Page 94
“Oh, go ahead and make yourself at home,” she said, rolling her eyes at his grin.
Cyn lingered in the doorway, his body taut with restless energy.
Her blood was no longer a problem, but the venom coursing through her veins still put her at risk. I doubted gonthek venom posed a fatal risk to humans, but I refused to test the theory on her.
We needed her alive if her blood bound us to this world.
Still, I questioned why a horde of lesser infernals targeted a human in such overwhelming numbers. Rogue infernal attacks on humans weren’t uncommon, and we often stopped them before major casualties—but never on this scale.
Our history books only recorded major breaches in the veil, always followed by calamities for humankind. I’d witnessed nothing of that magnitude firsthand.
Had our presence in her life marked her in some way?
She laughed at something Zeke said, smacking Ash’s hand away when he pressed too close to her wound.
It struck me as odd how comfortable she acted with the two of them and how at ease they acted with her. Even Cyn tempered his hostility in favor of concern for the human’s well-being.
I flexed my fingers at my side before tucking my hand into the pocket of my slacks.
Father always said curiosity could kill a man. Unfortunately, like my brothers, I felt a deepening curiosity toward the human who summoned us.
I didn’t know how she’d come to possess a tome from Elyrdin, but the symbol on the cover was unmistakable.
Ash wanted me to believe the human was a mere victim of circumstance. But after witnessing lesser infernals attack her, and given her family’s extensive history with our kind, I wondered if even she knew the truth of her story.
Though she professed to despise liars, her own words could be just as deceptive if she sought to protect herself from the council’s wrath. I needed to assess the threat she posed to us before it was too late.
“What?” Her eyes flew wide as she sat upright. “Why him?”
I tilted my head, realizing I’d missed something important. Something that frightened her.
“Back in Elyrdin, we have gonthek antivenom, but we can’t access it right now,” Ash said, and I finally understood. “Ezra is the only one with blood powerful enough to act as an antivenom. It’s the only way.”
She scrambled to push her pant leg down, hiding her wound. “What happens if we leave it alone?”
“Your fever will grow until you’re delirious,” I said, drawing her attention from Ash.
I’d never admit it, but I enjoyed how quickly her focus snapped to me whenever she heard my voice. A strange feeling to have.
“From there, hallucinations set in.” I took a step toward the bed, and her breath hitched. “Then, when you’re on the brink of insanity, you will spend the next day or two writhing in an agony that will make you pray for death.” I stood at the foot of the bed, my stare locked on hers. “That is, if you don’t die first.”
“Wait.” She looked at Ash. “You said I won’t die.”
“You’re patient zero,” I said, demanding her attention with only the tone of my voice. I could get used to this. “None of us know the effects of gonthek venom on a human.”
Her hands twisted in the covers at her sides as her gaze darted between Zeke and Ash. “I… I can’t drink someone’s blood.” She looked up at me.
My chest tightened at the vulnerability clouding her eyes. I narrowed my gaze in response to the uncomfortable feeling.
She looked down at her lap, mumbling, “How much?”
“What?” Zeke leaned closer to hear her better.
She took a shaky breath, looking at him. “How much do I have to drink?”
Ash glanced over his shoulder at me.
We both knew it varied from person to person. Body weight dictated the dosage of gonthek antivenom in Shyrlivi, but for a human? Impossible to know. Even then, this was my blood, not antivenom.
