Chapter 40

40

LECTURE NOTES FROM IMMORTAL ANATOMY:

Similar to mortals, red blood cells replenish every 120 days. They are removed from circulation via the spleen and liver as the bone marrow produces more.

A midst the haze in her sleepy head, Thessa could hear two things on repeat:

1. Growling.

2. “Do not touch her.”

Searing, hot pain soared through her bones. The temperature was in clear competition with the sun, dotting her body with all the moisture her mouth lacked. Desperate to free herself from the unrelenting heat, Thessa thrashed.

Met with resistance, she blinked her eyes open to find worn, leather straps holding her down. She writhed in both agony and fear .

Above her, light shined through an unfamiliar ceiling of canvas, intricately painted with small herbs and flowers. Surely, someone who adored flora could not be evil, she thought. Then again, Quinnley was up for debate with her hemlock conjuring skills.

“Remove the straps, now.” Soren’s voice was unmistakable.

A kinder voice, one she couldn’t place, replied, “Yes, General Whitfield, right away.” Soft hands met the damp skin of her ankles. “Settle down dear, you’ll only make it worse.” One strap loosened before a female with heavy eyelids came into view. “Almost done, hold still, it was the only way to manage the tremors in your sleep.”

Thessa’s heart was racing. “Hot,” she cried, “I’m too hot.”

The unfamiliar female released the final strap around her chest and eyed Soren. “It’s time.”

Without hesitation, he knelt beside her, ripping into his flesh.

Jussal stepped into view, his face perturbed. “Son, there’s daggers for that.”

Soren snarled, “Get back . ” Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

Arms up in innocence, Jussal moved out of sight.

When Soren’s bloodied wrist flashed before her, she clutched his arm to her mouth, as if practiced. His blood was as nourishing as it was intoxicating. An animalistic sound escaped her before she latched onto him. He didn’t draw back, nor flinch.

More and more she drank, her discomfort subsiding with each sip. Breathing through her nose, she dug her teeth in and sucked.

Thessa peered up, drinking in silent gratitude. Soren’s gaze, set with worry and fatigue, rested on hers .

Jussal’s voice sounded from across the tent. “That ought to be enough, you’ll need your strength too.”

Soren’s head snapped. “Get out. Everyone.”

There were a series of footsteps and a whoosh of air before silence hissed. To Thessa’s relief, there wasn’t a serpent in sight.

Except for the snake himself.

Thessa eased off of his wrist, resisting the urge to lick her lips clean. “Do you have a cloth?”

“You’re worried about a mess?” Soren got up and spun toward the table lined with healing trinkets and potions, then presented her with water and something made of cotton.

After patting herself clean, she sat up to drink.Finishing the water with a sigh, she asked, “Lemon?”

“Milanny said it would help balance the stomach … from all the blood.” Soren put her cup aside and settled on the foot of her cot. “How do you feel?”

“I still hate you.”

He smashed his bloody lips together.

“Withholding any more lies?” she begged to know.

“I’m. Sorry.” The words came out in pieces, as if he himself was broken.

“Do you even know why you’re apologizing?”

“For not realizing sooner that I can trust you. It may not be a good excuse, but sharing anything, with anyone, is not something I do.”

Thessa crooked a brow. “I’ve learned that.”

“I promise I’ll earn your trust back. The half-truths end now.”

Why he wanted credit for telling partial truths was beyond her realm of understanding. “Your lies could’ve killed me. I thought I was dead.”

“Trust me, I’m reminded of that every time you breathe.” He leaned closer but she drew back. “I should’ve warned you about Echidna.”

“Echidna?”

“The serpent.” He eyed her punctured thigh for clarification.

The oversized fabric she wore hung in layers like a slitted tent, exposing her leg to him.His fingers trembled toward the wound, but she pulled her leg away, embracing the throb it cost her.

Soren clenched his fists into the bed linens.

“So it’s true then,” she said. “If you knew it was back there, why ever tell me that cave was safe?”

“It is safe,” he sighed. “I never thought you’d go back that far. Echidna only leaves her nest when the tide comes in fully. There’s a lot more I need to tell you—should have told you.”

Crossing her arms, she exclaimed, “Oh, this ought to be good.”

“Echidna is the same serpent from the experiment.”

Thessa’s head tilted. “Why am I not surprised?”

He continued, “We’re bonded, so as long as I live, she continues to live … past her lifespan. With that, she continues to grow … and mate.”

Her head was spinning. “There were hundreds of thousands of eggs in there, Soren. Certainly they’re bound to hatch and come slithering out of that serpentine tunnel at some point. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

The male who rarely slouched hung his shoulders heavy. “She said the same thing.”

Rubbing her temples didn’t subside her confusion. “Who?”

“Echidna. We can communicate with each other—through our bond. If I told her about you, none of this would’ve happened. ”

Told her? Soren had to be delirious.

“I’m not ill. The bond works similarly to the way I can hear your thoughts right now.”

Her eyes bulged.

He waved his arms in innocence. “Please don’t get mad. It’s just that you’ve had so much of my blood. It’ll wear off after the feedings stop.”

Thessa stitched her brows together. How? She didn’t bother speaking if she didn’t have to.

“The bond was unexpected, but something to do with the Manifestation Spell during the experiment. For completion it required Echidna’s blood, saliva, and venom. Right now, you’ve got a lot of all three.”

Explain why I’m feeding like a leech.

“After the experiment, my body went through a series of adaptations to survive. In turn, I’m your personal antidote. It’s why my serpents aren’t venomous. Her venom needs to work its way out of your system, and my blood is the only thing that will help you survive until that happens.”

“Then how did your mother and Sila survive the venom?”

“My father planned his experiments meticulously. He’d hunted the Black Sea Serpent before and gave its eggs to a healer. They developed the antidote, and he held a reserve—which is now burned.”

Why does it taste so good?

“I can’t answer for that.” He dared smirk.

She scowled. “When will I need more?”

“Hopefully you won’t. I fed you three times while you slept. This was the first time you opened your eyes in almost twenty hours.”

Disbelief settled over her. She eyed his forearms for a shred of proof. There was more than that. One wrist was covered in bandages and the other was freshly ravaged .

Thessa muttered an apology she didn’t mean. This was his fault.

Soren winced. “Stop. I’m going to make it right.”

“If it weren’t for that fanged beast, I would’ve gotten out of that cave. I thought I was dead.”

He exhaled slowly.

“As much as I want to kill her, she’s the only reason you made it out of that cave.”

She didn’t understand. “But you were the one to save me.”

“That’s not how it started.”

Thessa sat up a little taller. “Then you better start from the beginning.”

“Fine. You wanted space, remember?”

Thessa rolled her eyes at the memories of their argument. His lack of care for innocent lives had been her breaking point.

He shook his head. “If you want the truth, I was livid after you shouted, so I galloped Ares up the coast to cool off.”

You were brooding while I was drowning?

“I should’ve never left.”

“Well, you did. Then what happened?”

“Then I heard her,” he said. “First, the call was distress.”

“Echidna?”

He nodded. “When the signal shifted to fear, I knew something was wrong. By the time I got there, your body was bobbing on the surface of the water with Echidna weaving beneath you. I’ll never unsee it.”

Thessa was rubbing her temples in some desperate attempt to wake up from whatever nightmare she was having.

Soren continued, “I pulled you out from there.”

“Why would Echidna help me? She bit me.”

“She said your blood tasted different . ”

She scrunched her brows, still getting used to the idea that Soren had a personal relationship with a serpent.

“You’ll get used to it. Sila should be here soon, there are few things I need to organize before the evening meal. She was coming by to help take care of you.”

“Fine.”

Soren rose from her bed, hesitated awkwardly, then left.

The female who’d untethered her tiptoed in a moment later. “Hi, you can call me Milanny, I’m the healer in this quarter of camp. Are you feeling alright, dear?”

“Better, thank you.”

“I’ve never seen him like that, you know.”

“Like what?”

“Troubled. He didn’t rest once all evening, only ordered me to.”

The tent flaps flew open as Sila jogged in. “Thessa, I was so worried. I’m going to help you get washed up. I’m sure you’d like to join us for dinner, you must be starving.”

She wasn’t, she was angry, but still offered Sila a small smile. Sila reached her arm around Thessa’s waist, easing her onto her feet. Thessa could bear some weight on her mangled leg, but it still throbbed.

After a goodbye to Milanny, she rested her weight upon Sila, and hobbled out of the tent.

“So, you’ve met Echidna,” Sila whispered as they walked through camp.

“Indeed.”

“I’ve felt those fangs before, unfortunately.”

Thessa often recounted the horrors about the failed pregnancies—the ones she tried to forget.

Three males passed by and greeted Sila, sparing her from a response .

Sila continued, “Aside from the healer, and council, no one must know about her. Do you understand?”

“Why?”

“For one, no one knows about her. It’s just the way it is. From the council’s perspective, when everything else fails, the serpents will be our final defense.”

Thessa shook off the feeling of fangs plunging into her thigh. “So why not tell the rebellion about her, wouldn’t that inspire hope?”

“When you’ve watched our kind retreat on a battlefield, talk to me about hope.”

Thessa grew quiet. Sila was right. She knew nothing about battle. After a moment, she asked, “You anticipate we’ll lose?”

“I anticipate what may happen. As does our council.”

“Who, exactly, is part of this council?”

Sila hurled Thessa against a wall of a canvas as a cluster of children flew past them.

Thessa let out a small laugh. “Thank you, let’s not add being trampled by witchlings to my list of casualties.”

Continuing along the familiar path that led to the river, Sila said, “Aside from the general, myself and Jussal, there’s Brenneth, Sinclaire, and Christof. Brenneth is in charge of combat. Sinclaire is head of weaponry—I’m not sure if you two have been introduced yet. He’s a quiet male, keeps to himself, and his weapons. Then there’s Christof—the leader of the northern rebellion.”

“And what’s your position?”

“Magical training.”

Thessa’s brow lifted.

Sila continued, “I teach our young Shadows, then assign the young Celestials and Elementals with their respective teachers. You’ll have to help me recruit Francis by the way, he’s adept with fire; very controlled. ”

“I’ve learned that.”

“So you have. And so are you , Soren says.”

Thessa blushed. Trying to rid the feeling, she asked, “And Jussal?”

“He’s essentially the founder of all this.” Sila looked across the encampment with pride. “My home. Well, we pack up at first light for the Blood Moon move, but it’s home nonetheless.”

She quieted, unsure how Sila made a home for herself wherever she went. Thessa had been shuffled around her entire existence and never once felt comfortable enough to call someplace home.

When river mist tickled her toes, Thessa gripped the gravel. Sila helped her remove the oversized gown she wore, before pulling off her own dress. Thessa tried not to stare at the fang shaped scars across Sila’s abdomen, at least not long enough for her to notice.

Thessa refocused on the white and blue ribbons of water rushing past while Sila guided her in. Once they were chest deep, Thessa scrubbed her face clean. Then she dropped her head back, letting her hair drift with the current. The water was almost loud enough to block out her thoughts about all the venomous lies she’d been told.

“You okay?” Sila cut across her thoughts.

Thessa turned to face her and sighed. “Is there a reason lying comes so easily to him?”

While finger-combing her golden hair, Sila said, “As a council member, I can say the secrets we keep are not ours to share. But if you’re asking me as his stepmother … he’s nothing but a babbling fool around you. He would’ve lost his mind completely if the sea took you. Truthfully, I’m surprised he didn’t strangle Echidna.”

“He really likes that serpent? ”

Sila smiled, then gestured for Thessa to spin. “They have an interesting relationship.”

A smooth stone pressed into the grooves of her back, wedging into places she didn’t know existed. Thessa curved into Sila’s magical touch. “Your body has been through a lot in the last day.”

“No thanks to him ,” Thessa countered. “I’m not sure why it took a near death experience to learn I’m trustworthy.”

The stone lifted off her back as Sila said, “Me either.”

She spun around. “Am I foolish for trusting him?” For falling for him, she wanted to say. She scanned Sila’s face for the truth.

Sila swallowed before answering, “It’s bold of any female to trust a male wholeheartedly.” She glanced down toward her scars and added, “This I’ve learned.”