Chapter 42
With Saints, reapers, and gangsters gathering in a holy place, Layla began to believe they were indicative of something greater. That perhaps they all did have something better than death to look forward to.
Dr. Gray stood at the front of the room with a syringe and a small glass test bottle in her hands.
“The idea behind this science is that the poison acts as a sort of controlling agent to make anyone who ingests it angrier and more volatile. It would work in a similar way to reaper venom, where once a human is bitten, they are drawn to the reaper who bit them and feel an indescribable urge to serve them.” A few murmurs of disgust and apprehension rumbled through the crowd as Dr. Gray paused.
When she continued, they fell silent again, attentive and fully engaged.
“After witnessing several attacks and responses to the poison, I have reason to believe that tethers will make the poison survivable. If a reaper takes the poison after having fed from a human, their tether to the human will keep them alive, even after the effects of the poison wear off. Karine was mostly using Sena’s blood to raise the dead and turn reapers and humans into worse creatures.
She will use her own blood now, even if it means her life is more vulnerable.
So as long as we can get to her and neutralize her blood, or any potential human tether she is using to ground herself, maybe the war will not be so devastating.
My research—including a newer working cure—remains at the lab.
We need Karine gone so that I may continue to work on it and hopefully help Harlem heal.
That being said, our partnership is imperative.
You might be able to overcome an army of evolved reapers and raised dead by allowing yourselves to descend into the viciousness you’ve fought so hard to not become. ”
An eruption of disbelief seemed to barrel through the room.
From reapers to gangsters, everyone had a different option to voice.
None of whom were particularly thrilled.
Layla made her way to the front of the room and stood beside Dr. Gray.
Her presence acted as a calming agent. The crowd went silent while they watched her, eyes still hopeful and whispers still begging for a better alternative.
“I know this is terrifying, but we have to be receptive to some ideas. Karine is already closing in on Harlem. Many of our own have died at her hands, and she will continue if we do not stop her.” Layla gestured across the crowd. “Every reaper needs to find a human to pair with.”
There was hesitation at first, but eventually, everyone complied.
Layla sensed Elise’s nerves while she pulled her sleeve back to allow Dr. Gray to insert the needle in her arm.
They had shared a moment beforehand, where Layla had taken the smallest amount of blood from her.
She’d kissed her neck afterward, smiling as Elise blushed at the red still staining her lips.
Layla nodded to Dr. Gray, who brought the poison over in a small glass bottle. Elise cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Layla. “Remember when you used to crave my blood?”
Layla eyed Elise, and her face softened after noticing the badly hidden disappointment in her eyes. “Not just your blood. I crave you. Don’t worry—I can go back to making you my personal blood supply if that’s what you want.”
“Shut up,” Elise scoffed, but a smile found its way onto her face. She swallowed while Dr. Gray drew closer with the needle. “Are you sure about this?”
Layla glanced over at the waiting crowd, stopping on Sterling and Jamie by the front.
Jamie hovered over Nicoletta, who stared up at him from her relaxed position in her chair.
Sterling stood beside the gangster, his hand brushing down Jamie’s arm while Nicoletta smiled at them both.
Her crew took up space behind her, all of them looking rather impressed with the level of willingness in everyone.
“It’s a smaller dose, so she should have no side effects,” Dr. Gray assured them.
Layla shoved down all her doubts—each measure of conflict untangling in her eyes. She settled her gaze back on Elise and nodded.
One by one, every reaper bonded to a human by blood made the transition.
And just as Dr. Gray and Layla had theorized, they survived the poison.
For a long, heart-stopping seven minutes, reapers turned into evolved monsters.
But they remained more sentient than the evolved reapers Layla had fought before.
Under Stephen’s poison, Layla had wanted nothing but blood.
Now she could think more clearly and curb most violent urges that arose with the effects of Dr. Gray’s new poison.
Chest tight and brow damp with sweat, Layla settled beside Elise after turning back to her regular reaper state. “Are you okay?” Her eyes lingered on Elise’s hand, which had gone still while hovering over her bite wound.
“It’s just…strange,” Elise said quietly. “Knowing Karine will start a war the moment that sun goes down.”
Layla took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “To war then.”