After an hour, Rebecca, Edith, and Adeline switched with another set of volunteers, working through the same process and repeating throughout the long night.
“We got at least five liters.”
“I can’t believe we got so much! We should do something like that every few weeks. I can cover most of my patients that way.”Edith watched me slip the bottles into the saddlebag, patting the horse’s hind once it was securely latched.
“We will see; it was a long night. Use it sparingly.” My eyelids were heavy as the light illuminated her from behind. “I would have brought them myself. I’m sorry I took up your work recess.”
“It’s no trouble. The apothecary isn’t far from the hospital. I don’t mind.” She smiled. “I do have to get going, though.”
“Of course, of course.” I shooed her with a lazy gesture. “Go.”
Edith nudged the horse with her heel, the heavy thuds of the draft’s hooves crushing the ice beneath as she turned around, returning down the road toward the hospital.
“Do you really think a stunt like that so often is a good idea? Is that not too much labor?” A haughty question came from the doorway of the shop.
I let out a deep, aggravated huff as I turned on my heel, my shoulder knocking against Phoebe as I reentered the apothecary.
The shop was fashioned similar to the old one, with dark wood cabinetry and more drawers than I could count, though it was warmer. It smelled different, less old. The construction was relatively new, but it did have nicer drawers that lined the back wall behind the counter, extending up a third of the way before they became enclosed glass cabinets. My tinctures were so beautiful displayed like that, though we did have some shelves and displays by the window. The tinctures in the display were not real, as I didn’t want to put any real product in the sun for that long. We just filled the bottle with colored water to attract the eyes.
Behind the counter, I took the sixth bottle of venom that was sitting on a stool and slid it into a drawer for later.
“What was that?” Phoebe asked from behind me.
“Booze,” I answered.
“Alina.”
“Leaveme be, Phoebe.”
She did not speak to me, but her eyes said everything she had to. She pitied me and was ashamed at the same time. She was not one to judge; she was not the one who was made to suffer.
It had taken months for the scathing of my throat to heal from biting Luka. While I was grateful I did not die, I did not feel any different from a corpse, aside from one of us no longer feeling pain. While my wounds had healed, my mind still replayed that night. I have dreams of my two creatures coming for me, plunging their fingers into my gut, and ripping out all my pieces until I was but a shell.
Warm fingers touched my neck, and my skin nearly jumped from my bones.
“Alina,” Phoebe whispered to me, her other hand resting on top of my hands that were gripping the edge of the countertop. A cold sweat left my skin clammy. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” I let go of the counter and pushed past her.
“Is it what he said? The man? I didn’t mean to frighten you when I brought up?—”
“Yes, I know, you are harmless of any damages. You just speak your mind.I know,” I sneered.
She didn’t argue. Not that I would have heard if she did. My boots were already thumping against the stairs, retreating back to the lab.
6
THE CREATURE
Present Day
New York City, New York
No matter the riches, the gold, the luxury, it was as fulfilling as purchasing premade taxidermy—no hunt, no meat, devoid of a soul, a cast with no substance, purely for display. No matter what story you made up for the conquest, it would never make it true. It was as empty a gesture as spitting out food before swallowing, all the taste but none of the calories.
For once in my long, formidable life, I had become insatiable. Not one second of ease was bestowed upon me in two years, the most unsatisfying season of my life. I wanted to take my skin off like a suit and wash it, scrub the bones until I was clean once more. It was all so useless.
The most ironic part about this whole ordeal was that I had accomplished more in the past two years than I had in the past millennia. I was never this motivated to create something that extended past my own comfort. I told myself this undertakingof founding my own Nest would be rewarding, but I did not feel rewarded. Something was always missing.
