Page 95 of Tainted Gifts
"Aria," he murmurs soothingly. "Just let it all out."
The burning stench of fabric rises between us as my river of tears fall to his shirt. He pulls my head tighter into his chest, muffling the sobs and the gasps of hyperventilation. Everyone remains frozen, too scared to move.
Rex lets me drop to my knees, but he comes with me, keeping me clutched to his chest as I wrap my arms around him and continue to unravel in his arms. In all my life, I never imagined such pain to be possible.
Very slowly, Simone walks over to Jase's body. I pull back to watch her, feeling so protective over the man already gone. She trembles as she forces his eyes shut, and Rex bring my head back to his chest when I lose it all over again.
"I'll take her up. Get him to the lab. Let Simone clean him up before..."
Rex's voice trails off when the wind picks up and the lightening starts striking again. He checks my pupils, releasing a relaxed breath when he sees me still subduing the demon within.
A cold rush of hope hits me as an old story rattles around in my mind.
"My blood," I murmur, though it's so mixed with my sobs it comes out as nothing more than an unintelligible ramble.
"What?" Rex asks, keeping his voice low to be sympathetic to my crumbling state.
I push away, crawling on my hands and knees back to Jase. His body is so cold, but it's not his delectable chill I love so much. It's death's icy breath that has encased his body now.
"My blood," I repeat, this time making my words more understandable.
"What about it?" Simone asks, her voice remaining considerate of my manic state as well.
"Mom's blood healed Dad. He was dead. She saved his life once. I can save Jase."
I bite into my wrist, drawing my blood into my mouth. I start pushing it into his mouth, cringing when it flows down to the wound in his neck and pours out just like the packaged blood did.
"Simone, keep it inside him," Melania whimpers. "Please."
Simone nods, but her eyes don't hold the hope I need to see right now.
"Aria, Mom did this once. Once. It only ever worked one time and she didn't know how she did it. She's tried it since. This-"
"Once is all I need. If it worked one time for her, then it will work once for me," I sob out, my tears falling despite my will to restrain them. "It has to," I murmur in a strangled whisper.
"Aria, this is farfetched at best. I don't want you to get your hopes-"
"Just let her try, damn it!" Melania scolds, her eyes holding the only bit of hope around us. "He's my brother."
He's as much her brother as Rex is mine. She needs him to live just like I would need Rex. But no one needs Jase to live as much as I do.
Please, God. I'm begging you. Let this work.
I push my blood into his mouth again while continuing to silently pray for my miracle. Simone keeps the blood from flowing out this time, driving it into his body to offer a chance of life.
"Dad wasn't this far gone, Aria. Just remember that," Rex murmurs softly while moving over to console Melania.
I ignore him, continuing to pull my blood into my mouth and then blowing it into his throat. The skin stays open, his own blood still runs out, and hope tries to slip away.
I break the artery in my wrist, taking larger mouthfuls quicker, but nothing happens.
"Please. Please, Jase. Please," I sob out before drawing another mouthful.
Simone's hand goes to my shoulder as she kneels down. Her gift stays in play, dragging my blood down his throat without letting it out the gaping hole in his neck.
"Aria, it's just... he's just too far-"
"No!" I scream out, throwing her hand off me.
