Chapter 36 #2
Backing away, she processed the information.
Parasites. With the vampire’s regenerative ability, the organisms must have been able to persist inside the eyeball because they were isolated from the immune system.
Whatever healing VanFliet’s body did during sleep was undone each day, his eyes damaged over and over.
She knew what was wrong, but she couldn’t imagine the horror of it.
There was probably no way to get him treatment— in this world.
A witch like Serina might be able to pop Gemma back to her world so she could get a drug that could help.
“Do you have some level of vision when you first wake up and then it worsens through the day?”
“You’re a medicinal,” he whispered. “Skarde turned a medicinal. Holy fuck. There’s never been one of you made into one of us.
It’s genius. We need this as a species. Is that why he chose you?
” He cleared his throat and, in a less awed and far more pissy tone, said, “Yes, it worsens as the night goes on. What is it?”
“Smart of you to use the bugs to help you see.”
A cocky smile teased his lips. “I thought so too.”
She nibbled on her lip. “I’m pretty sure I know what’s wrong.”
“What the hell is it?” He took a step toward her. His insects were back to crawling around him. Gross.
She backed up. “The good news is, it’s potentially treatable.”
“Potentially? What magic do I need to ingest or do to get rid of it?”
“There’s no magic involved. You need medicine.”
He grabbed her by the hair and put his knife to her throat.
Her heart thrashed against her ribs so hard it hurt. “Are you going to kill the only person who might know what’s going on and how to make it better?”
“Maybe I’m going to bite you. You smell good and based on my experience, there’s nothing better than vampire blood. Tell me what plagues me and how to treat it.”
“I’ll make you a deal. No biting. You don’t take me to Petra and you don’t help her get all those crystals together.
Nothing she can do will help you. Besides, even if she knew how to help, she’s selfish.
I’ve never seen…er, heard of her doing something for anyone else.
If she says she can help you, ask her what she thinks is wrong before she tries something that might make it worse.
In exchange for all that, I’ll try to help you. ”
“I can’t do all that for a promise to try. You might be bullshitting me.”
“That’s possible. But I’m not bullshitting you.
I feel confident I understand what’s wrong with you.
I might not be able to miraculously fix your sight, although I may be able to get rid of the underlying issue.
Then we can see what your regenerative abilities can do.
Maybe, with some powerful blood, you’ll heal. ”
His focus shifted to her neck.
She said, “Maybe…and it’s a huge maybe, I might be persuaded to share some of my blood. But I need more from you before I tell you what I think is going on.”
He yanked her hair tighter, but didn’t use the knife he held so close to her neck. “I’ll do what I can with regard to Petra, but it’s complicated.”
“Let me go.”
He released her hair but didn’t remove the knife.
“There are parasites—worms—trapped inside your eyes. I think they cause retinal damage every day. That’s damage to the part of your eye that processes vision. Overnight, when your body can really focus on healing, it has been able to repair some of the damage. I’m so sorry. It’s got to be awful.”
“Worms? And the treatment?”
“In my world…no, she called it a realm… Anyway, where I’m from there’s a medicine humans take to get rid of this.
But there are several problems with the medicine.
First, I don’t know if the treatment will work on a vampire.
Second, I don’t know whether there may be permanent damage.
I think the treatment is worth trying. You would swallow a few pills and get better.
Maybe better enough not to need the bugs. That sounds worth it to me.”
“How do we get this medicine?”
“That’s the third problem. I have to find a mage or witch who can create a portal to my realm.
I can’t be the one who goes to get it. My journey here was one-way.
I’ll have to bargain with someone to go and find it for me.
” She pushed on VanFliet’s hand, lowering the knife away from her neck.
“I’d like to try to get the medicine so you can get better.
There is one herb that might help until I can figure out how to travel back to my world to get the drug.
It’s called wormwood, but I’m not sure it exists here. ”
Horses surrounded them.
“You found her for me. Excellent.” Petra’s cackling laugh accompanied the announcement.
VanFliet banded an arm around Gemma’s waist, moved behind her, and put the knife back at her throat. He whispered to Gemma, “We have an accord. She doesn’t know what you are.”
Gemma whispered back, “Skarde will come.”
“Not before this goes south. He’ll be too late to prevent the crystals bringing forth a plague from hell.” VanFliet sounded disappointed, lacking the taunting we-win tone she had expected to hear.
Whose side was he on?
VanFliet might not be in collusion with Petra? He might actually be against her. That meant the witch somehow controlled him, that perhaps he wasn’t sleeping with her. They never had shown them having sex on the show.
Petra slid off her horse. She shook water off her jacket and out of her skirt. Why would she wear a skirt in the rain? Gemma didn’t understand the lack of common clothing sense in this world.
With a smirk, Petra sauntered toward her and lifted the crystal from around Gemma’s neck. “Finally.”
If this had been a work of television fiction the witch would’ve yanked it off, but the chain was far too strong for that. Petra pushed VanFliet’s knife hand out of the way and pulled the chain over Gemma’s head before placing her hand over Gemma’s chest.
For a moment nothing happened. She grabbed Gemma’s wrist and used a knife to remove the bracelet. The witch’s hand returned to Gemma’s chest along with a tugging sensation, which tore through her as if the other woman was trying to rip her heart out.
VanFliet yanked her away from Petra’s hand. “She’s more useful intact. I thought you said the summoned will want a vessel. They’ll go for the strongest one nearby.”
Did the vampire just volunteer her for a demon possession?
“We’ll use your place, VanFliet. Let’s go summon forth my demons.” She touched Gemma’s head. Gemma jolted as if she’d stuck her hand in an electrical socket.
Then nothing.