Page 12 of A Heart Of Bitter Poison
Cole reaches across the island and uncaps the thermos, pouring the blood into a ceramic mug. I watch his eyes as his focus stays on the viscous liquid, a soft smile lifting the corners of his lips. When he meets my gaze, his smile brightens.
“Here,” he says, pushing the mug across the counter. “You’ll feel better if you drink this.”
I don’t think I will, but I give him a weak smile of thanks anyway.
Cole watches my hand as I raise my mug to my lips and take a sip. He nods toward my fingers. “Ediye said you should have started healing by now.”
I keep my eyes on Cole and give a slight nod.
“Any ideas why it’s not working?”
I shake my head as he passes me a pen and a few sheets of printer paper. My movement is slow as I write. The pressure of the pen against my skin angers the raw, empty beds of my nails.
Maybe it’s the witch’s serum Semyon gave me. Maybe because the process of hybridization hasn’t been completed, I write, showing Cole my note.
“Maybe,” he says, but his tone is doubtful.
A slow but weak smile pulls at the edges of my lips.Or maybe my labia is taking up too much energy fighting to not become a parachute.
I show Cole my note and his head tilts, his eyes narrowing in question.
Did you not see the hybrid’s enormous dick?
Cole’s eyes narrow further and he looks at me as though I’ve grown a second head.
I sigh, realizing That Asshat Reaper Motherfucker probably would have gotten it. He might have even laughed. No, hedefinitelywould have laughed, or at least come back with some dry retort that would only make me try harder.
Never mind.
Cole is silent for a long moment as he watches me drink. The sound and smell of eggs sizzling in the pan drifts through the kitchen and Eryx puts some bread down in the toaster. Again I think of That Asshat, this time remembering his love of butter. I never thought I’d be out of the dungeon in the Shadow Realm, so it never occurred to me to prepare for memories I didn’t want to relive. Every little one feels like a shard of steel to the heart, even sharper when I’m not ready for the strike. I look into my cup and sigh again.
“Cheer up, Lu. It can only get better from here,” Eryx says, casting me a bright smile over his shoulder before turning back to his pan. The tips of his wings clink across the ceramic floor. I exchange a dubious glance with Cole and he shrugs. I’m not so sure of Eryx’s angelic optimism. After all, I don’t even feel that much better with all the blood I’ve consumed, only less hungry. That perpetual glaze of sweat still coats my skin and my head pulses with a ceaseless ache. Not a great sign of things to come.
“We need to find someone that can help you,” Cole says after a long moment watching me in silence as Eryx plates up Ediye’s food.
“The apothecary in Cairo. He might have some ideas,” Ediye says as she enters the kitchen. She squeezes the water from her hair with a towel. “He likes Lu and he’s partial to vampires. And if he can’t help, I’m betting he’d be able to direct us where to start.”
CERTAIN PEOPLE might figure we’ll head there. Too dangerous, I sign to her, shaking my head with a solemn glare as she puts a voice to my words for Cole and Eryx.
“Is there someone else who can help? Another apothecary you can think of?” Cole asks, turning his gaze to Ediye as she takes her plate from Eryx and sits next to me.
“If there is, I would only trust Mr. Hassan’s recommendation.” she says.
“Well, it’s not like we can go back to the Shadow Realm to take the corridor there, so it will need to be a commercial flight,” Cole says as he looks me over with a doubtful quirk of his brows. “Can you hold your shit together for that many hours in a tin can in the sky stocked with a human buffet?”
Eryx laughs, the sound like wind chimes warmed by the summer sun. I almost sigh at the way it brightens the room. His beautiful face glows with the spark of an idea. “Don’t be silly, Cole. Lu has the freedom of the Realm of Light. I can take her to Cairo through our portal in Blue Falls.”
I look between Eryx and Cole. “That could work,” Cole says, nodding. He turns his attention toward Ediye as she devours the omelet. “I pulled in some favors among witches and gathered some supplies. They’re in your bag.”
Ediye nods, not taking her eyes from her food. “I saw. Thank you. It’s a good start.”
“Your grimoire and all your supplies were burned, correct?”
Ediye shakes her head around a mouthful of toast. “I have backups of lesser-used spells and rarer supplies hidden in Fairfield.”
“Excellent. Eryx, you take Lu to Blue Falls in the morning and get her to Cairo. Ediye and I will go to Fairfield and gather up what she needs then meet you there.”
Ediye’s chewing slows and we exchange a heavy look. Aside from my daily excursions with Gallus to the torture chamber, we haven’t spent any time apart since we were captured. I know she doesn’t like the idea of separating any more than I do. But her onyx eyes flow over the unhealed bruises and cuts on my face. The slime of sweat that still covers my skin. Ediye swallows her bite of toast and gives me a resigned nod. I can see what she’s thinking, that it’s the best plan we’ve got.
