Page 94 of Bitten

“If you were in my shoes, what would you have done? Would you have tried to protect your mate as well? If it was Noah?”

Noah spun to glare at him. “Don’t bring my name into your mess.” He growled lowly, shaking his head. “Kane’s a Halfling. How could he possibly change you?” Noah demanded. “He’s not even a full vampire himself.”

“How did he survive all those blasts?” Theis added. “Something’s not adding up here.”

Ralnur shrugged. “I can’t answer that question—how he changed me. Kane’s not even sure how it worked.”

“And he did all this without your knowledge? I find that hard to believe,” Noah said.

“I didn’t ask him to change me! He went on instinct. Something within told him to feed me… so he did.”

“Because he’s your mate,” the king said. “The instinct told him to do it.” Adriel was quiet a moment, but Ralnur could see the wheels turning in his mind. “The enchantment in your blood is tied to your magic. It didn’t work because he’s your mate, just as my magic doesn’t work on Eilam and Noah. The enchantment failed and allowed his virus to change you.”

Ralnur eyed the king, the possibility of that making sense. “I hadn’t considered that.”

“How does Caelian fit into all this?” Noah asked.

“He’s also Kane’s mate. And I believe mine, as well.”

Noah turned to look at the king. “We need to find the elf.”

“I know where Caelian is,” Ralnur said. “I can show you.”

“As if we’d let you loose in the city,” Noah said.

“Kane has him in a subterranean apartment which would be difficult to give directions to. There are locks on Kane’s doors… locks I don’t even know if I can pass, let alone you,” Ralnur said.

“How do you know all this?” Noah demanded.

“Blood visions,” Adriel murmured. “He can see Kane’s memories.”

Ralnur nodded. “Caelian was left bleeding. Kane didn’t seal the wound, and his hands are bound. There’s no time to wait… he could die.”

Adriel and Noah looked to one another, silent.

“Give him the amulet,” Adriel said to Noah. “Then he can go.”

Noah muttered something under his breath before fishing something from his pocket. Ralnur saw the glinting gem siting on Noah’s palm. The Carpathian Onyx.

Ralnur eyed the gem, knowing it belonged to Kane. He took the stone from Noah and immediately felt it draining his powers. Dropping to his knees, he tossed the gem to the floor, gasping for air. “That’s Kane’s. It belongs to him.”

“Without it, I can’t let you leave,” Adriel said.

“If I don’t leave, Caelian dies.”

Adriel turned to Noah—and Theis.

Noah eyed Ralnur, suspicious.

“Give me the amulet,” Ralnur said, holding out his hand. “If it saves Caelian… I’ll hold on to it.”

Adriel moved closer as Theis picked up the gem and handed it back to Ralnur. He took it in his palm and felt the sway as his magic drained from him. Leaning toward the wall, he used it to hold himself up.

“Show me your hand,” the king said.

Ralnur opened his hand and showed his nephew the gem.

Adriel lifted a hand and murmured something. A flash of light shot from his hand and slammed into Ralnur’s—fusing the gem to the flesh there. It burned… Ralnur cried out in pain.

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