Page 29 of Bitter Sweet Love

“You think there’re more?” I let him pull me to my feet and guide me to the edge of the lake.

“If there’s one, there’s probably a hundred.” He dipped my hand under the cool water, washing away the blood.

“You should’ve killed it,” I grumbled crossly.

Dez cast me a long look. “I tried, but someone—no names mentioned—thought Herbert was so ugly it was cute.”

I sighed. True. “He doesn’t deserve the name Herbert.”

He relented enough to snicker as he lifted my hand from the water. “Does it hurt?”

“Actually...” It did hurt. The sting from the pukwudgie’s bite radiated over my hand and down my arm. “Not really,” I finished. Dez already thought I was a big enough idiot. No reason to add to it.

We were halfway back to the SUV when a fine sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead. Heat traveled across my skin like a fever. I felt flushed, sticky. Stomach roiling, I glanced down at my finger and sucked in a shaky breath. The skin around the bite was blood red, and angry-looking streaks spread out from the otherwise-minor wound.

Uh-oh.

I stopped walking, but the trees kept moving. Odd. “Dez...?”

He turned to me, but something was wrong with his face. All his features blurred together. “Jasmine?”

His voice sounded way, way far away. “I don’t... feel so good.”

I took a step or at least I thought I had, but suddenly the ground was in the sky and the sky was no more. Somewhere, off in the distance, I thought I heard Dez calling my name, and then there was nothing.

Chapter Eleven

I was on fire.

It was the only explanation for the searing burn sweeping through my veins, cooking me from the inside, boiling my blood and blistering my skin. I couldn’t move, but I was gliding. Blissful cool air washed over my heated skin, a momentary reprieve, but the fire invaded every cell. Heat surrounded me, cradling me in a hard embrace.

In the rare moments when my brain wasn’t mush, I knew I had to phase. I had to reach the deep level of sleep necessary to heal, but I couldn’t will my muscles to do what I needed. Nothing responded to me. I was trapped in a circle of Hell.

Consciousness slipped in and out, and when I was awake, I wanted to be out—to be far away. My skin was slipping off my bones. Flames crawled up my throat. Unable to escape the pain, I shrank into myself, and a million miles away, I heard someone calling to me. The words made no sense, but I clung to the voice and tried to reach for it. Then the inferno spiked, consuming me until there was only darkness and the distant hum of that voice.

It felt like a stuttered heartbeat later when I became aware of the shift in my surroundings. There were more voices in the distance, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying and I couldn’t force my eyes open. Something was different though. The hard warmth that had surrounded me was gone and in its place was billowy softness. I didn’t understand, but I sank into it for a little while, dragging myself back out when something cool was pressed to my forehead and bitter, tangy liquid coursed down my throat. I tried to turn my head, whimpering as a gentle hand stopped me.

“You have to drink this. It will help you feel better.”

I didn’t recognize the voice. My heart rate skyrocketed. Where was Dez? I didn’t have a chance to spit up the liquid. It kept coming until I was drowning in it,and when it stopped, I dragged in deep breaths that hurt.

“That’s good,” said the stranger. He was moving away from me. “She’ll sleep now.”

The silence that followed was as frightening as the fire. Summoning every ounce of energy in me, I lifted my hand, searching for something—anything—to hold on to.

A strong hand folded around mine, and the softness shifted. A damp cloth caressed my forehead. My lips formed his name, but there was no sound.

“I’m here with you.” The coolness slid over my blazing cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere, Jas. I’m not going to leave you again.”

The fire was gone the next time my brain churned awake. A dull throbbing remained in every part of my body and my eyes felt sewn shut. My body came back on at the speed of a three-legged turtle. I moved, maybe shifted about an inch on the bed, and I felt as if I’d accomplished something major.

“Jas?”

I turned my head toward the sound of Dez’s deep voice. A hand curved around my cheek, and I sighed at the contact. It didn’t burn. Oh, no, it felt grounding and wonderful.

Finally, after an eternity, I pried my eyes open. I squinted at the low light in the room, surprised by the sensitivity of my eyes. As my vision cleared, I saw Dez sitting beside me.

I’d never seen him look so tired. Dark shadows bloomed under his pale eyes. His features were pinched with weariness, but the hand around mine was full of strength.

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