Chapter 28

A shiver moved over me, like the one that I got when I ported and then we weren’t in the storage room.

Bethany hissed out a breath and pulled out her phone. I stood looking around as she dialed back in. We were in an abandoned kitchen, or cafeteria.

She tucked her phone back in her pocket.

I pulled mine out and connected.

“…what?” Leone barked into the earpiece.

“We’re okay.” Bethany whispered.

I moved over and looked out the window. “I think we found the fourth location.” I said as quietly as I could.

“Shit.” That was Emil.

“Come back through.” Leone said.

Bethany and I turned and looked at each other. She shrugged.

“Negative.” I answered. “We need to know where this is so we can shut it down.”

“Kins…”

“Have care.” Victor interrupted Emil.

I shrugged, happy he had. I wasn’t sure what I would do if he’d given me a harsh order—or shown something softer.

Bethany rubbed her hands together, then held them in front of her as we went out the open door. I didn’t see any arcs between her hands but hoped she could materialize them faster with her hands ready.

We heard voices and crouched close to listen. There wasn’t anything important being said, it was just people chatting with one another. I gnawed on my lip and looked around. I jerked my chin to tell her to move along the wall to the other door at the far end of counter.

She nodded and started in that direction.

We kept low to the floor and moved silently. Piled along the counter were smaller boxes. They were new, not old or dust covered. I hesitated for a second, debating on if we should look in them. Bethany nudged me with her shoulder. I leaned forward and pulled one of the boxes down.

We both investigated it to see several small components. I looked at her, she shook her head, then reached in and grabbed them and jammed them into her jacket pocket.

I looked back at the door. She crept slowly to it then leaned down, almost on the floor, to peek out. Straightening up, she gave me a wide-eyed look.

How many? I mouthed.

Her silent answer was A lot!

I bit my lip and looked around. I motioned at the door we’d landed by. It was time to get out of here.

She glanced at her porter, then gave me a questioning look. I shook my head. A princess wore her porter and tracker at all times.

Sliding my sword back in its case, I reached under my sleeve to undo mine. Pulling it free, I glanced around, then sent it sliding to rest under the counter edge. With a nod, I set the box back where I’d taken it from as she moved toward the door.

“Hey.”

I spun around to see a man carrying a small box was now standing there. He tossed the box on the counter and came toward us as he pulled a large knife from behind his back. Blowing out a breath, I stood straighter and pulled out my own. I hoped Bethany was heading through the portal while I distracted him.

He made a wide swing with his knife, jabbing at the end. That move showed he was skilled.

I stepped back to avoid contact with the blade and tucked mine into a defensive position, with my blade against the leather covering my wrist. I couldn’t use my ability to distract him without alerting the others with noises in the kitchen. When he swung again, I blocked his forearm with my own. He moved too fast for me to score a hit on him.

Lunging at me; my hip hit the edge of the stainless-steel table and stopped my retreat. I felt the sting of it near my shoulder and knocked him back with a kick fueled by adrenalin.

Someone hit me from the side, and I found myself laying in the courtyard at the palace. Bethany was sprawled over me.

Pushing herself up to sit, she pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. “We’re at the courtyard.” She said, then frowned at me, “Kinsley got cut.”

My brain cleared as I sat up, jerking my jacket off. I growled in annoyance. Blood ran down my arm. “Dammit.” I hissed out a breath and pulled the bandana off my neck and held it over the gash. “They’re going to start charging me for my jackets soon, the speed I’m going through them.” I said, then looked at her.

“Reagan is on her way.” She tucked the phone into her pocket.

I nodded, lifting the cloth to see if it was slowing. It wasn’t. “Tell them about my tracker.”

She made a soft gasp. “I forgot.” Tapping the phone again, she set it on the ground. “Kinsley left her porter there. Can we use her tracker to find that location?”

“I’ll port to over to Abe to see if he’s getting a signal.” Michael said.

“How is everyone?” Feeling like I’d failed again by getting injured. Twice in one day.

“Just cleaning up here.” Paisley said. “Everyone is fine. The usual bumps and bruises.”

Someone snorted, “speak for yourself,” that was Leone, “it feels like I have a second kneecap growing on my leg.”

Bethany straightened up and stared at the floor. “What happened?”

“Some guy tried to take off his leg with the fork of a tow motor.” Daxx reported.

“He’s fine.” That was Chase.

“It’s nothing a feeding and meal won’t repair.” Quinton sounded bored.

Bethany crawled over and put her hands over the blood-soaked bandage on my shoulder.

“Keep crying, brother,” Rafael said, “I may have to use bleach to remove this smell.”

I started to feel lightheaded and pressed harder on my arm.

“You are not bathing in our room.” Kara said.

“Shouldn’t have rolled around in the bin.” Troy said.

“Like I had a choice.” Rafael said. “It was either that or get run over.”

“Sorry,” Paisley said, “I couldn’t stop both of them.”

“I’m glad you stopped mine.” Leone said.

“I’ll shower in my old room in the chambers.” Rafael said.

“You can’t walk on the carpets there.” Alona said, “it will linger for months.”

“What do you suggest then?” Rafael didn’t sound happy.

“The bleeding isn’t slowing.” Bethany said as she checked under the cloth again.

“On my way.” Reagan said quickly.

She appeared beside us. “Sorry.” She dropped down onto the grass, “Quinton got nicked and I had to fight to get him to let me help.”

I nodded. I couldn’t gripe about one of the princes coming before me.

“We’ll see everyone shortly.” Daxx said.

Bethany moved out of the way and disconnected her call. “How bad is Leone’s leg?”

Reagan dropped the cloth and put her hands over my slick red skin. “Troy is making him go get an x-ray before it’s healed, to make sure it’s okay to heal it.”

Bethany nodded and stood up. “I better go to the hospital and make sure he does.”

Reagan made a quiet noise. “This isn’t healing.”

I jolted and looked down at my arm. I looked at Reagan, her hair was almost grey.

Emil appeared beside us, then Quinton.

“It’s not healing.” Bethany said.

“Stop trying.” Quinton said. “I’ll go get the doc.” He disappeared.

I had no idea what any of this meant.

“I’m taking her to my room.” Emil bent down and scooped me up in his arms.

“We’ll be there in a minute.” Bethany was dialing her phone as she ran into the solarium.

I held my hand over my arm and then next moment I was in room I’d never been in before. Without a word, Emil went over to the bathroom and went in. He set me on the counter and grabbed a towel.

“Bastards are probably poisoning their blades now.” He said as he pressed the towel against my wound. “I can’t heal it until they clear out the poison.” He met my look, worry in his expression. “They used this on Autumn before.”

“Get her to the bed.” Autumn came running into the bathroom. She grabbed the garbage can. “And we’ll need this for the purge.”

Purge was all I had time to think before I found myself lying on the bed. “The blankets…” I tried to sit up.

“Fuck the blankets.” Emil said in a venomous tone.

Autumn stopped and gave Emil a look. “Call Ira, we need her blood type.”

My eyes widened at that. “For what?”

“We just do.” She turned when Alona and the doctor came through the door.

“I brought the antidote.” The doctor said and came over.

“Leone will be here in a moment.” Alona said. She answered my confused look next. “He’s the same blood type and feeder.”

I nodded and struggled to keep my vision clear. “A little weak.” I felt like I should apologize.

Leone and Bethany appeared, he limped toward the bed.

I tried to sit up. “You should look after your leg first.”

He dropped down onto the bed and held out his arm to the doctor. “No time.” He gritted his teeth as the doctor put the needle in. Sliding up on the bed, he held his arm over his head.

I felt the needle go in but didn’t really feel it. Small blessing there, I hated needles.

“Won’t his blood heal the cut before the poison is out?” Bethany gave the doctor a worried look.

“Not intravenously.” The doctor said in a distracted way.

I frowned, trying to figure out how ingesting it healed but through a needle it didn’t. I started to feel dizzy and couldn’t focus on my own thoughts.

“Prince Emil, if you could support her through this.” The doctor said.

I felt the bed move and then knew it was Emil beside me, rolling me onto my side.

“You need to drink this princess.” The doctor said.

I didn’t know he was talking to me until someone pressed something against my mouth. I swallowed the bitter liquid. The taste alone almost made me gag. I put my head back against his warm body while trying to puzzle out if I should feel something in my arm after drinking that awful cure. As soon as I could focus enough to speak, I’d have to correct the doctor, I was not a princess.

I started to drift off and decided to go with it and get some rest while this stuff fixed whatever that blade had done. A few moments later my body had other ideas. The cramping started low in my gut and then felt like it hit every muscle in my body at the same time. My stomach clenched and I choked on the vomit trying to escape my body.

“Here we go.” Someone in the room said.

Emil held me while my body rid itself of—everything.

I felt a cool cloth on my forehead and wanted to say thank you, but the next wave hit.

“When can I heal it?”

I heard Emil ask, but was too busy trying to breathe through the violent heaves to hear the answer.

I don’t know how long this went on, I was incapable of speech or thought. The only thing that registered was my own heavy breathing and that the warm body holding me was still there.

“Help Leone to medical now.” Someone said.

I was hot but cold at the same time. The bed was shaking, and it took all of my focus to see it was me shivering that was causing it. I felt a blanket cover me.

“Seal it.” Someone said.

I thought it felt like someone was licking my arm but couldn’t be sure. It was probably a wet cloth wiping the blood off.

“Go feed, I’ll stay with her.” Alona said. “Then you can give her blood.”

I felt Emil move and wanted to ask him to stay but couldn’t find the strength to form the words to speak. Blowing out a breath, my whole body was limp. I decided a short nap would probably be best at this point.