Chapter 23 Pythoness
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
PYTHONESS
Ice crawls along my cheek. Subtle enough to almost escape notice—to believe I am simply sinking into a dream.
The cold draws down to my jaw, along my neck, my nape, and to where I was bitten. But the chill doesn’t linger. Instead, fingers caress my collarbone, and an exhale tickles my skin. “Aon nere ko su, kamai?” he murmurs.
With a deep breath, my eyes flutter open, and I sit up, touching my neck. The sensations fade, taking with them the words that sparked like flint hitting steel on a frigid night.
I tip my head back, and as I run my fingers through my blonde hair, I groan. Shit. It’s like I didn’t sleep at all. Dropping my hands, they slap against a piece of paper on my lap. Flicking it open, I take in the delicate cursive, which reads:
If you want a taste of freedom, join me tonight. This is my last offering.
The door to the bathroom slides open, and a Bleeder declares, “Feeder zero-zero-eight. It’s time for you to bathe.”
I scrunch the paper, crinkling the elegant words and tucking it into my gown as I rise.
“Can’t I bathe in here?”
“Not now.”
Jax and I are at odds again. His anger is hidden behind a tight smile as he approaches me in the mess, pressing his hand to my lower back. He leans in, firmly kisses my temple, and murmurs, “Did you have a good night with him?”
I pull away and glare at Jax. “Don’t,” I say, pushing my untouched food towards an eager Manni, Emily, and a beaming Cole. “Don’t ruin this.”
He shoots me a glare, his blue eyes narrowing into slits. “Then talk to me. I didn’t see you at all yesterday because you hid in your room, then you went to see him again.”
As I rise, I say to the others, “Eat. Enjoy.”
Manni looks at Jax, her eyes narrowing before her focus settles on me, and she says, “Are you sure?”
I nod.
Jax and I move to where Julien used to sit, away from prying ears. He slumps in his chair, leaning back comfortably, with his elbows perched on the backrest. But he is far from at ease. His muscles are locked, and he is more on edge than he wants to let on.
“I wanted answers,” I say. “About the tattoo and why he kept me alive.”
Jax makes a face. “That’s all?”
I don’t tell him about the cure. Or how I wanted to kiss the nightwalker. Both would be like drinking poison.
I press my lips together before saying, “He kept calling me something in their language. He still wouldn’t tell me what it meant.”
“Stop calling it a he. You’re humanising the bloodsucker.”
Another pang of hurt hits me, creating a hole big enough to drop a coin through. He would never understand if I dropped my glamour. To him, I’m an it.
My tongue flicks up across my fangs. “Sorry.”
Jax runs his hands through his hair and lets out an exaggerated sigh. “What did it call you?”
“Kami?” I say, shrugging a shoulder.
“Kamai.” Jax’s expression falls, and he fixes his gaze on my shoulder. “Can I see the tattoo? Emily said it blends with yours.”
My eyes narrow. “You know the nightwalker language?”
He leans closer, still looking at my shoulder. “I spent some time at the Prayer Sanctuary and picked up a few things from Leon, the slayer. Can I have a look?”
I nod. “The nightwalker mentioned it would fade in a few days, so I am not too worried about it anymore.”
“Does it?” he says, his brow furrowing.
I tilt my head to the side, hook my finger around my collar, and tug it to expose my shoulder and upper back, revealing the black, spined snake entwined with moonflowers.
A shallow breath escapes him, and bright blue eyes dilate, swallowing the colour until there is overwhelming darkness. “I didn’t know they were moonflowers.”
“You’ve seen them before,” I say, covering myself. “But I don’t like talking about them.”
His eyes settle on mine. “Another thing you will tell me when we’re out of here?”
“Yes.” Never.
Another sharp sigh. “Fuck me, Saya.”
“I expected those words in a different setting, but here we are. What is wrong with my tattoo?”
He moves closer, his hands cradling my cheeks, and our foreheads touching. “When we get out of here, let’s go far away. Fuck the settlement and fuck Naylen. You, Cole and I will carve out our own piece of paradise.”
“Why the change of heart?”
His fingers twitch. “I’d prefer not to have a nightwalker lurking around you in Naylen.
Besides, most settlements expect something in return for shelter.
I thought I could take on most of the hard work for us, but,”—Jax weaves his fingers into my hair—“I’d rather we set our own rules, you know? Fuck society.”
I don’t answer, my mind still reeling.
“Saya…” Hardened fingers brush against my cheeks, tilting my head up so I’m gazing into his eyes. “You’re still mine, aren’t you?”
His eyes narrow for a fleeting moment, and a sharpness flares in my nostrils. My mind goes to the letter tucked in my gown, and the nightwalker who saved me.
Jax isn’t giving me room for honesty.
He wants control.
“Of course,” I say, holding back the quaver threatening my voice. “Where will we go?”
“Anywhere but here. Anywhere away from those bloodsuckers and slayers. Maybe we can find a glider or a helicopter and fly over to one of the islands.” He leans up and kisses my temple while he runs his fingers through my hair.
“I heard Vennisle has found a way to keep nightwalkers out. Some new tech they got from Sylvar.”
Perfect…
“Where’s Vennisle?”
“An island off the coast of Grenvile.” Jax leans back, places his hands over mine and squeezes tightly. “We can be explorers.”
With a forced smile, I let him indulge his completely unrealistic plans. “The nightwalker told me something else, Jax. I know you are sceptical, but he—it—said the Hellsgate will open somewhere in Darkovish soon.”
Jax shakes his head. “The nightwalker is lying. There’s no such thing. More people would know about it if every decade the moon turned red and creatures crawled out of the fucking ground.”
An edge seeps into my tone when I say, “And what about the creature I saw?”
Jax lifts his chin, his hands tightening around mine. “What else did the nightwalker say?”
I frown. “It said that if I drank its blood, it would be able to help me when the Hellsgate opens.”
Jax shakes my hands once and says, “See! Nightwalkers are known for their trickery. They are an addiction until you are wholly lured into their trap. I bet it’s looking for a spawn.”
“A spawn?”
“Nightwalkers find someone they’re interested in and entice them until they are turned and become their spawn. After that, you won’t have any autonomy. You will be at the mercy of its wants and desires.” He cocks his head to the side, staring daggers at me. “You didn’t drink its blood, did you?”
“No…I didn’t,” I say, shaking my head, wanting to redirect the conversation. “Jax, why did you react so strangely about my tattoo?” His thumbs stop rubbing the back of my hands. “And what does kamai mean?”
His eyes narrow, then his jaw slackens and shoulders drop like he is about to tell me something, when a Bleeder appears. “Feeder zero-zero-eight, I’m here to escort you back to your room.”
I eye the sunlight beyond the tinted glass. “Can’t I go to the courtyard?”
When I look back at him, the Bleeder doesn’t answer.
Jax lets go of my hands and says, “I will tell you tomorrow. Have a good rest. I will watch over Cole.”
Irritation crawls up my spine, but I rise, and watch Jax and my brother as they make their way outside. With a sigh, I turn away and follow the Bleeder.
As I enter my room and scramble to the top bunk, the Bleeder waits by the door. He asks, “Are you seeing the god tonight?”
My hands glide down my gown to retrieve the letter, but I don’t read it again. Instead, I gaze up at the vent. Soft noises pierce my sensitive ears.
I want to see him, even though he is everything I hate about myself.
“Once more,” I say, resolve heavy on my tongue.