Sev holds up the magical artifact, moonlight reflecting off the silver in the hilt. “This is the lover’s blade. A weapon crafted when an immortal fell in love with a human who was dying from an incurable disease. The blade was meant to kill them both. The immortal gifted it to their lover, claiming the day that their illness became too painful, they must plunge the blade into the immortal’s heart so that they would leave the world together. The healing poultice in the handle was a failsafe, in case the blade was used on the wrong immortal. It only needs to be applied with a loving hand.” Sev raises a brow at Griffith. “Unless you do not love her.”
“Give it here,” my wolf snarls. “Don’t know why we came to you if you weren’t needed.”
“My power wasn’t needed. My knowledge was.” Sev holds the dagger away from Griffith, a dark shadow in the monster’s eyes. “But don’t fool yourself into thinking that I lack power.”
Griffith grimaces. Then, likely because he’s not an alpha and he doesn’t constantly feel the need to assert his dominance over everyone around him, he dips his head. “I apologize. Thank you for explaining how to heal Clem. Can I please use the cure now?”
Sev waits a breath, then extends the weapon, hilt first. “Only a touch. Apply it to her tongue.”
Griffith presses his thumb into the chamber, the pad of his finger coming out golden. He hurries to my side, only hesitating when he stands in front of me. “Do you trust this?”
Fear is clear in his eyes. If Sev is lying and this is lethal, I’ll die at the hands of the man I love. He’ll have to keep living after the tragedy.
“I don’t trust him to heal me for the sake of goodness. But I think he likes his home and living in this town and knows he’ll be driven from this place if he overtly harms me. So, I trust his self-interest.”
“Good girl,” the monster purrs, a smirk on his face.
Griffith takes a bracing breath, then extends his hand. I open my mouth, and he presses his thumb against my tongue.
The golden dust tastes like sunshine, and the best song, and an orgasm. None of which are supposed to have a flavor, but somehow do. I gasp and grasp Griffith’s arm as my knees go weak. He catches me before I hit the ground, but his arms are insubstantial to me. I’m weightless, my gaze full of stars.
The pain in my side disappears.
32
GRIFFITH
My fingers shake,fear that I made the wrong choice and have somehow hurt Clem flooding my body like poison.
Then her skin moves. In any other situation, I’d probably find it creepy to watch as pieces of flesh stretch toward each other, but right now, it’s the most beautiful gods-damn thing I’ve ever witnessed. The fibers of Clem stitch together, and unlike with the rejuvenation spell, this time, there’s a scar. A reminder of what she went through.
And somehow, having the scar there gives this cure a more solid feel. Like there needs to be proof of the original injury. It wasn’t an easy fix, like humans often assume magic to be.
Clem’s stare meets mine, her eyes full of wondrous hope. “It worked?”
“Looks like.” There’s no hiding the ragged relief in my voice. “How do you feel? Any pain?”
She carefully prods the wound, as if worried the wrong touch might reopen it. But, no, it stays scarred over. “There’s a little twinge. But it feels … natural. Like it’s almost finished healing.”
The breath I let out could easily be mistaken for a sob, and I’m careful, as if handling a baby bird, when I gather her into my arms.
“Our deal,” Luke says, dragging my attention to him over Clem’s.
I nod, ready to pay my debt. I would’ve paid a higher price for Clem’s health. Given my life for it.
“What’s their name?”
The hunter is a master at hiding his emotions, but there’s a twitch in the corner of his eye when he speaks. “Freya.”
Confusion has me frowning. I know a good amount of townsfolk by first name at least.
But I’ve never heard of a Freya living or even visiting here.
“What mythic type are they?” Maybe knowing who they associate with will jog a memory.
“She’s a monster.”
I turn to Levi, expecting him to be wearing a look of recognition. As the monster council member, he should know the names of all his constituents.
