Chapter 28 Twenty Eight
DANIKA
Tonight, I'm painfully restless. I'm unsure why. But ever since I left Kaziel's side, the feeling of foreboding has been growing stronger. Now, I'm staring at my phone pondering giving him a call. I don't want to seem too clingy, it's why I'm hesitating.
A sudden knock on the door startles me, and I look up, on edge. Maybe it's Eve.
The last thing I want to do is talk to her right now.
"It's me, Amie," I hear a familiar voice say. I rise to my feet, surprised.
She rarely ever comes to me.
When I open the door, I find her standing there wearing a black nightgown.
"Hey, what's up?" she says, and I force out a smile.
"Just studying," I tell her, and she grins.
"I didn't want to disturb you, but I know you feel it too. So I must tell you," she says, rubbing the back of her neck.
I tense, my nerves acting up.
"My family's been witches for generations. I didn't inherit their power, not really. But I can sense when something dark is stirring," she tells me, and my heart sinks.
"Amie—"
"You're not surprised, are you? You've met way more complex creatures. Listen to what I have to say, sweet pea. Your man is in deep trouble. But, I want you to remember this. Your blood is the key."
"W-what?"
I'm shaking now, my heart thumping so hard it practically aches.
Kaziel is in trouble?
She reaches for my hands, gripping them tight.
"Remember, you mustn't forget. Your blood is the key."
Suddenly, she releases me and rubs her left eye, yawning. When she looks at me again, her eyes go wide.
"Dani? What am I...doing here?"
I blink, confused.
"You were just..."
She brings a hand to her forehead, wincing. "Oh no, I did it again," she mumbles.
"Do what?" I ask, bewildered.
"Sleepwalking," she tells me, smiling weakly. "Sorry."
With that, she walks away, yawning.
I don't bother waiting to process her statement, I dial Kaziel's number right away. It rings several times, but he doesn't answer.
My heart plummets into my gut, my hands shaking so badly that I nearly drop the phone.
Hurriedly, I slide on a sweater over my camisole. Then I snatch my wallet off the table along with the penknife I brought just in case I need to defend myself. I glance at the digital clock, which reads 09:50PM. My stomach clenches.
I hurry out of the apartment, still unsure of the direction to Kaziel's home. I do remember the street and—
My footsteps falter when I see Kaziel's car still parked where it was earlier.
I hurry closer, calling his name once. When I get no response whatsoever, my chest tightens. The car door's unlocked. So, I pull it open, and cold air rushes out.
Kaziel isn't inside.
My vision blurs as panic blooms in my chest.
The driver's seat is empty, the key still in the ignition.
Something's wrong. Horribly wrong.
Right then, a familiar scent hits me. Dark chocolate. His scent. I follow it, my heart pounding.
The trail leads towards the narrow alley beside the building. The air grows heavy, almost electric, and the smell of chocolate deepens, now mixed with something metallic. Blood.
"Kaziel?" My voice trembles as I move deeper into the alley, my legs shaking.
That's when I see him.
He's lying on the cold pavement, his back half against the wall, his shirt torn open at the collar.
Instantly, I forget how to breathe.
"Kaziel!"
I drop to my knees, gravel digging into my skin as I reach for him. His body is trembling, damp with sweat. His lips...oh God—there's blood glistening there.
His eyes flutter open, hazy blue meeting mine. Relief flashes across his face.
"Dove..." His voice is barely there, hoarse and laced with pain. He coughs, blood staining his chin.
"Oh my God—Kaziel, no, no, no—" I press my shaking hands against his chest, desperate to somehow hold him together. "What happened? Who did this?"
He doesn't answer. He just struggles to breathe, every inhale a rasp. His hand twitches against the ground before finding mine, his fingers faintly gripping mine.
He's burning up. Literally. His skin feels like fire beneath my palm.
"Who should I call?" I choke out, scanning the darkness as if help might just appear. "A doctor? Someone from your pack? Tell me what to do."
He opens his mouth, but another cough wracks him, violent enough to make his body jolt. When he finally gets a word out, it's barely audible.
"Phone... car..."
I glance towards the car, its door still hanging open down the street.
"I can't leave you," I whisper, my voice breaking.
Kaziel's fingers twitch weakly around mine in a silent plea. His breathing comes in short, ragged bursts.
"I'll be right back," I promise, brushing a trembling hand across his burning cheek. "Don't close your eyes. Please."
He gives me the faintest smile, and that alone shatters me.
Still, I run. The night blurs around me as I sprint for the car and grab his phone.
When I return, his lips are blue, his body trembling.
A sob tears out of me before I can stop it.
He's supposed to be invisible.
"I-I brought it. It's here," I cry, reaching for his hand. His eyelids lift slowly, his eyes unfocused.
"How are you feeling?" I ask, wrapping my arms around him to pull him to me. He melts against me, burying his face against my chest.
"Can't breathe," he wheezes against me, his body quivering. "Hurts…"
"What's your password?" I croak, rubbing his back with my free hand.
"You," he slurs, and I swallow painfully. Me?
As in my name?
Tapping the screen, I quickly type my name. To my surprise, it works.
"Stay with me, okay? Please," I beg, scrolling through his contacts in search of Aaron, his beta.
I find his contact and hit the call icon with trembling fingers. It rings twice... Then it finally connects.
"Aaron?" My voice cracks.
"Danika?" He sounds confused at first. "Why are you calling from—"
"It's Kaziel," I interrupt, my breathing heavy. "He's—he's on the ground. There's blood. He's burning up. I don't know what to do!"
There's a crash on his end, like he's knocked something over. "Wait—what? Where are you?"
"Outside my apartment, in the alley. He can barely breathe."
He takes a sharp intake of breath. "Oh no. Oh, fuck."
My grip tightens on the phone. "Tell me what to do, please."
"Okay, okay," he mutters quickly, his voice shaking. "Listen carefully. Does his blood look black or dark red?"
"Dark. Almost black."
"Shit," he mutters. "It's the poison."
My chest squeezes. "Poison? How—how do I fix that?"
"You can't. Not completely. But you can slow it down."
"How?"
He hesitates, and I can hear the faint sound of an engine revving. "He needs blood. Fresh blood."
I freeze. "Blood?"
"Yours," Aaron says. "It'll stabilize him till I get there."
My heart stutters. "You want me to give him my blood?"
"Yes. Just a few drops on his tongue. His body will absorb it. It'll buy us time."
"And if I don't?" My voice is barely a whisper.
Aaron's voice cracks. "Then he probably won't make it till I get there."
The line buzzes with static for a moment, and then he adds, his voice lower, "Danika, you have to do this. Please."
I stare down at Kaziel, his breathing ragged.
"Okay," I whisper. "Just...hurry."
"I'm on my way," Aaron says, and the call ends.
The phone slips from my hand, landing softly beside us.
I press a hand against my chest, trying to steady my heartbeat, but it's useless. Everything feels like it's collapsing around me.
"Kaziel," I whisper, brushing his hair from his forehead. "You have to stay with me, okay? Don't you dare leave me."
His eyes are barely open, his lips parting to whisper something, but no sound comes out.
My fingers tremble as I unfold the small penknife. The metallic glint of the blade catches the dim alley light.
I'd rather bleed a little than let him die.
I press the blade to my palm and draw in a sharp breath. Then I slice my flesh. It stings. God, it hurts.
But the instant I begin to bleed, I bring my palm to his lips. Slowly, he parts them, sucking lightly.
Something tightens in my chest, and a flash of heat washes over me, my vision blurring for a moment.
Suddenly, his eyes fall open, his irises blood red.
"Dani? What did you do?" He gasps, sitting up.
"I—"
He wipes his lips with the back of his hand, cursing under his breath.
"You gave me your blood?" He finally asks, wide-eyed, reaching for my bloody palm.
I nod, and fear flashes in his eyes.
"We have to get out of here," he tells me, his voice laced with urgency. "Right now."