Page 60 of After Darkness Falls

"Oh no. Witch magic is strong, but it dies with the caster and often grows weaker as days go by."

"Then what…"

Becca's husband, who'd been near the door a moment ago, was now kneeling in front of Chloe.

He wore a long black coat, gloves, boots—every part of him was covered, save for his handsome face.

When he removed his gloves, Chloe gasped. Except for his face, every visible inch of skin was covered with intricate marks that seemed to glow—dark silvery-steel tattoos flowing like water on his flesh.

"What are you?" she asked him.

Not the politest of questions. She really ought to work on that loose tongue of hers.

He didn't seem to mind.

"A god," he replied simply. "Your hands."

Chloe looked up to Jack. "What does that make you?"

"A freak," Tris said under her breath.

Jack laughed. "A scion, I guess. Kind of? Dad is a pretty weak god, though. So, I'm just a huntsman."

Chloe gave her hands to the man, who closed his eyes and smiled. "There's a lot more than meets the eye in you, isn't there, Chloe?"

She froze.

"Yes. It has been an age since one of you has risen. I wonder…" He glanced at his wife. "But no matter. For now, let us just ensure you keep breathing."

Warmth spread through his fingers, heating up every part of her.

"It might get a little uncomfortable, but it won't last," he told her softly.

She bit her lip and winced. The heat was getting hotter and hotter, boiling her insides. What was he doing to her?

For a wild second, she wondered if he was hurting her, trying to kill her; maybe he was the one who'd given her the scarf.

But the next moment, it stopped. Blair gasped. "Was that a transfusion?"

Chloe had no clue what that meant, but the god nodded.

"Dad has some nanocytes inside his body,” Jack said. "Incredibly advanced stuff, light years ahead of anything created on Earth. They've evolved alongside him, are a part of him. That's how those humans called gods are so strong, and seemingly immortal. There are billions of nanoparticles inside him. Think of them as little computers with artificial intelligence. He's ordered a few of them to go inside you. They aren't made for you, so they'll die eventually—unless he takes them back. But while they're inside you, they'll protect you, improve your endurance, that sort of thing."

"And they’ll let me know if you're in danger," the god added. "Consider yourself officially under the protection of the huntsmen. For now."

28

Alive

Chloe shut off the little voice that wanted her to head right back under the blankets upstairs after that thing had squeezed her, trying to claim her life.

She was in London. She was around huntsmen, who would now be a lot more vigilant about what was going on around her. There were two vampires watching her. She was not going to let some cowardly witch asshole ruin her trip—or her friends'. Besides, her room was clearly no safer than anywhere else.

Though her appetite had disappeared, she forced a few bites of everything on her plate and made a point of smiling a lot, joining everyone's conversations. By the end of breakfast, her face felt like it was going to split in two. Her throat was dry and overworked. She had never noticed how much effort talking and smiling took.

They cleared their plates and gathered in the hallway. Before she left the kitchen, Bash pulled her sleeve.

"Stop."

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