A growl escaped him, and he lunged for me. I yelped, slicing into his wrist. Crimson blood spurted, dripping onto the ground.
I gasped, letting the knife fall as I staggered backward. I hadn’t meant to cut him so abruptly. I had acted on instinct.
Theron hissed sharply, pressing a hand to his wrist to stem the flow. He grunted, then let out a choking sound. His head rolled back as he fell against the brick wall behind him. White crept into his eyes once more. He blinked, and they were all black again.
I reached for him, pressing his shaking hand between mine. “You can do this, Theron. Come back to me.” My eyes darted to the steady flow of blood gushing from his wrist. Shivering bones, he was losing so much. I needed to bind the wound quickly.
But his eyes… Calista still hadn’t released him.
Shit.What if this didn’t work? What if I inadvertently killed him?
A low, keening moan poured from his lips, followed by a strangled sob. He lifted his uninjured arm to his head, clutching at his temple in agony. “Eira,” he choked out. “Eira.”
“I’m here,” I whispered, my eyes burning with tears. I took his face in my hands and pulled him closer. “Look at me, Theron.Look at me.”
His eyelids fluttered, then slid open. Relief soared within me at the sight of his normal onyx eyes, though slightly bloodshot.
“That’s it,” I murmured, holding his gaze. “Stay with me, hunter.”
His face was looking paler, and he began to sway.
“I have to bind your wound,” I said quickly. “Are you still with me?”
Slowly, he nodded. He didn’t look fully lucid yet, but I couldn’t tell if that was because of Calista’s influence or the blood loss.
I would have to risk it.
I hastily ripped a strip of fabric from the bottom of my tunic and began wrapping his wrist tightly. The first layer of fabric was completely soaked through with blood, so I wrapped it a second time, and then a third for good measure. My ragged tunic now barely hung below my belly, and the sleeves were a bit high. If I moved or stretched too far, I would reveal my abdomen and possibly my shoulders, too. It would be quite scandalous to a bystander. But it would have to do.
I turned Theron’s hand around, stroking my finger down the length of the bandage to ensure it was still dry. When I looked up, I found him staring at me, his breathing ragged and his eyes slightly dazed. His face was still pale.
“Better?” I peered hesitantly into his eyes, waiting for them to turn all black again.
He licked his lips and nodded again.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice firm.
“My head is clear, if that’s what you’re asking. I can’t hear her voice anymore.” His voice was rough and strained.
I exhaled, letting my frame sag. “Good.” At least that was settled. For now.
If Calista kept calling him, I wasn’t sure how much I could hurt him. I was really hoping she didn’t have much of his blood left in stock.
The odds were slim, considering he’d been in her employment for over a decade.
A loud metallic clanging sound rang out from the forge in front of us, making us both jump. We both glanced nervously toward the commotion. So far, no one had emerged from the smithy yet, but it was still the quiet hours of early morning. Most people were asleep, save for the blacksmiths who liked to get an early start.
We were running out of time. The sky was turning pink with the early signs of dawn. Soon, the streets would be swarming with civilians and soldiers.
“Can you move?” I asked Theron.
“Yes,” he said gruffly. “We’ve lingered here too long.”
I rolled my eyes. He said that as if we’d gotten lazy and taken a nap instead of having to fight off the influence of a power-hungry Demon Fae queen.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded, and the two of us crept forward. Theron was crouched low to the ground, so I followed suit. Before long, my legs were throbbing from maintaining a squatting position. I bit down on my lip, determined not to complain. If Theron could manage it, despite the strain of battling Calista’s blood magic, then I sure as hell could do it.
