Chapter 18

I opened my eyes to see Mitz sitting beside me. I was in a bed.

“There you are.” She smiled at me. “You were just dehydrated, love, you’ll be right as rain in no time.” She patted my hand. “Just rest a while. I’ll go get you something to eat.”

I took a deep breath and then blew out a breath and closed my eyes again. I wasn’t dying, that was good. When I opened them again, Mitz was gone. My head still felt strange, but I did feel better. Lifting my arm, I froze, it hurt. There was a needle in my arm. Scrambling up, I knelt on the bed. Staring at the bag, I tried to figure out if they were giving me drugs. Was that why my head felt strange? Peeling the tape up off my arm, I puffed out breaths like a breathing exercise, building up the courage to pull the needle out of my arm. Squeezing my eyes shut, I grasped the end of it.

“Hey,” a hand closed over mine, “it’s just fluids.”

I opened my eyes and looked at Rafael. “I don’t like needles.”

He didn’t move his hand from mine. “Then drink more than chocolate milk and we won’t have to stick them in you.” Gently, he moved my hand away from my arm.

I scowled at him, then frowned, trying to remember when I had a drink that wasn’t chocolate. He was right. Other than that tea from Mitz, I hadn’t.

Rafael sat on the bed and looked at me. “We’ll take it out when the bag is empty.”

Dropping down to sit on the bed, I looked up at the bag. There wasn’t much left in it. I wonder how long I was asleep.

“Does that happen a lot?” His expression held concern, “you forget to drink and end up with nosebleeds?”

I shook my head. “It’s never happened before.” I didn’t dare say the milk was better than any I’d tasted.

“Try to put water in a few times a day.” He patted his chest. “You freaked me out standing there bleeding, going paler by the second.”

“I’ll try.” I looked at my arm, then reached to pick at the tape. “What were they talking about before I started dripping blood all over the place?”.

He blew out a breath. “Arwan. It’s possible he’s been cloaking himself. That he’s been coming and going all this time.”

“Cloaking?” I glanced to the bag, wishing it would hurry up and empty.

“Making himself invisible.”

I touched the needle as I looked at him. “They can do that? Mages?” The idea of invisible people made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, not to mention my FOS notched up a few points.

“And witches.” Rafael nodded.

I looked at the bag again. “That’s kind of creepy.”

Rafael snorted. “Everything with mages is creepy.” He leaned closer and moved my hand.

I waited for him to chastise me again, but he didn’t. Instead he put two fingers over the needle and pulled it out with his other hand. I jumped as he did. When he moved his fingers, I watched the blood spread under the bandage. Pulling off the tape, I moved to get up and get a cloth. Rafael grabbed my wrist and leaned over, licking my arm. My brain was didn’t know whether that was gross and germy or too bizarre to describe. Pulling my arm from his grasp, and away from his tongue, I looked down to see it wasn’t bleeding now—in fact there wasn’t even a mark where the needle had gone through my flesh. I looked up to see him sitting there looking at me—with red eyes.

“Healing salvia.” He said in a rough voice.

I frowned. “You know that’s a huge paradox, right? Salvia is generally the most germ-infested secretion a body has.”

“Not this body.” His eyes went back to normal as he looked at me. “You’re not freaked out with my eyes.”

…stupidest move ever. Why did I do that?...

I pretended I didn’t hear his thoughts. “Alona showed me that hers changed.”

“What else did she explain?” He watched me carefully.

…don’t drag this out. You have enough on your plate. This can’t happen now…

“There was a mention of feeding, and,” I looked at his mouth, “fangs.” I shifted so I was further away from him. “I’m afraid my mind got stuck on the purpose of fangs before much more could be said.”

Rafael just sat there looking at me. His gaze moving over my face.

…shit. Damn grey hair again…

…I need to call Clairee…

I watched his expression change, like he wasn’t even seeing me now, even though he was looking at me. “Are you all right?”

He jerked and sat up straight. “I’m fine.”

I lifted my wrist to show I wasn’t wearing the inhibitor. “Are you trying to figure out the pieces Crissy has seen?”

Rafael jumped up from the bed, then looked at my arms. His jaw clenched. He’d forgotten I wasn’t wearing the inhibitor. He spun around and smashed his hand against the wall. I didn’t know what the wall was made of, but it didn’t crack despite how loud it sounded. “Don’t be poking around in my head.” He rumbled and then turned around to give me a hard look.

I shuffled to the edge of the bed and stood up. “I wasn’t poking anywhere. I don’t ask for this.” I glared at him. I could see his chest rising and falling and feel the buzz in my mind of his thoughts. I wanted to hear but didn’t want to at the same time. I pointed to the door. “Get out if you don’t want me to know what you’re thinking right now.”

He glared at me, then spun on his heel and stomped from the room.

I jumped when his door across the hall slammed shut.

Chase leaned around the door frame and looked in. “Bad time?”

I blew out a breath. “No.” I sat back down.

He stepped into the room with Alona. She gave me an understanding smile. Chase tucked his hands into his pockets. “I heard you had an interesting day.”

I watched Alona go over and wrap the tube from the IV around the hook the bag was handing from. Picking the cap up off the table, she put it back on the needle.

“It was different.” I told him quietly.

“I suppose it would be after the years you spent trying not to use your ability.”

I shrugged, glancing out to Rafael’s door.

Chase grinned. “At least you’re not balking when it’s called an ability now.”

I gave him and earnest look. “I’ve never found it useful before.”

Alona sat on the bed. “I hear it was very useful today.”

“I’m still trying to figure out this cloaking thing.” I looked from her to Chase. “Those mages, the stuff they think.” I shook my head. “They’re all a bunch of wackadoodles.”

Chase laughed. “I think we should rename their faction to that. Instead of the mages’ collective, we can have a collection of wackadoodles.”

I smiled, pushing the hair back from my face. “The crazy people from the asylum were saner than some of the mages.”

“I have no doubt.” He nodded. “I’m sorry we missed it. We’re taking turns sleeping around here with everything going on.” He looked at my arms. “Clairee and Elder Arian working on your personal device?”

I nodded and rubbed my wrist, wondering if I should put the inhibitor back on. Looking up, I motioned to the bag on the table. “Clairee sent herbs I’m supposed to,” I lifted my hand in the air, “see if any of them make me feel calm or peaceful.” I looked at Alona, “I’m not sure what peaceful is supposed to feel like.”

Rafael’s door opened. He stopped and looked at me for a moment, clearly still not happy with me. Without a word, he turned and went down the hall out of sight.

“He’s in a mood.” Chase sounded amused.

I lifted my arm the needle had been in. “He licked my arm after he pulled out the needle.” I stared at the unmarked spot. “That can’t be sanitary.”

Chase chuckled. “I agree, who knows where his mouth has been.”

Alona gave him an odd look, then gave her head a slight shake. “Troy told us they think Arwan is cloaking himself and walking around.”

I nodded. “That creeps me out. The idea of someone walking around you can’t see.” I frowned. “How are they going to find someone they can’t see?”

“Very good question. I believe Victor is asking Romulus that right now.”

Mitz came in carrying a tray. She gave me one of her caring looks. “You seem better.” She set the tray on the bed. “I’ve brought you water and tea. I’ll make sure you drink more than chocolate milk from now on.”

She really was a sweet lady. “Thank you Mitz.” I looked at the plate to see a sandwich, fruit and a few cookies. They always have food here, I thought, which was just silly, of course a royal family had food.

Going over, Mitz got the pole with the bag hanging on it and started wheeling it toward the door. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” I said quickly before she was out of sight.

“We’re going down to the solarium for some coffee. Come down when you’re ready.” Alona said as she took Chase’s hand and stood up.

“We’ve asked for reports from all the departments, so maybe we’ll have some good news.” He bowed his head to me as they walked out.

I looked at the food. Eating was not going to be a problem if the rumbling in my stomach was any indication. Getting up, I grabbed the bag of herbs. I’d sniff them while I ate and see if any of them made me feel ‘good things’, although eating did that, so how would I know?