They walked into the room quietly. A man was sleeping on the bed, but something about his skin was off. Hacinda stood on one side of the bed, clutching her chest. Lucius walked forward to the foot of the bed, his mouth opening in shock.
Tavia didn’t really understand what was wrong, but she noticed black veiny marks along his skin. The man breathed in and out hoarsely. At one point, he must have been handsome, but these skittering black veins marred his pale skin.
Hacinda motioned for them to leave, and they walked back downstairs. Tavia had more than one question about what they were seeing, but she knew this human was very sick.
“Tell me what happened,” Lucius said, “and be honest.”
“It wasn’t long after we wed,” she said. “He was bit by a darkthing.”
Tavia had heard about those monsters.
Darkthings were shadow creatures from the Never. When the Rift opened, thousands of shadow creatures seeped into their world, and when theworld fought a final battle to close the Rift, the remaining shadow creatures stayed. Though they still roamed the lands, Tavia had forgotten that their bite could cause an almost incurable infection.
Anyone bitten by a darkthing always died.
“When I found out how you turned, I thought I could do the same, and so I had him turned. But he was already infected at that point. I did it to save him, but somehow the vampyrism and the infection had morphed into something else. He can’t die unless I kill him the way any vampyre can be killed, which I can’t do. But he’s in constant pain every day, every hour, and the only thing that eases him is this.” She went to a cabinet, opened it up, and pulled out a yellowish liquid.
“It is nearly impossible to get serum made from light crystals. They’re so rare and they cost a lot of money.”
“So that’s why you work for the Brotherhood.” Lucius said, his brow furrowed, taking in all she spoke. “But why me? Why was I a target?”
“Your fire elemental ability,” she said, her voice hoarse.
“I shared that with you and you alone.”
“I know,” she said.
Tavia wondered if they were friends or something more, because Lucius had implied it, but maybe his heartbreak was from losing a friend.
“So now you know the truth,” she said. “I sold your truth to the Brotherhood for a price, and I’ve been stuck in this cycle ever since.”
“Why wouldn’t you have asked me? I was your friend?” Lucius shook his head.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t want to betray you, and I felt awful. But Mario . . . I did that to him, and now he suffers daily. I can’t bring myself to end his suffering. I can’t, and so I’m stuck in this cycle. I can’t get out.”
There was a deep heartache and desperation in her voice.
“You can,” Lucius said and held out his hand. “Give me the pocket watch.”
“No,” Tavia said, stepping back. “That’s not for him.”
“It’s the right thing to do,” Lucius said.
Tavia growled, furious that Lucius was about to hand over the one thing that could possibly save him.
Hacinda looked at them with hope in her eyes, and it made Tavia sick, she even slightly agreed with thesacrificial idea.
But what would she do if it was Lucius in that bed suffering daily?
“Come on, dove,” Lucius said, his voice softer, urging.
Tavia huffed and dug in her pocket, handing over the watch.
“I don’t understand,” Hacinda said.
“I can’t promise that this will work, but we’ll try.”
“You think you can save him?”
