She pointed to a gray marble slab that had intricate carvings around its perimeter.
“So you can heal her?” I pressed. “For sure?” I wanted absolute certainty.
She grinned, a full pearly white smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Honey, I know the keeper of souls. There’s not much I can’t do.”
The keeper of souls was like the god of the dead. I gulped. Not exactly the reassurance I’d wanted.
“Come on,” Nell nudged me as she hefted Kaja under her armpits with a grunt. I grabbed Kaja’s ankles, and together, we hoisted her onto the cold, stone slab.
The mage walked around the marble slab, poking and prodding Kaja’s body, finally leaning in at her neck where she took a deep inhale. She straightened and faced us, eyes narrowed.
“She’s an alpha heir,” she stated. “To heal her will cost you double.”
Double … what? I crossed my arms, but before I could speak, Nell nodded.
“Name your payment.”
The dark mage flicked her gaze my way, letting her attention linger on my chest before running the length of my body. Magic washed over me, the same way as when creepy Kian, the high mage, inspected me.
“One thimble of blood.” She nodded as if confirming the price to herself.
My stomach dropped. Blood? The one thing I promised Rue I wouldn’t let Nell do.
“A thimbleful of blood every full moon, for a year,” she added quickly.
“A year?” WTH? Shaking my head, I protested, “What about when school is out?”
That was only about seven months away. Maybe I could barter.
“I’ll do it,” Nell blurted out.
She thrust her wrist at the mage, and I stepped forward to cut her off.
“Not from you…” The mage waved Nell off and then pointed at me. “From her.”
Relief and trepidation washed through me with equal measure.Why me?No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than I shook my head. Who cares? I’d help my friend and, for some creepy reason, also get to keep my promise to Rue.
Nell glared at the mage. “What? Why? She’smysister.”
The stunning dark mage raised one eyebrow. “Because she’s more powerful than you.”
My cheeks flamed with mortification as if the statement were an insult to Nell.
However, Nell merely nodded before facing me with a pleading look in her eyes. “I can’t expect you to do this—”
“Oh, I’m doing it.” I extended my arm. “She may be your sister, but she’s my bestie. I’ve got this.”
Sort of. I hoped. Once a month, I’d take a boat trip over here, no big deal.Right?
Remembering my other friends, I faced the mage. “I’ll do itifyou give me enough potion to save two people.”
The dark mage’s brow furrowed, and she chewed on her lower lip. Finally, she shook her head. “I don’t negotiate.”
I frowned as if considering whether or not I was willing to drop my price. But I wasn’t. The Midnight prince’s mom had shown me kindness even if her husband was a total asshole. He’d left the island during the attack, and she’d nearly died trying to protect her students. I’d save her too. That was non-negotiable. One of them, either Rage or Justice, was my mate, and they hadn’t been on campus to protect their mom, so this was the least I could do. This was how a mate should act. Maybe my mate didn’t know how to be a good companion and partner, what with the way King A-hole treated his mother.
And Kaja…
I’d been clueless when I started school here, and it would’ve been an absolute lonely hell if it weren’t for her barging into my dorm and befriending me.
