece of paper on my lap. Flicking it open, I take in the delicate cursive, which reads:
If you want a taste of freedom, join me tonight. This is my last offering.
The door to the bathroom slides open, and a Bleeder declares, “Feeder zero-zero-eight. It’s time for you to bathe.”
I scrunch the paper, crinkling the elegant words and tucking it into my gown as I rise.
“Can’t I bathe in here?”
“Not now.”
Jax and I are at odds again. His anger is hidden behind a tight smile as he approaches me in the mess, pressing his hand to my lower back. He leans in, firmly kisses my temple, and murmurs, “Did you have a good night withhim?”
I pull away and glare at Jax. “Don’t,” I say, pushing my untouched food towards an eager Manni, Emily, and a beaming Cole. “Don’t ruin this.”
He shoots me a glare, his blue eyes narrowing into slits. “Then talk to me. I didn’t see you at all yesterday because you hid in your room, then you went to seehimagain.”
As I rise, I say to the others, “Eat. Enjoy.”
Manni looks at Jax, her eyes narrowing before her focus settles on me, and she says, “Are you sure?”
I nod.
Jax and I move to where Julien used to sit, away fromprying ears. He slumps in his chair, leaning back comfortably, with his elbows perched on the backrest. But he is far from at ease. His muscles are locked, and he is more on edge than he wants to let on.
“I wanted answers,” I say. “About the tattoo and why he kept me alive.”
Jax makes a face. “That’s all?”
I don’t tell him about the cure. Or how I wanted to kiss the nightwalker. Both would be like drinking poison.
I press my lips together before saying, “He kept calling me something in their language. He still wouldn’t tell me what it meant.”
“Stop calling it ahe. You’re humanising thebloodsucker.”
Another pang of hurt hits me, creating a hole big enough to drop a coin through. He would never understand if I dropped my glamour. To him, I’m anit.
My tongue flicks up across my fangs. “Sorry.”
Jax runs his hands through his hair and lets out an exaggerated sigh. “What did it call you?”
“Kami?” I say, shrugging a shoulder.
“Kamai.” Jax’s expression falls, and he fixes his gaze on my shoulder. “Can I see the tattoo? Emily said it blends with yours.”
My eyes narrow. “You know the nightwalker language?”
He leans closer, still looking at my shoulder. “I spent some time at the Prayer Sanctuary and picked up a few things from Leon, the slayer. Can I have a look?”
