Page 20 of A Dawn Of Blood

Dryden has managed to deal a bit of damage, but it’s all in vain, because Cain has his wrist in his grip, and all of his unfazed attention is on the fae.

I keep defending myself, but now it’s clear that Cain is about to kill Dryden. Panicking, I prepare to use my powers, but Dryden takes something out of his pocket, something thatglows.

And the very next moment, I find myself being yanked somewhere, falling on my ass on the ground near the Academy Pull Chamber.

Immediately, this need overtakes me, I roll over and find myself face to face with Dryden. Ignoring the other people around me, I turn all my focus onto his chest. The scent on it.

It’s like it’s coursing through me, a heat burning its way through my body, consuming all of me before settling low in my core.

It’s the scent of his blood.

“You need to heal him, Anna,” I hear someone yell at me.

The sound comes to me as if through water. My head snaps to my left, where I find Jaeger crouching in front of me, staring at me with a frown and this strange expression in her eyes.

It makes me snap out of it, realizing I’m lying next to heavily injured Dryden, staring at his wound and fighting the urge to lick my lips. I push myself up and come into a crouch as well.

“Yes,” I mutter, “of course.”

And I bring my palms to his chest, closing my eyes and holding my breath in an effort not to be further distracted by the scent.

Chapter 14

As soon as I finish healing Dryden, I see two pairs of hands take him by the upper arms and start pulling him up. That strange, overwhelming need hasn’t subsided a bit, and the very possibility of someone taking him away from me makes me let out a low snarl.

Before I know it, I’m lunging forward, barely registering the fact it’s Nuala and Jaeger I’m fighting.

Nuala lets go, but only to mercilessly tear me away from him and restrain me as Jaeger hoists him onto her back.

The next thing I know, I get dragged into the castle, the only thing keeping me from thrashing the fact that he’s right in front of my eyes.

What the hell is going on with me?

Right when we step into the Main Hall, two Embers come running towards us. “Alert everyone of our presence,” Jaeger orders in a low, tense voice, “and take him to the infirmary.”

“No,” I grit out, starting to thrash in Nuala’s grip.

She doesn’t let me go, and watching the two Embers disappear with him when all I feel is this need to take him somewhere, just the two of us, and lick him clean… It’s gut-wrenching.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Nuala demands as she lets me go, steps to the side and gets in my face, more pissed than I’ve ever seen her.

I just use the opportunity to try to go after him.

“This is not the time, Nuala,” Jaeger cuts in as she blocks my way.

“I don’t give a single fuck, Jaeger,” Nuala snaps as she comes to stand in front of me again. “Do you know what you just made him do? You know what he just had to use to get us all out of there alive?”

The question makes me frown, but it’s still barely breaking through the haze I’ve found myself in. “Where’s the infirmary?” I ask in a low, rough voice.

She ignores my question. “He had to use a stone that can be used to tap into the Pull regardless of any magic blocking it. It was the only ace in the sleeve we had for when we finally went to kill Baldur. He made it a few months ago, using thelastof the ingredients something like that can be made with. You’ve just significantly lowered our chances of winning this war, and for what?”

Right now, I can’t seem to bring myself to care, but it sounds like something I’d normally find important, so I open my mouth to answer, but then she looks at me as if she’s seeing me for the first time, the anger seeming to dissipate as she blinks in disgruntled confusion. She takes a step back and gives me a once-over. “What’s wrong with her?” she demands, still looking at me, but addressing Jaeger.

I frown, my thoughts rushing back to the infirmary.

“That’s what I’d be able to find out if you only stopped screaming at her,” Jaeger replies with an annoyed sigh.

“Well, find out then.”

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