Page 114 of Reaper’s Curse

“So…” He glanced toward the door on the other side of the room. “No attacks. We’ll just have you sit here with the test subject.”

“They’re living beings. Don’t forget that.”

“Of course. Apologies.” He rose from his seat. “We’ll bring him in here, and you’ll use your collector’s eye in combination with your blood and reaper’s grip. That trio is what appeared to work last time.”

“Yeah, but…” I lifted my bandaged hands. “I’m not really keen on the idea of tearing up my palms any more than they are already.”

Valen closed his eyes and shook his head. “Atrocious. That’s what that was. Simply atrocious.” He tapped a long finger on the table. “I suspect that the blood doesn’t need to come from your palms, so how about, for today, we try a small cut somewhere else and see if that works?”

“And if it does?” I countered. “You’ll what? Start slicing and dicing me all over the place?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He scoffed. “If we find that it’s your blood and not the blood from your palms that is the key, then we needn’t cut you at all. We can draw the blood. A simple needle and a few vials and you should have enough blood to cure several afflicted, if not more.”

I sat back and blinked. That sounded reasonable. “Okay. Where do you suggest making the cut?”

“Your body. Your choice.” He handed me a small paring knife.

“You want me to use this?” My voice squealed a tad as I lifted the knife for close examination.

Clean and recently sharpened. Should get the job done. Even if it was mainly used to peel fruit.

“Would you like something larger?” He strode for the door. “Something big enough to slice off an arm?”

He grinned, humor coloring his expression. He opened the door and waved an unseen somebody in to join us.

The shuffle of feet revealed the approach of the afflicted. A man, based on the pronoun Valen had used earlier. I raised my gaze and…sucked back a sharp breath.

Earl scuffled across the room, straight for me. I jolted to my feet.

“Ray, ray,” he said.

“You know this man?” Surprise lifted Valen’s brow.

Surprise I suspected he was faking. He had to have known my connection to the afflicted prior to this moment. Had to have.

“I do, and I don’t want to hurt him.” I swallowed a hard lump in my throat.

Valen directed Earl to the nearest chair. “Then don’t. For his sake, make sure today’s attempt is a success.”

Yeah, the selection of the “test subject” was clearly calculated to force my best performance. I held no doubt on that topic.

Every bone in my body felt taut, ready to crack. I had been excited about the idea of healing people, but now, testing that theory on Earl, I wanted to run the other way.

“What happens if I fail?” I bit my lip and studied Earl.

“You fail.” Valen shrugged. “Possibly make him worse. But would that really matter? Look at him.”

He raised his hand, indicating Earl. Sweet Earl, who’d made me breakfast and warmed my bathwater.

Earl stared back with glazed-over eyes, and yet I had the odd sense a silent plea was trapped on his lips. Did he want me to use him as my first intended healing attempt?

“Ray, ray. Heal?” Earl slapped the table.

My chest constricted. Reaping hell. He wanted this, and I…well… If it was what he wanted, I wouldn’t say no.

“Okay, Earl.” I pulled up a seat beside him and tore the bandages off my right hand. “Let’s do this.”

If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn a tiny smile snaked across his features. Earl was 100 percent in support of the trying. I only hoped the trying led to success.