Page 56 of Savage Blood
Fane sighed and moved toward them, his footsteps somehow silent even though the old boards should have groaned under his weight. “Saint’s right. You two can fight all you want when we get back to Earth.”
Ruin rubbed his face. “I’m such a popular guy. I’ll have to start a list of who wants to kick my ass or kill me.”
“You can add me to it,” Enid called from her spot on the couch, pulling her blond hair into a low ponytail. “And most of the shifter population in Georgia too.”
The high demon gave a charming smile, widening the split in his lip. “Being murdered by an angry shifter or friend is far better than any fate Barric had in store for me. I’d rather not let those psychos steal more of my power.”
Hawk came to my side and offered me a bite of his protein bar. “I’m pretty sure Logan doesn’t consider you guys friends anymore.”
Ruin scowled. “Why are you here? Don’t ravens have far more righteous things to do than save nightworlders from other nightworlders?”
“I go where I’m needed.” Hawk tossed his arm over my shoulders and winked. “And wanted. Unlike a certain former demon lord.”
Ruin opened his mouth, but his eyes glazed over, and his expression slackened.
Logan motioned toward the silent high demon. “What’s that about?”
Wrath snorted. “My brother broke his formerly steadfast rule and created a bond with someone.”
“Who?”
Ruin raised his hand to quiet everyone. “Roxie says Barric has everyone preoccupied with performing a ritual on the dead Collective Nosterium members.”
“Roxie?” Logan’s mouth dropped. “Are you shitting me?”
Alicia reached for her water on the coffee table, wincing from the wounds in her leg. “What kind of ritual?”
“To suck any remaining power and energy from them.” Ruin snorted. “Barric is desperate now that he’s lost Tate and me. He couldn't care less about losing a half dozen members.”
I took another bite of Hawk’s bar and passed it back to him. “While they’re busy, we should make a run for the door.”
Saint nodded. “This could be our best shot.”
The candlelit room blurred suddenly, and sickness roiled through my stomach. I dropped to my knees like a bag of bricks as warm liquid poured out of my nose.
Oh hell.
“Tate!”Panic surrounded Fane’s voice in my head and seconds later, his rough hands ran over me.“What the fuck?”
He hadn’t seen this happen yet, not like Ruin, Enid, and Alicia had. Fane didn’t know how badly the sickness affected me now.
Black veins spiderwebbed across my arms and slinked all the way up my neck. Tremors raced through me, and as I hunched over coughing, black liquid splattered the wooden planks.
The terror now gripping Fane rippled through our bond, and I reached out for him, longing to take his emotional pain even while this sickness tore me apart.
“Don’t even think about it,” he hissed, knowing what I was on the verge of doing.
“What’s happening to her?” Saint knelt on my other side, his silver eyes full of worry.
Ruin’s bare feet—Wrath refused to give him a pair of boots—appeared in my eyeline. “It’s the broken bit of the Infernal Sol attacking her.”
“This isn’t the first time this has happened, is it?” Fane asked.
“No.” Ruin motioned toward Hawk. “Get her some water.”
Moments later, Hawk pressed a bottle to my lips and helped me take a few small sips. For shit’s sake, I hated feeling like a victim.
“I’m fine,” I muttered, heat rising to my cheeks.
