“Everest?”
“I have him,” I gasp. “Cielo. I have him. It’s so fucking bad.”
Dante sucks in a breath. “Does he need a hospital?”
I shake my head, then remember he can’t see me. “No. I don’t think there’s anything they can do anyway. Rath and I have herbs that’ll help. And ah…and cum.”
“Cum?” he says, sounding doubtful.
“I know it sounds weird, but it helps them heal. It’s why they need it. You can’t tell anyone this, okay? But, ah…but it’ll help him.”
“Well, god knows I have plenty of that. Where are you right now?”
“The Foundry. You know it?”
“I’m like two minutes away,” he says, sounding relieved.
Thank fuck. “When you get there, go to the right of the entry gate. You’ll see a bunch of sheds. We’re in the little parking lot.”
“Don’t move. I’ll be right there,” he says, then the line goes dead.
I adjust Cielo in my arms and slide all the way down, letting him pillow his battered head in my lap. Glancing up at Rathyn, I swallow past a lump in my throat. “Can you go get herbs? Like, I don’t know, put together a medicine pack for him?”
Rathyn drags a touch down my jaw, then nods. “I will return.” He leaves at a speed my eyes can barely register, but I don’t waste time watching him go. I look back down at Cielo. “I really hope you can forgive me. I’m so sorry I dragged you into this.”
He hums mournfully in the back of his throat, the sound cracked and hoarse.
“I’m going to fix it. I swear. I promise.”
He lifts shaking hands and makes the sign forpromise.
I let out a watery laugh. “Yes. Promise. Will you forgive me?”
He reaches up and touches the side of my face, and though he doesn’t have the words, I know he does. It doesn’t help the guilt, but it gives my promise to undo this fucking mess more fuel.
Leaning my head back, I close my eyes, listening for Rathyn’s return. But before I hear his claws running toward us,I hear a car. When I sit up, I find Dante rushing toward us with a blanket in his hands.
He comes to a skidding halt, then drops to his knees beside Cielo and hovers his hands over him like he wants to touch but doesn’t know where. “Is he going to die on me?”
“He is resilient. We all are,” comes Rathyn’s voice. He appears, holding a small black bag out toward Dante. “These will help. The ones in the purple case are for ingesting. The ones in the blue case are to make a poultice for his wounds. The ones in the yellow case you should boil and pour over his bandages.”
Dante nods, mouthing along like it helps him remember, then he hooks the small bag strap over his wrist and looks back down at Cielo. His one functional eye is fixed on Dante, who finally lays a palm to Cielo’s cheek, where he’s bleeding the least.
“I’ve got you,” Dante murmurs.
Cielo lets out a sound that’s a bit like a purr, then tips his fingers from his chin. “Thank you,” he signs.
“Thank you,” I repeat after Cielo with a small sob. “Thank you for taking him.”
“Of course,” he says. He lifts up the blanket and wraps Cielo as best he can, then helps him climb to his feet. The walk to the car is short, but it seems like every step is agony.
When he trips, Dante makes a startled noise, and Cielo doubles over, cradling his head in his hands like he’s protecting himself from someone, something.
It makes my stomach roil.
Dante looks furious. “I’m going to make sure he gets better. He will be my main focus.”
“He needs cum,” I repeat again. “Human cum to heal faster.”
