Page 102 of Tangled Fates

“P-please, I need it for my sister,” she cried.

I stilled, wondering if she was lying because this was the first time I had heard she had a sister.

“How do I know you aren’t lying,” I snapped.

“My phone, I… I have pictures of her,” she said, her gaze bouncing from the three of us. “Please, she’s sick and nothing works except Oria.”

Tears streamed down her face as Gray fished out her phone.

“I don’t know how much longer she has, I swear Ryder.” She hiccupped and I believed her without the photos.

She looked worried and not her normal confident self.

“She has a sick sister, it’s Kark,” Gray said in a somber tone.

My heart stopped.

Kark was like a form of cancer that was hitting paranormals. We didn’t normally get sick from things like colds, or cancer, but this had been spreading in the last fifty years. The only way they counteracted the disease was with Oria, but it didn’t cure them, it just stopped it from spreading.

“Ryder, I’m sorry but we’ve been micro-dosing and her supply ends in a week,” her face was red from crying.

“I have two vials, but if I give them to you, I need you to do something for us.” Soren stepped forward as I let her go.

“Anything, I promise.” She wiped her face. “I…I can’t let her die.”

“I need you to keep an ear out for anyone looking for Oria. Even if it's insignificant,” he said, holding out his hand. “I want to know everything and if I find out you’re fucking us over, I’ll personally visit your sister and make sure she doesn’t live another day, Oria be damned.”

Gray stepped up to the other side of me, crossing his arms. She nodded, looking at us with apprehension in her eyes.

“I will feed you any information I find out, I promise.” She looked and sounded sincere.

Soren opened his hand showing two vials sitting in his palm.

Her eyes watered again.

“Oh my goddess, thank you.” She launched herself at Soren.

She kept saying thank you as they hugged.

“Don’t mistake our kindness for weakness. We won’t hesitate in returning for some retribution,” I said, as she nodded, leaving the room quietly.

Once the door was closed, we all took a collective breath. This was just the beginning of the ramifications of pulling Oria from the market, and things were about to get so much worse.

34

GRAY

After Cora left, the room felt heavy. The enormity of our situation was about to get worse and I don’t think any of us were prepared for what was ahead of us.

“Come on out,” Ryder called out.

The door to the bathroom opened, exposing an empty bathroom.

“Sorry, I used an invisibility charm,” she said, appearing before us. “Who the hell was that?”

“A very desperate succubus,” I said, pulling her towards me. “Thank you for letting us know she was here and that she was trying to take advantage of Ryder.”

I kissed her forehead.

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