Page 27 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

Rune sat next to me on one side; Sarah slid in place on the other.

“Nah, it’s even easier than that.” He unpacked a large silver bowl and what looked like a crystal Tupperware container containing a weird silver goo that made me think of the old-fashioned liquid mercury thermometers. “This is aether. We put it in the silver basin here, and then we add a drop of your blood. If nothing happens, you are human. If you are Nephilim…well, depending on your lineage, something will happen.”

“Awesome. Let’s get this over with. Can I go first?” I asked.

“Sure thing, just one sec.” Tabberius poured the liquid into the bowl and grabbed a large silver needle from the bag. “Sorry. I know this thing looks terrifying, but we only need a drop of blood. It just can’t touch anything other than silver, or it could interfere with the results.” He shrugged and held out his hand for mine.

I placed my hand in his, palm up, and he quickly pricked my middle finger with the needle and used it to suck up a fat drop of blood that swelled on my fingertip. He carefully brought it to the silver basin then dropped my blood into the metallic liquid.

Almost instantly, the aether turned darker, going deep gray and then solid black. The room filled with the smell of sulfur before the aether went back to silver.

“You, my dear, are Nephilim, and by how quickly it changed and how dark it became, I am guessing at least half demon.”

Something about hearing that just felt right. I don’t know why, I should have felt something, shock, excitement fear? Any of the big emotions that had been flooding me the last two days, instead I just felt a sense of calm, like coming home,

“I knew you were one of us, and now I really have no intentions of letting you get away,” Rune whispered in my ear as he wrapped both arms around me and pulled me into him.

My knees went weak with his warm arms around me and his hot breath against my neck. Maybe it explained why I was so much more responsive to his touch than anyone before him. Was this why seeing him the first time made me have such a powerful reaction?

“Okay, your turn?” Tabberius asked, offering his hand to Sarah.

She slowly reached her hand out, then snapped it back. “What if I don’t want to know?”

Tabberius offered her a reassuring smile. “Unfortunately, it’s too late for that. You must be tested. Once you know, it’s not the end of the world. Just more possibilities open to you.”

“Sarah, we know you didn’t ask for this, but because of who you work for, we have to test you,” Darrius said.

Tabberius raised an eyebrow at Darrius but didn’t press the issue.

Sarah offered her hand to Tabberius. I put my hand on Sarah’s leg, offering her support. Ride or die meant we were there to support each other no matter what was going on. After she blew me off last night, I knew she was mad, but I would always be there for her.

“Don’t worry. This will be over soon,” he assured her.

Murmur muttered something from behind her that sounded like, “Top ten things angels say to every date he brings home.”

Tabberius ignored the demon and focused only on Sarah. He took her hand and quickly pricked her finger.

The drop swelled and then fell into the aether. This time, the metallic liquid turned a bright white. The room filled with the scent of wisteria, floral and cloyingly, sickeningly sweet.

This was far worse than the acidic smell of the sulfur, and knowing Sarah, she probably thought so too. She always hated the smell of fake flowers. It made her think of the perfume her father sprayed when he was drunk.

Tabberius looked at Sarah with wide eyes and his mouth open. “You are also Nephilim but part powerful angel.”

Sarah yanked her hand back and ran out of the room with her head down.She hadn’t looked surprised; she looked guilty.

Sheknewwhat the test results would say.

She knew what she was, and instead of telling me last night, she’d shut me out completely.

How long had she known?

Why hadn’t she told me?

7

Do I Have Superpowers?!

Istared at the door after Sarah left, still shocked. I felt betrayed. Tears prickled behind my eyes, but I had to hold them back.

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