Page 18 of Halfblood Deceived

The petite fey female with wild yellow-green short hair and sharp ears came to a stop right next to Zeydan. She placed a small, light brown hand on the center of his chest, right above his heart. Her verdant magic flared, sending awareness vines around and within him. She pursed her lips, still looking at her tablet. “Hmm, much better.”

“How can you tell if you aren’t even looking at him?” Andreas asked, arching a thick, black brow.

Mari dropped her hand from Zeydan’s chest and jumped to sit in the tall hospital bed next to him. “I have no time to hold this ridiculous conversation with you again, Andreas. My brain is simply much larger than yours. Deal with it.”

Zeydan suppressed a laugh.

While that was physically impossible, since Mari was dainty and a whole foot smaller than Andreas, it was true in terms of intelligence and there was no argument there.

Andreas very maturely imitated Mari’s delicate voice. “My brain is so large—”

She lifted a finger and shot a spark of green magic at Andreas that he barely dodged. It hit the white wall, creating a violently puke-colored mark that wouldn’t vanish in weeks no matter how much soap and bleach it was rubbed with. Better than Andreas’s face in any case, as it had happened once before.

Zeydan snorted, which prompted another coughing fit. Andreas didn’t make a move to pour him water this time.

Mari rubbed a hand on Zeydan’s back in soothing, healing-magic-charged circles until his cough subsided. She set down the tablet beside her, tilting her head in her familiar ‘how should I phrase this for idiots?’ way. “The grenade was a mix of weaponized UV light, particles of cursed silver, cyanide, and other components far too sophisticated to explain them to you two, but suffice to say, they are synthetic and engineered to block regeneration in vampires.”

Andreas cursed. “So, the stony bastards’ experimentation habits have been fruitful, and we’re royally fucked.”

Mari blinked. “Simplifying it, yes. But I am striving to find an antidote, and I won’t give up until I do.”

“Is the poison toxic for half-human gargoyles?” Zeydan asked.

Andreas narrowed his eyes at him.

Mari pursed her lips and hummed. “Somewhat. Mostly because of the cyanide, but non-lethal.” She blinked at Zeydan. “Why do you ask?”

“Because he nearly got caught by the gargoyles for trying to save the stony bitch that they sent to lure him into a trap,” Andreas answered.

A low growl crawled from Zeydan’s raw throat. “There is no need for you to insult her, so watch that mouth.”

Andreas growled back. “She almost got you killed, you idiot. That’s a good enough fucking reason. And her fucking clan kidnapped, and no doubt tortured Shawn to get information about you out of him.”

Zeydan sighed, pressing his palm against his forehead. He was divided between Andreas’ unorthodox way of showing he cared about his fate, his anger at the gargoyles, and the grudging curiosity he felt for Aella. He lowered his hand and gave Andreas the firmest look he could manage with the vicious, pulsing headache. “Her name is Aella. Stick to that.”

Andreas’s jaw worked, but he nodded curtly.

Mari watched the exchange with curiosity. “I’m certain Aella will recover at the same speed you will, Zeydan.”

Zeydan gave Mari’s shoulder a soft pat. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” she answered with an easy smile. “Drink the potions I’ve left for you on the table, feed, and rest. You should be better in a day or so.”

Zeydan nodded.

Mari exchanged a glare with Andreas before taking her tablet, jumping off the bed, and leaving.

“Any other kidnappings tonight?” Zeydan asked.

Andreas shook his head. “No.” He cursed. “I shouldn’t have fled after they captured Shawn. I should have fought them—”

“You’d be dead, Andreas,” Zeydan cut him off. “And you are not to blame for Shawn’s recklessness. If he hadn’t left a trail of bodies for the gargoyles to find, he wouldn’t have gotten himself caught.”

Andreas had been hunting down Shawn, same as the gargoyles. The idiotic, sadistic vampire had killed several sex workers. He needed to die just for that. And quickly, before he exposed them all to the humans and drew attention from the gargoyles. But unfortunately, Andreas had found Shawn’s lair at the same time the gargoyles did. He had barely gotten away before they killed him or took him as they did Shawn.

“You have someone to live for,” Zeydan reminded Andreas.

The male took a deep breath and nodded. “I still think you should call for backup.”

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