My chest heaves, and I have to steady myself again. “Great.”
“I’m here with you, and I won’t let you go. The pain you’ll feel isn’t forever, but the pain I feel for doing this will last a lifetime.” Silas’s hand traces the length of my arm. “Where would you like the tattoo?”
“Here,” I say, pointing to my shoulder blade.
Silas reverently kisses my jaw, neck, and shoulder, sending a shiver down my spine.
“You ready?”
I take a deep breath, then nod.
We reenter the living space. Maines and Oak sit in the chairs close to the head of the table, while Warrick stands over them. Larkin sits on the opposite side with a small workspace prepped, including various needles, towels, a bowl, and a small vial.
The vial holds a black liquid that appears to pulse as Silas and I approach the table. They all turn to us with soft, insincere smiles painted on their faces. Larkin still refuses to meet my gaze, even though I know he feels my stare blazing into him.
“She would like the Rigil on her left shoulder blade, Larkin,” Silas informs him.
Silas directs me to lie face down on the table. He pulls my hair to the right, making space for Larkin to work. My heart pounds against the wooden table, like someone desperately trying to get into a locked room, and I lie flat, my face pressed against the hard surface.
Silas rubs my head gently. “He will begin shortly. Just breathe, my love. It will be over soon.”
I feel Maines grab my hand from the opposite side of the table, and I try my best to steady my trembling body.
I turn my head, facing Larkin. He slowly lifts his head, finally making eye contact with me, and a wave of sorrow washes through his dark eyes. He grabs a dagger from his station and pauses, saying, “We need blood. I don’t want to use Briar’s because of how much she could lose in this process.”
“Use mine,” Silas says, quickly extending his forearm across the table.
Larkin nods and swipes the blade across Silas’s forearm without hesitation. Bright red blood pools down into a bowl, and I already feel as if I may be sick. He retracts his arm, and Warrick offers a piece of fabric to wrap around the wound, but Maines grabs his arm, placing her hands over the cut, and closes her eyes. A small wave of magic leaks from her hand, and the bleeding stops just as quickly as it started.
Larkin pauses for a moment to silently pray to both Gods—Raddnoke and Kantore. The bowl lights up with a shimmering glow as he dips the needle into Silas’s blood and then into the dark poison.
Everyone’s attention lands back on me, and I inhale deeply. Larkin makes eye contact with me once more, worry painting his expression, and I dip my chin.
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “I’ll be okay.”
One.
Two.
My heart thunders.
Larkin inhales deeply, pulling his eyes from mine. “We’re ready,”
“Begin,” Silas says.
Chapter 15
Searing pain travels through my body, an electric shock ripping me apart. The pain shoots from my neck down my back, and I worry with each passing second that the pain will become too unbearable. Larkin presses the needle against my shoulder, moving it in a continuously pull, and my vision distorts, causing his face to blur. My entire body convulses under the unyielding grips of the others.
Maines, Oak, and Warrick hold me in place while Larkin works. A familiar, calming hand rests on my head, keeping me from slamming my head against the wooden table in an attempt to knock myself out.
Tears fall from my eyes, creating a tangible pool of my pain against my temple.
“Stop,” I beg. “Please, Silas.” My voice is already hoarse from the piercing screams that travel around the room.
In the distance, I hear sobs coming from Maines, but it’s like I’m trapped in a long tunnel of my own agony. The needle lifts from my shoulder for just a second, causing another scream to erupt from my throat, nearly shaking the cliff around us. My heart races, and I feel a tingle at my fingertips before another wave of pain slams into my body.
Larkin presses the needle against my skin once more. The sharp tip tears my flesh apart, and I swear I can hear the skin falling from my bones. Blood begins to flow from my shoulder, the crimson liquid mixing with the murky poison to create a pool of darkness around me.
