45. Katya
45
R aiden’s eyes fly open, and he lets out a scream, but Leina and I manage to keep him down between the two of us. I wiggle the metal in his neck a bit just to torment him before I remove it. Blood blooms from the newly formed wound, and I quickly wrap my lips around it and drink.
Raiden’s blood is thick and metallic and thoroughly disgusting as it fills my mouth. My gag reflex kicks in, my body trying to purge the foul liquid before it makes it into my belly, and it takes all my self-control to push past that awful, queasy feeling and swallow.
That’s when everything changes.
That sharp metallic taste morphs into something savory and salty, the thick, viscous texture taking on a creamy quality, like a decadent gravy. That familiar buzzing begins under my skin, just a tingle at first, then growing and growing until it’s like I have a billion angry bees fighting to find a way out of my body. Strangely, it doesn’t hurt. In fact, I’m feeling stronger by the minute. Reluctantly, I release Raiden’s neck and he sags back against the floor. His chest is moving up and down, so he isn’t dead, but judging by the parlor of his skin, I’d say he came pretty close.
“Y-you’re one of them?” Leina asks, her eyes wide and unblinking.
“I honestly don’t know what I am.” I swipe the back of my hand across my lips to remove the residual blood. “But I certainly can appreciate the irony.” Pushing to my feet, I hold a hand out to Leina. “Let’s do this.”