Chapter 27: The Bite

Vance and Jenna brought Dorian to Jenna's room and tossed him onto the floor. His shirt was covered in dark liquid – the wound on his chest had stopped bleeding but failed to heal properly. His skin was grayish, his lips the same color as old paper.

Zoe remained in the corner, holding herself tightly by the waist. "Is it possible for a vampire to survive this?"

Vance kneeled besides Dorian and placed his fingers on his wound. "Maybe. But it's not the hole in his chest that worries me. The real problem is whatever Cross rubbed on his hand."

Jenna lifted Dorian's t-shirt. The edges of his injury were blackened while dark purple lines ran along them as if they were cracked glass. "Venom," she muttered. "Cross used venom to hurt him."

Dorian's eyes fluttered once more but closed soon after.

"I think," Vance murmured. "That he needs some fresh human blood. Only it can heal a bite of venom."

Jenna looked at me with desperation in her eyes. "He won't take any from you. He'd rather die than turn you."

I looked at Dorian's face – his chest, covered in black cracks, twitching fingers – and realized that I did not give a damn.

"He doesn't get a choice." I muttered.

\---

I kneeled next to Dorian and rolled up my sleeve. Pale and skinny, my wrist looked disgusting in the dim light of the room.

His eyes opened again as soon as they saw what I was doing. He turned his head away. "No," he said. "I'll never do it. I don't want to turn you into a monster."

My other hand grabbed his jaw and turned his face towards me. "Do not give me any choices. I need you to drink, or you'll die."

"I'd rather die than—"

"Fine. If this is your choice. Die." I pushed my wrist to his mouth, forcing him to use his jaws.

For a moment, he did not react. But after a second, he started to suck, sinking his teeth deep into my flesh.

Painful and hot, it burned as if somebody had inserted a needle into my veins. I bit my lower lip and tasted my blood, while my hand dug into his shoulders.

Jenna watched us with crossed hands, Vance staring at the floor, and Zoe trying hard not to look.

The room was silent. All I could hear was the sucking noise coming from his throat.

After a minute – perhaps even two – he stopped and pulled out his teeth from my wrist. The color in his face had improved while his wounds seemed to start healing.

I looked at my wrist – two tiny red holes filled with blood, which was dripping down my palm. I wiped it on my jeans.

"You shouldn't have done that." Dorian said.

I rose to my feet. "You gave me no choices. You were ready to die."

Vance bound Mira's hands to the chair using a piece of copper wire. It cut into her skin painfully, making her hiss.

Her eyes changed color – brown, black, brown again.

"Now, I can speak freely. Since this body is dying," Raze continued, speaking through her. "I can easily find another host. In a few minutes, I will move into it and leave this body behind."

Zoe held her pipe and pointed it straight at her face. "How could you do such a thing? How could you betray us?"

Her eyes turned brown again. Tears appeared under her eyelids. "I didn't betray you guys. He just... he's always watching me. And whispering into my ear."

"It's a lie. As far as I'm concerned, you betrayed us because of my offer." Raze smiled. "And since your little organization offers nothing but chains, I accepted."

I kneeled before her and looked directly into her face. "You told Cross everything. Binding spell. Plans. The feather in the hallway."

Again, her brown eyes came to life and watered heavily. "Yeah. I wanted to test how far you'd go before breaking."

Standing up, I turned my back to her.

"Then let me make you an offer," Raze continued. "Help me with opening the portal and you won't have to worry about your precious vampire anymore. I promise that he'll stay untouched."

Dorian's cold hands suddenly grasped my ankle from the floor. "Don't listen to him, Arya. There's always an alternative."

I stared at his wounded body, remembering how much time he spent healing. Again, his chest was marked with those awful cracks. And the color in his face remained unnatural.

"What do I have to do?" I finally muttered.

"A very simple thing. Tomorrow night, meet me in the basement and I'll show you what has to be done. You help me, and I'll help him. It's a win-win."

Jenna came to the front again. "You're lying. He'll kill Arya the moment you come."

I turned around, staring directly at her. "Yes, I know it's a trap."

"So why do you even consider this option?"

Staring at the chair and Dorian behind it, I made up my mind.

"Because he's right. Dorian won't recover without his help and I cannot watch him suffer any longer." I walked to the door. "But I'm not saying 'yes' to it yet. I'm considering it."

Raze smiled. "Think fast, my dear. The venom is very patient but does not waste any time."

Zoe followed me, stopping right at the door. "What are we supposed to do with her?"

"She stays here. Two of us will watch her constantly, making sure that she does not sleep alone and that she eats together with us." Jenna answered, showing me a piece of copper wire.

Vance nodded. "I'll take the first watch."

"No. I'll do it." I returned to Mira, looking straight at her. "She's my friend. And I need to stare into her eyes and remember that."

Again, her eyes changed color – brown to black.

"Mira, I'm sorry." I said to myself.

Without answering, she smiled bitterly.

Sinking down against the wall, I waited till Raze returned into his true body, observing Mira.

She stared back, changing colors all the time.

Dorian stayed behind me, breathing

shallowly.

Tomorrow night, I'd go to the basement.

And I had absolutely no idea what would be waiting there.