Page 44 of Sergi
He nodded.
She stepped close enough for him to pick up her scent. No fear. Curiosity if he had to guess. “I have to admit, that howl was pretty fierce.”
“The Magic Poppy is forcing the beast to rise. It’s hungry.”
She studied him. “Your name is Sergi.”
He tensed, his eyes narrowing with concern. How could she know that?
She tilted her head as she continued to study him. “I won’t tell anyone. I just came from Carlos’s cell. He told me.”
“You know him?” He grimaced as an excruciating pain jolted through him.
She nodded then turned to the table, keeping her back to him. He watched with his own growing fascination as she reached under her shift and pulled something out. She laid a small wrapped package on the table and opened it up to reveal several vials.
“This is labeled with an H.” She held up the vial, and he focused on it, but he couldn’t see it clearly enough to confirm what the label said. “It’s the same naming convention as the labels on the vials in the cooler.” She waved the vial at him. “Will it help?”
“I’m not sure if it’s enough, but it might take the edge off.”
“I brought four vials. They’re dated from a week ago. I have more hidden in my cell, but I have to be careful.”
She stepped closer, and her gaze shifted to his shoulder. When he glanced down, he wondered if it was the patterns in his tattoo that caught her attention. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her interest in them. He could still feel the path her finger had taken when she followed the curves and lines of his ink when she thought he was sleeping.
She opened the vial and, tipping his chin up, poured the entire contents into his mouth. It was warm and stale but would still have the nutrients his body needed. He’d drunk worse to stay alive.
Once the last vial was empty, the beast settled. It wouldn’t be for long, but it was a reprieve.
“You’re face has changed.” She stroked his cheek then, seeming to realize what she’d done, stepped back. “Sorry.”
“It’s the Magic Poppy. It forces the physical changes of the beast.”
“You mentioned something about Blood Poppy. Would that help?”
Devon and Remus had thought Blood Poppy was the major ingredient in Magic Poppy, yet only a small amount had shown up in the test results. No one understood why. According to Colantha, Blood Poppy was the source of life for vampires. Without it, fertility rates had dropped, and rare blood disorders were on the rise. She’d also warned of the Blood Poppy’s addictive component.
Devon’s addiction to Magic Poppy had been hard to shake. Colantha admitted Blood Poppy was used in her special juice that healed the psychic strain in dreamwalkers. The juice was addictive, and its use was monitored closely. Was the Blood Poppy, albeit used in small quantities, what made the MagicPoppy so addictive? They might have added an additional habit-forming ingredient since the Blood Poppy was considered rare.
There might be other reasons for the low quantity of Blood Poppy used. It might be potent enough in small doses to be sufficient for the end product. Or, perhaps, adding Blood Poppy past a certain amount negated the effects of the other ingredients in Magic Poppy, countering its effectiveness.
That left the question of whether the Blood Poppy would help his current dilemma or make it worse.
Desperate times.
“At this point, it couldn’t hurt.”
She walked to the table and picked up the last vial. “This is labeled BP, so it’s only a guess that it’s Blood Poppy.”
“I’ll risk it.”
She glanced toward the door. “Did you hear something?” She closed her fist around the vial and ran to the door, carrying the waste bin, and peeked out. Then she disappeared into the hallway but returned after a few seconds and set the emptied bin next to the table. “We don’t have much time. They’ll come looking for me soon if I’m not at the stairs.”
She opened the vial. “You’re sure about this?”
He was caught in her worried gaze. The smoky blue ring around her hazel eyes was more pronounced today. Was it impacted by emotions?
He nodded, and he kept his eyes on her as she poured the thick liquid on his tongue, waiting patiently for the last drop to leave the glass tube. She shoved the vial in her pocket.
“Before you go, tell me the layout of the place. Do you know where the command center is?”
