Chapter 6 #3
Pulling the longer of my four necklaces out of the collar of my shirt I finger the chain until I find the charm I’m looking for. Unscrewing the bottom from the main chain, I pull the small vial containing a bit of powder.
Bending down so I’m eye level with Jullia I grab her chin and face her to me. Her face is just as red and blotchy as it was when she saw my scars. Tears running tracks down her cheeks as her hands stay gripping to Asher’s.
“He’s going to be fine, Jullia.”
I enunciate each word so she will clearly understand them but she frowns anyway.
“How can you say that when he looks – “
“Because,” I interrupt. “I’m going to help him. At the brothel I was more or less an apothecary. I can speed up his healing.”
She sniffs and backs away to let me have better access to him. So trusting with her eyes begging me to help him. Even though he’ll probably be fine, though it may take days longer for him to heal when it should only take moments.
Scooting closer to the bed I wait till Asher’s eyes are on me.
“Who’s blood is mixed in?” He shakes his head but I scoff at the action. “I don’t care who hit you, I’m sure Jullia will make you tell her later. I need to know because whoever’s blood that is is slowing your body’s healing rate.”
He cracks his lips open and croaks, “I’ll be fine.”
Jullia gasps behind me but I wave my hand at her to be quiet. Fine. I don’t actually need to know who’s blood it is. I’m mainly curious as to who’s it could be. To be able to use it to control an aspect of someone else. Plus, it smells like divinity. I wish I could taste it.
Raising up on my knees I hold out the small vile.
“This is rucksile.” His eyes widen at that and I understand why.
“If you drink this with my blood it’ll neutralize whoever’s blood is in your system and help regulate your body’s normal healing.
” Glancing over at Jullia I ask, “Can he drink some of my blood? I won’t drink any of his.
Or would you prefer he drink from you? He still needs at least a mouthful of mine but then – “
“It’s fine,” Jullia rushes out. Flinging her hands at me. “Just help him, please. He should have already been healed by now and he looks like he’s still bleeding.”
Turning back to Asher, I ask, “Are you okay with drinking from me?”
He makes a gurgled sound and I wonder if part of his jaw is broken or if it’s the cuts on his throat.
Either way, I take that as confirmation and bring my wrist up to my mouth.
Pulling my sleeve back I feel eyes on the scars peeking out but I don’t pay that any mind as I drag my wrist under one of my fangs.
The prick barely registers and the scent of my blood mixes with Asher’s and whoever else’s is there. Lifting the vile over Asher’s mouth he opens and I pour the powder in. His face twists but I hold my wrist over and let the trail of blood fall into his mouth.
He groans in the back of his throat as I watch him swallow. Then he swallows again, and again, until the trail turns into a light drip and Asher is able to move his arms. Faster than a blink of an eye his hands wrap around my wrist and his fangs are embedded half in my wrist, half in my palm.
The first pull he takes is strong. I can feel every drop of blood flying through my veins and into his mouth.
My heart stays steady as I stay calm. He hasn’t released any venom from his fangs into me and I appreciate that.
Most beings who have fangs and drink blood have a poison within them.
It acts as both an aphrodisiac and a way to kill their prey.
It’s why blood sharing tends to be so personal.
But I’m surprised Asher has enough control himself to be able to control it.
When they’re younger, those with fangs can’t control the production of their venom and often times it’ll leak out of their teeth.
As you get older you learn to gain control of it, but even then there are sometimes when you can’t.
Like when you’re extremely wounded or on the verge of bloodlust.
The three of us watch as his wounds start stitching themselves up. The bones of his right arm – the one that hadn’t looked right – shift and crack. It must have been broken in some way. And lighter, we hear them throughout his ribs too.
Turning to look at Jullia her face is nearly white. Eyes wide as she watches Asher’s body right itself.
He takes another pull and then releases my arm. There’s still blood over his face, but at least all the wounds are closed. With both of my hands free I re-screw the vial back onto my chain. There are a few more, all differently shaped holding other little powders and tonics.
Sitting up, Asher doesn’t groan this time and flexes and stretches out his arms.
“Thank you.” His voice rough and coarse.
Jullia steps back up and points a finger in his face. “Who the fuck did that to you, Asher Rowsan Ruleten? I swear to the goddesses I will strangle you right here right now if you do not give me a name and a reason for why the fuck you look like this.”
He winces and looks away from her. Though his eyes do glance at me before snapping away.
Standing up, I back away from him and try to distance myself from the blood still on his face. An irrational urge to lick it off his face crosses my mind but I am not a dog and I am not going to hit that kind of low.
“There are only three ways for someone to control someone else through their blood,” I announce.
Asher winces again as Jullia and Hanna look at me.
“The first way is if you’re a blood witch.
That was one of their specialties. The second is if a being has that particular blood art.
With that, only the high fae, vampyr, some devils, and blood demons are able to be born with that kind of magic.
The last is if a blood tie is cemented between someone who can already use that particular blood art. ”
Jullia whips her head back to Asher. “Thorne’s a blood demon. He wanted to talk to you Monday. You said it was house stuff, but you also had a meeting with him this morning.”
Asher sighs and then gives me a pained look. Hunching his back he lets his face fall into his hands and rests his elbows onto his knees.
“I’m so sorry, Mavyn,” he sighs.
For some reason I felt like after everything that had happened Monday this week was going by too smoothly. Still, I had wished.