Page 77 of The Serpent’s Shadow

“You’ll need to nick yourself,” I croaked. “So I can take some of your blood.”

With a shrug, she moved into action. She didn’t ask how much I’d take, or for what reason I needed her blood.

Her clothes rustled as she drew her spear off her back and cut a small line into the top of her forearm, then set the spear down on the floor. “Like that?”

I watched the red nectar bead before dripping down the side of her glistening forearm. Salivating and working my tongue over in my mouth, I nodded. “Just like that, love.”

There were two ways for me to siphon blood from a victim. The first was how I’d drained Astrid: cutting myself, cutting her, and then creating a pathway for her blood to seep into my veins. I could use her blood as a source, then direct her blood to me with Shaped runes, like an invisible bridge.

The second was much more direct and . . . intimate.

“Go ahead,” she purred. “Do what you need to do to get your strength back, Magnus.”

I nodded diligently, lustily scenting her rich blood and losing all logical thoughts. When I dipped my head forward, she presented her forearm—

And I greedily closed my lips around the small wound. I started suckling on her like a babe to teat. The rush of rich, coppery blood filled my mouth as I feasted, pouring down my throat.

Thismode of energy restoration was what made bloodrenders like vampires of legend. Draugs, the undead—by themselves, they were nothing but cold bodies.

I was different. Blood powered every part of me. The warmth of it spilling down the back of my throat rejuvenated me with quickness. Colors became brighter, my world less muted. Ravinica tasted amazing, like the sweetest elixir.

She bit back a small moan as I held her arm gently in front of me and drank. It was a red-lipped kiss, and the more I drainedthe stronger I felt. I closed my eyes as a tingle of power inched up my spine and through my extremities.

The weak blood from before transformed into the stalwart blood of this goddess, inflaming every part of me.

Beneath the covers, my cock roared to life, painfully throbbing. When I finally pulled back with a soft smack of my lips, our gazes met. Fire danced in our orbs.

“W-Was that . . . it?” she asked, face flushed. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“Your blood is potent, love. I don’t need much.”

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

A smile split across my cheeks, which already felt fuller, more suffused with color. I was always pale and deathly looking, but now I was positivelyalive.

“Perhaps you can help us satiatebothour needs,” I murmured.

Her eyebrows hopped, curiosity stealing her.

Slowly, I pulled back the sheets covering my body. I no longer felt sickly and sticky. Beneath, I was nude, and my cock speared over the edge of the bed, trembling from the hardness and fullness of my desire.

Ravinica took one look at the metal studs running up the length of my underside, and gave me a wicked grin. “Oh, you devious bloodrender. You didn’t tell me you were naked under there.”

My smile widened, lips still smeared with her blood. “Surprise.”

“A welcome surprise indeed.” With a languid sigh, Ravinica reached down and closed her palm around the middle of my length. When I hissed from the bliss of her touch, she said, “Gods, Magnus, you’re as hot as a lit forge.”

I swallowed hard, my throat now dry where it had been drenched just moments ago. Words wouldn’t form in my mouth.

“Still feeling toodepleted. . . to ravage me?” Her voice was a lustful purr.

On the contrary, silvermoon.

Ravinica slowly climbed onto the bed, looping her leg over me as she pressed me from my side to my back. My eyes widened at the sight of her crawling on top of me, taking control in the same way I’d wrested control from her back in Mimir Tomes.

Her hand never left my studded cock, even as she peeled herself out of her pants and straddled me. She rested her body lengthwise on top of me, sandwiching us together, guiding my manhood.

And then her warm, bountiful thighs closed around my length. I gasped from the softness of her, the diabolical heat and squeeze of her thighs around my cock.

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