Chapter 16

The elixir tastes foul, like a mixture of rotten eggs and burnt rubber. I force down the third helping, trying not to gag. Beside me, Snow is lapping at his own bowl of the concoction, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

But even as the last drop slides down my throat, I can feel it working. Finally.

The pain that has been my constant companion for days starts to recede, like a tide pulling away from the shore. My limbs feel lighter, my head clearer. It"s as if my body is waking up from a long, deep sleep.

The door bursts open, and Kole, Tanner, Nova, and Thornfield rush in. They"re breathless, their faces etched with a mixture of worry and relief.

"You're better?" Nova breathes, rushing over to me and throwing her arms around my neck.

Hell-damn it, it feels good to have her treat me like normal. Not gentle, not afraid of hurting me.

My cock stirs, already thinking about all the things I'm going to do to her and all the ways I'm going to enjoy doing them.

"Seems we don't need your textbook after all," Tanner says to Thornfield. "Thank the stars there were other reasons to visit the bookstore, or the trip would have been a total waste of time."

Thornfield glares at him, his lips pressing into a thin line. I have no idea what that's in reference to, but it's clearly riled the vampire.

As Tanner pats me on the shoulder, and tells me he's relieved I'm going to be okay, Sam smiles from over by the fireplace.

Miranda is sitting in the armchair. She looks exhausted, which is no surprise since she's spent the past god knows how many hours working on the elixir. I'm not even sure she's slept.

"Mack, we have news. About the scepter." Nova slips her hand into mine.

I push myself up straighter, ignoring the way the room seems to tilt for a moment. "What is it?"

"It wasn"t the AMA who bought it at the auction," she says, her voice tight. "Luther just called. The AMA was lying, trying to distract the Bureau."

Confusion ripples through the room. Kole"s brow furrows, and Kim shifts from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable.

"Then who has it?" Sam asks, voicing the question we"re all thinking.

Nova shakes her head. "We don"t know. No one does."

Thornfield turns to the small window, his gaze fixed on the night sky. The stars are hidden behind a veil of clouds, the moon a hazy smudge of light.

To my surprise, he says, "We don"t have time for this now." His voice is low and urgent. "Zephyra is our priority. We need to deal with her first."

He looks at Kole and Kim, his eyes hard. "You two, with me. We need to go."

"I should come too." Tanner moves to follow them, but Kole shakes his head.

"Stay." He's looking at me. "Just in case."

I inhale sharply. Kole can tell it's riling me that I can't go with them either.

"Get better. When you feel up to it, call Luther back. Figure out what the hell we do next. If the AMA doesn't have the scepter, we need to know who does and what they intend to do with it."

The door closes behind them with a soft click, and I let out a breath I didn"t realize I was holding. The elixir is still working its way through my system, but already I feel more like myself than I have in days.

Snow butts his head against my leg, and I reach down to scratch behind his ears. "We"ve got this, buddy," I murmur, more to myself than to him.

He purrs a little, and I feel his body start to relax.

We've got this.

But the relief is short-lived. Without warning, a searing pain rips through my body, worse than anything I"ve felt before. It"s like every nerve ending is on fire, every muscle seizing and contracting. A scream tears from my throat as I writhe on the bed, my hands clawing at the sheets.

"Mack!" Nova"s voice seems to come from far away, barely audible over the roaring in my ears. "What"s happening?"

Snow is yowling, too.

"I don't know," Miranda says, her tone laced with panic. "It should be working." She hesitates, her eyes widening. "I don't know what I did wrong. It should be working."

"Do something!" Nova yells, her hands gripping my shoulders, trying to hold me still. "You said this would help him!"

"I…" Miranda falters, her face pale. "I don't know if I can. The elixir might not be strong enough."

Another wave of agony crashes over me, and I convulse, my back arching off the bed. It feels like I'm being torn apart from the inside out, like my very bones are shattering.

"You have to try," Tanner says, his voice strained, trying and failing to hold me still as Nova drops to the floor and uses her wings to try and restrain Snow. "There must be something else you can do."

Miranda shakes her head, looking helpless. Then, a spark of realization flickers in her eyes. "I have a contact," she says, speaking rapidly. "Someone who might be able to help. But I'll need to go to them. It's the only thing I can think of but he's?—"

"I don't care who he is, just go," Nova snaps, her eyes never leaving my face as she curls herself on top of Snow. "Hurry."

Miranda nods, already moving towards the door. She pauses, looking back at us with a mixture of fear and determination. "I"ll be as quick as I can," she promises, and then she"s gone, the door swinging shut behind her.

I"m barely aware of her leaving, lost in a haze of pain. My vision is starting to blur, darkness creeping in at the edges. I'm slipping away, falling into a void where there"s nothing but agony.

With the last of my strength, I reach out, my hands fumbling for Nova and Tanner. Nova stands up. Snow is quiet now, breathing heavily. Nova grasps one hand, and Tanner takes the other, their grips tight and anchoring.

"Don't leave me," I beg, my voice a hoarse whisper. "Please. Don't let me go."

"Never," Nova says fiercely, her tears falling onto our joined hands. "We're here, Mack. We"re not going anywhere."

I stare at her. There's someone behind her. A shimmering ghost of a figure. "Rose?" I reach out.

Nova and Tanner stare at each other, wide eyed. "His sister," Tanner mutters.

Nova swipes tears from her cheeks.

Tanner squeezes my hand. "Hold on, Baloo," he murmurs. "Just hold on."

I cling to them as another spasm wracks my body, a scream lodging in my throat. The pain is all-consuming, a living thing that"s devouring me from the inside out.

But even as I'm dragged under, even as the darkness claims me, I know one thing with absolute certainty.

They won't let me go. They'll never let me go.