Page 56 of Bitten By Desire

“About 3a.m.,” Sam said.

“Binx only has a few hours left,” I said, the words boring holes in my heart. “We can’t just do nothing.”

“We don’t know what else to do.” Sam let his hand with the half-eaten apple drop to his lap.

“If I can’t help him, I can still help others. Or at least try,” I said, standing without making any audible exclamations of pain. I didn’t think I fooled Julian, though, as he stood in one motion to face me.

“Charlotte—”

“I’m going to use the fae machine to spy on the queen again. I have to find out what they did with the people they replaced with changelings. Maybe I’ll even find out who the missing one is.”

Julian frowned, clearly displeased. “Tabitha is still recovering, and you need her to help retrieve you from the device.”

“If she had vamp blood, she’s fine,” I argued back. “She can come with me, and you can go feed again.”

“Didn’t you just do that?” Sam asked, joining us.

Julian stilled.

“He was wounded, so he needs more,” I answered smoothly. Sam, will you give Tabitha and I a ride to the base?”

“I will take you,” Julian insisted. “Sam can follow with Tabitha. I will make sure you are properly connected and covered.”

I hesitated. “If you promise to feed as soon as they get there.”

Julian nodded once in agreement then lifted me into his arms and zoomed off toward the base to fulfill his promise.

From the outside, at least in the dark, the base appeared the same as always, a pristine glass building at the edge of a tarmac ringed with glowing portals. Julian set me at the top of the steps then forced open the doors without bothering with the keypad. Somewhere in the building, a silent alarm blazed in an empty command center. We were past caring at this point, knowing the general was no more and the rest had fled.

The elevator appeared dutifully before us, barely a moment after we stepped through the threshold. Holding hands, we entered.

His flesh was like ice, and I tried hard not to panic. Where was the line? How long could he go without feeding before it was too late?

“You’re crying.” Julian pulled his hand away to wipe a tear from the corner of my eye.

“I’m worried about you,” I admitted, looking up at him.

I wished I hadn’t. His irises had become practically translucent, and I couldn’t hold back a gasp.

“You found something and didn’t tell me,” he said, frowning down at me.

I sighed as the doors opened on the brig. We started walking toward the last cell, my heels echoing on the stone floor in the empty space.

“I should have told you when we left the lab. It’s in your organs and tissue,” I said. “We have to find something that dissolves silver but not the rest of you.”

“And you didn’t think it important to tell me?” His voice was smooth as always, but the undertone of betrayal was clear to me.

I stopped at the entrance to the cell and turned to him, all the emotion of the last few months bursting free of my carefully constructed dam. Now there was no containing it. The rush shook me physically and mentally, my magic rising inside of me like a tide.

“You haven’t exactly shared how much pain you’re in!” I shouted. Around me, the walls of the cavernous setting began to rumble, reminding me of the Seelie Queen’s tantrums.

Julian stared at me, not acknowledging the pebbles tumbling to the floor around us. He reached out so fast I didn’t see it, but suddenly, he’d pulled me to him, so close our bodies pressed together and his nose nearly touched mine. His grip was tight, almost but not quite painful.

“Yes. I’m in pain, Charlotte. I sense I have limited time. It feels like acid eating away at my entire body. Does it help you to know that?”

Tears ran freely down my face like the pebbles falling from the walls. I was glad he was holding me because I didn’t trust my legs to stand on.

“I want all of you, Julian,” I whispered. “Even the pain. I want you to share your whole self with me.”

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