Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Once each one had been dosed, he screwed the lid back on. “I doubt such a small amount will cause lasting damage. Just get it out of your systems and my colleague and I will continue another day when—”
“No.” Roy cringed as he rubbed his stomach, looking nauseous as the ipecac started to work. “Draw four bags from each. Send it to the lab to start testing. I refuse to accept their blood is ruined. It has to be a glitch. It has to be.”
“Hang on. Four?” The scientist closest to Rook blanched. “That’s too many. They might not survive—”
“They will.” Pointing at me, Roy spat, “He did. Three bags never drained him like they would a normal man. Four. Do four. And not one less, do you hear me? We need as much as we can to figure out what the hell is going on.”
“Yes, sir.” The scientists shared a concerned look.
Staggering from the room, Roy Swift and the board members didn’t look back as four black-suited guards replaced them, taking up the spots against the wall and doing their best to ignore a puddle of vomit on the floor.
One made eye contact with me, tapping his watch as if waiting to drag us to our prison cell.
The scientists plugged in wireless headphones, then got to work inserting yet more needles into us.
I ordered non-existent fire to answer.
I tried to focus on their hearts.
And I couldn’t do a damn thing as they took one, two, three, four bags of disgustingly tarry blood from both of us.
Rook’s eyelashes fluttered as her head lolled.
Her thoughts went quiet as they took too much.
The same weakness that came for her, came for me, bringing its friends, nausea and dizziness.
Rook passed out.
I happily followed her, promising that when I woke up, I would kill them.
Chapter Twenty
“I REALLY DON’T THINK WE SHOULD.” Lucien’s soft voice sounded croaky and gruff as we sat cross-legged facing each other on the bed.
We’d woken a little while ago—lying side by side like twin corpses. It’d taken us an embarrassingly long time to get up the energy to sit upright, and an even longer time to get up the courage to try to eat, even though we knew what would happen if we did.
My head throbbed in time with my sluggish heartbeat. Every breath was too shallow, and my bones ached with a deep, grinding pain that had nothing to do with the frequency weapon, and everything to do with the fact that they’d drained me within an inch of my life.
I finally had firsthand knowledge of how Lucien felt the entire time he’d lived at Cinderkeep. My eyes met his and my heart fell all over again. No wonder he’d acted so warily around me back then. I’d been utterly oblivious to how much I’d meant to him or how my arrival had given him such hope. All while that hope had tortured him.
“You look as bad as I feel.” I smiled, fearing it came out more like a grimace.
He rubbed his neck self-consciously. His skin didn’t hold a single glimmer of golden fire. His eyes no hint of a scarlet ring.
We didn’t speak as our gaze drifted to the silver tray loaded with food on the white coverlet. Food clearly chosen for blood replenishment with thick slices of rare steak, honey-glazed pastries, dark chocolate, orange segments, grapes, and watermelon juice boxes.
Sugar and iron and salt. All things that my body absolutely craved.
Every instinct told me to dive in face first, but...we stared at the feast like it might bite us instead. We already knew what would happen if we ate but...
Bracing myself, I plucked a juicy grape off its stem. “Do you think it was a fluke what happened back in Brimstone or will we truly never be able to eat or drink again?” My empty stomach clenched as I rolled the grape on my palm. “Because the thought of never being able to enjoy another meal is too sad to contemplate.”
“I don’t know,” Lucien gruffed. “I hope not.” His eyes narrowed on the feast. “We should’ve died from thirst by now if we were normal. However...after we tripped into the dreamscape, the hunger pangs stopped. They’re back now though...” His exhausted eyes heated. “Along with that insatiable need to be with you.”
I blushed as matching lust kindled between my legs.
The longer we were awake, the more intense the desire became, but...I felt ridiculous wanting sex when we could barely sit upright. It didn’t make sense, yet I couldn’t deny I needed him on a deeper level than just an orgasm. “Are you saying sex has replaced food? That we could heal ourselves like last time if we got a little...frisky?”
He chuckled, wincing as he did his best not to move. His constant agony from the numerous broken bones throbbed down the bond.