Quinn #2
“Magically imbuing a treatment tends to work best when the antiviral compounds are derived from natural sources,” Dolion said, his tone clinical.
“For example, we keep a store of water taken directly from the Source itself—and yes, the current supply is low, since it was last restocked by Queen Amerie. Perhaps if it’s able to save the High Queen, she’ll be able to visit the site of the Choosing for a fresh supply.
” There was a strange look on his face as he turned around.
“The virus really is quite genius, given that her own healing abilities can’t save her. ”
“That’s not exactly the word I would use,” Tobias said, his words so low they were almost a growl.
While I understood Dolion was only talking about the science, his phrasing was callous if not cruel, intentional or not. If Dolion wasn’t careful, Tobias might finally lose control.
After all, his magic had laid bare the truth beneath his composure—the tension crackling under the surface, threatening to scorch his restraint. As much as I wanted to be there when that particular dam broke, this wasn’t the time or place.
“There is a certain irony to it,” Dolion continued as though he hadn’t heard him. “That the very magic she needs to save herself is being blocked from her use. There’s a certain forethought in his creation that I’m forced to admire purely from a medical point of view.”
Tobias’s face hardened, but it was the light intensifying in his eyes that made me step in between them. My hands rested on my hips. “Let’s see what we can do to ruin all his hard work then.”
Tobias’s jaw flexed but he stepped back, rolling his shoulders. His lips pressed in a tight line as he turned away.
Dolion launched into a long-winded explanation of the common elements we would work through today.
I nodded along, already setting up my station.
He had brought a range of known compounds to test for effectiveness, though we both knew the virus Silvius created was far too unique.
We would have to design something new—though with luck, we could build on an existing compound to save time.
Our first step was to prepare test tube samples for each compound, diluting the virus I had isolated to a concentration suitable for controlled testing.
The monotonous task left far too much time to think.
Rivan had promised me last night that he would share updates, especially if they were successful in their search for Silvius. The fact that Silvius had been here, in the Enclave, sent a shudder through me that had nothing to do with the temperature control of the lab.
The thought that someone here might be helping him made me want to hit something.
How could Aviel’s followers be foolish enough to continue helping Silvius? Were they so bent on revenge for their so-called True King that they refused to see that Aviel had only ever cared about himself?
He hadn’t spared a second thought for his followers other than what they could do for his own power, that much was obvious in how expendable they were to him. Now Silvius was drawing on the same fanaticism that had kept those supporters willfully blind to the monster they had anointed their savior.
A knock shattered the silence. I swore under my breath as I nearly dropped the compound I was working with.
Dolion hurried to the door, opening it a crack.
“The queen requests a consult,” said a male voice.
Dolion bristled with annoyance. “I’ll be back shortly.”
The moment the door closed, I walked over to Dolion’s workstation like my feet were being drawn there. Everything was as we discussed. And yet, there was something in the back of my mind that made me pause, a truth my subconscious was begging me to piece together.
Tobias’s blood was being used as a control of sorts, a test of its targeting and transmutability.
Something deep and long suppressed clawed its way to my fingertips, reaching for his blood.
I closed my eyes, instinctively pushing the impulse away even as warning bells blared in my head for an entirely different reason.
It was so, so dangerous, what we were doing here. Worse, there would be no one to blame but myself if his or Eva’s blood fell into the wrong hands.
If Silvius stole it, Tobias could be infected, or worse.
I couldn’t help but think of how Aviel had taken Tobias’s blood to forge a bloodlink—the forbidden blood magic allowing him to haunt Eva’s dreams. And he had stolen Tobias’s magic for years to keep up the pretense of a Celestial prince.
I knew from Eva how agonizing that process was, and Aviel hadn’t drained her magic nearly as often as her brother.
That thought stopped me dead in my tracks.
Was that why Tobias didn’t want to use his magic? Because of how it had been used against him?
There was a soft footfall behind me—the sound of someone who knew how to be silent letting me know he was there. I kept my back to him, not wanting him to see the horror on my face as I thought my hypothesis through to its inevitable conclusion.
Tobias had spent years in that dungeon having his magic torn from him, then forced to silently watch behind his mask as Aviel used it to kill others. And he had been tortured repeatedly by the same burning light he now seemed reluctant to use.
No, not just reluctant. He was afraid.
My blood boiled in my veins, my sudden fury blinding me. My vision turned red as something inside me fought to be unleashed.
“What are you thinking?” Tobias’s wary voice broke into my thoughts. I tensed as he came to my side.
I kept my eyes downcast, knowing exactly what he would see in them. “It…it doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t tell me it’s nothing,” Tobias said dismissively. “I saw your face when you walked over. I’ve known you too long not to recognize the look you get when you have an idea.”
I kept my gaze fixed on the vials in front of me, trying to stifle the proof of my fury—and praying he wouldn’t look too closely. “And what look is that?”
“Your lips press together, and you get that little line between your brows as your eyes go far away. Then you start to smile as you figure it out…” Tobias’s mouth snapped shut, like he had said more than he had meant to.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand reach up to scratch the back of his neck in a rare show of discomfort.
“Since you’re not smiling yet, how about you let me help? ”
So much for not looking too closely.
“I was actually thinking I could use some lunch,” I lied. “Would you mind bringing me back something again?”
What I needed was him to leave before I either confronted him or revealed something far worse. What I needed was to stop having to hide from him. But he could never know—not if I wanted him to trust me.
Silence stretched between us before he cooly replied, “Of course.”
I walked back to my workstation and picked up a random test tube, trying to look busy.
“Just knock when you’re back.” Was it my imagination, or did my voice sound higher pitched than usual? “I can eat in the hallway so we can waste as little time as possible.”
His gaze scorched a path across the side of my face before he walked away. I let out an audible sigh of relief when the iron door closed.
Tobias wasn’t the only one who imminently needed to expel unwanted power.