Dr. Steinbeck pulls a stool out of one of the cabinets and sits in front of me.Note to self, the cabinets probably hold escape tunnels along with furniture.
Dr. Steinbeck pulls out a cloth from his lab coat and starts cleaning his glasses as he answers my question. “All magic comes with a price. We have learned from the Horseman that a balance of sorts must be kept. Blood magic is a loophole around needing the traditional balance. If you drain the blood from a person, you essentially gain their power and steal their essence. That is the only way you don’t have to give anything of yourself. If someone is togivetheir life, then someone can draw their power. Now you can imagine how many people willingly want to give up their life for someone else’s power,” he says it so casually. I mean, he is a doctor, so for him, it’s like telling a regular patient that they broke their leg.
Holy Nerf Balls!
Knox gingerly walks into the room and as soon as I spot him, I rush over to him. He bends down and throws out his arms for me to wrap mine around his neck, pulling me into a hug he grunts against.
“Oh. I’m sorry,” I apologize, pulling away, but he halts my movement and holds me closer.
“I take it you missed me,” he whispers, but I can hear the humor in his tone.
“Thank the Fates you’re okay.” I choke back tears as I nuzzle into his neck.
“I heard that it’s you I should be thanking and your friendship with Anwen.” He chuckles as his fingers dig through my curls.
“No. You and Baron saved my life.” My voice comes out muffled, but he squeezes me a little bit harder to let me know he heard me. Try as I might, a few tears fall at the thought that I might have missed this chance of being held by him. Knox easily pushes me back far enough to look at my face.
“Hey. Are you crying?” He lifts my chin so he can see the evidence rolling down my cheeks. Gently, he wipes them away and then runs his thumb over my bottom lip, making me look up. “There’s no need to cry.”
“I know and I’m sorry.” His smile melts my heart while his green eyes drink me in as if he’s memorizing me at this moment. If there was one thing I learned from Lynx, it’s that tomorrow isn’t promised to us. Trying to muster up the nerve to do what I want next, I start playing with the fine hairs on the back of his neck and his body shivers slightly. “I was just scared that I was going to lose you before having a chance to even get to know you and experience moments like this.” His eyes glance down to my lips and mine follow to his. “I can’t lose you too.”
Leaning in, I press my lips against his and his hold on me tightens. Knox takes control, digging his fingers into my curls to angle my head in order to deepen our kiss. A moan leaves me and a few “oohs” ring out behind me, but I don’t care if we have an audience. If they have a problem, they can leave. Apparently Knox doesn’t care either because he dips me, like in those old black-and-white movies where the foot comes popping up. Bringing me back up, he spins me around so my back is pressed firmly against his impressive bulge.
Damn.
Do we have to have an audience? He brings his lips down to my ear and gives it a little nibble before whispering, “I’m glad I’m around too.”
Goodbye panties. It was nice knowing you.
ChapterTwenty-Eight
THE DEVILS WEARS WHITE
Rez
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Someone needs to turn off the fucking faucet. Rolling over to get up, I’m stopped by something hard. Opening my eyes I see a faint light reflecting off of a rockwall. What the hell? Where am I now? Getting up off the cold, damp floor, I glance around and I notice the dreamscape has changed this time. At least I think that’s what Desar had called it.
Instead of feeling around the area as I had to before, now I can make out a faint room filled with—Oh God. My breath hitches. I find myself looking down at the wooden table in front of me full of medical looking instruments as well as a bronze bowl. The only small relief I have is that they look clean and unused.
Turning around, there are a few dimly lit candles casting shadows along the wall but highlighting what looks like a raised dais where a marble altar stands. Looking closer, there’s chains hanging off of one of the sides. Lightly walking on the balls of my feet, I creep up the steps of the dais and falter.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a corpse this awful looking before. Mother just looked dead and laid in a pool of blood, but this person looks like the blood and organs have been sucked out of them. I can count the ribs through his skin, and the old flesh wounds along his chest and abdomen haven’t healed at all. His head is facing away from me so I can’t tell what he looks like other than the dried blood in his discolored hair. As the stench of sweat and feces reaches me, the urge to gag is strong. Whoever killed this man definitely didn’t have a heart.
I don’t know why, but my own heart breaks for this poor soul. Dying here all alone for what I can only guess was a wasted purpose if the Rebels were behind this. Probably using him for their black magic like Dr. Steinbeck explained. Not knowing what else to do but feeling compelled, I say, “I’m so sorry for what you’ve gone through.” A sob leaves me as I turn away from his motionless body and sit down.
Why did I get pulled here again?Before I can get too caught up in my inner thoughts I hear a clink of the chains behind me. Shit! Did someone enter the room without me noticing? Shifting so I can peek up over the top of the altar, I see that the head is now turned towards me. One eye is swollen shut but the other has one bright turquoise eye looking my way.
“Lynx!” I reach over trying to find a place to touch that won’t hurt him as tears escape down my face and fall onto his tortured body.
“R—Rez?” His voice cracks as if he hasn’t used it in ages. He tries to moisten his dry lips, but I can tell that the small movement is killing him.
“It’s your Rezzi-Bear. Lynx, I thought you were dead. Where are we?” I rush to get the words out and settle on touching his matted hair. “What are they doing to you?”
There’s a shift and clink of the chain as Lynx reaches for my hand. Grasping his, I bring it to my mouth to say, “I love you,” and give him a kiss when I feel myself stolen by the darkness once again.
“Morning, Bestie,” Moni sings, coming in and pulling back the curtains.
