Page 77 of Infernal Hearts

“This is ridiculous. I’m not about to take that chance. We have to have another option.”

He snaps, “She’s dying anyway! Just do it!”

I may not know Rani well, but I can’t let Levi lose the most important person in his life the way I did in mine. No matter how many emotions are rushing through me right now, I need to stay calm. The only way out is through.

“Keep her calm,” I tell Valerie and then turn to Levi. “Sit down on the stool.” I point to the edge of the room, pulling on gloves and fishing out a piece of gauze from a jar on the counter. I snatch a tourniquet and syringe from the cabinet.

He eyes me closely as I grab his arm. I pause before sticking him with the needle. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Mostly.” He bites his lip before I wrap the band around his arm and wait, feeling for the perfect vein. “It’s the only shot we’ve got.”

I nod. “Okay.”

As soon as I find a suitable spot, I insert the needle and begin drawing his blood. It’s as black as it was the first night we met. I fill the syringe fully before pressing the cotton on his arm and applying pressure.

Rani whimpers. Green roots under her skin have spread from her eyes, down her face, and to her heart. There isn’t much time left.

I motion Valerie to the side, looking back down at Rani. “I don’t want you to be afraid, but I’m about to give you an injection in your arm. One, two, three.” I stick the needle into her skin and press, flooding her system with the dark liquid.

Rani immediately gasps and tenses, but eventually her muscles relax as she melts into the operating table. Valerie stands close to me, watching as the thin green lines on her skin recede back across her cheeks to her eyelids. Her eyes, however, remain white.

Grabbing Rani’s hand, I gently squeeze. “It’ll take a while before you can see again, but judging by how quickly Levi’s transfusion worked, I’m optimistic you’ll recover soon.” I press my palms to my eyes as tears well up behind the lids. I look back at him. “We may need to do it again tomorrow.”

He nods silently, eyes not leaving Rani. “Absolutely.”

Valerie, however, is stunned. Her head whips around to Levi, still sitting on the stool. “You lied to me. You’re an incubus.”

Levi’s eyes go dangerously sharp, and he all but snarls in her direction. “It was none of your business.”

Valerie’s head whips back around to me. “Do you know how dangerous his kind are?”

“His kind just saved Rani.” Does Valerie not get how close Rani was to dying?

“They’re evil, manipulative, disgusting…” The words are getting caught in her mouth, full of rage.

I hold up my hand to stop her. “I don’t want to hear it. He’s not any of those things.”

She glares daggers at me and takes audible breaths through her nose. “I don’t want to be part of this.” She storms out of the operating room.

The front door of the office slams shut moments later. I’ve never seen Valerie react like this. She’s always so unflappable, and she’s never had a problem with magic before.

Levi slowly stands, walking over to Rani. “She’s going to be okay?” He’s hesitant, but his tone is hopeful.

“Possibly.” I reach over and put my hand on the small of his back, grazing it. “She needs to rest. We’ll keep an eye on her.”

Rani coughs and turns her head toward me, speaking with a rasp. “Thank you.”

I let my head fall back at an unexpected release of the tension in my body. “You’re welcome.” I turn to Levi. “She can stay in the guest house while she recovers.”

Levi’s face, on the other hand, is full of emotion. His hands are trembling, his eyes are puffy, and he’s gritting his teeth. He nods silently. I run upstairs, grabbing an old shirt and a pair of sweatpants for Rani. Not fashionable, but they’ll be comfortable. After Levi and I dress her, we return to the guest house where he gently puts her down on the bed and covers her with a blanket.

“I’ll be back to check on you soon.” He smooths her hair, but she’s already sleeping.

“The injection seems to have taken all her pain away.”

“I had no idea it would do that.” His eyes remain glued to his best friend, lost in thought. “There’s just so much I don’t know.”

Unsure, I turn him around—wrapping my arms around him and squeezing. “We can talk about it more in the morning.”

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