Page 6 of A Study of Blood and Ichor

You can thank me later when we’re out of here, flesh puppet.

I sighed and pressed my palms to my eyes until it hurt and the ache was no longer tolerable. I craved the darkness again, the desire accompanied by Vain’s eager yearning through the bond as he coaxed himself back to the light, tempting me with the promise of sleep.

“It’s all yours,” I said aloud.

The demon wasted no time in tugging me further and further back into my mind, and I succumbed to him willingly as the void caressed me into the familiar warmth of darkness.

As I closed myself off, I couldn’t shake the memory of the red-haired witch with the shining amber eyes. The vision of her penetrated even the recesses of my subconscious, and I couldn’t stand to drive her out.

And all the while, Vain’s smooth voice echoed, Mine. Mine. Mine.

THREE

Ava

Even shoved deep into my pockets, my hands trembled during the entire walk back to the dormitories in the east wing. My first encounter with the demon had left me shaken, which was not a good sign. Not to mention the incessant pounding in my head was more evidence that I had pushed far past my limits.

There was a heavy lull throughout the coven in the aftermath of the raid. Somber murmurs and hushed whispers followed me through the estate.

When I reached my door and grabbed the handle, I paused. Tinny pop music and muffled laughter floated from another room around the corner.

I rested my head against the door as I weighed my options.

I knew Remi would give me an elixir if I asked him for one. He might offer it begrudgingly, and I would still have to put up with his heated glare of resentment. But if Luke was with him…it was a lot to risk, but ultimately, I decided that a few minutes of suffering was better than the hours I’d lie awake in agony with a migraine.

Rounding the corner, the bitter scent of whatever elixir Remi brewed earlier grew heavier the closer I got to his open door. My chest ached at the familiar peals of his and Kalaei’s laughter. As much as I hated to admit it, I did miss them.

When I reached the open door, Remi and Kalaei were drunkenly sprawled out in different positions on the floor. Remi was notably more wasted than Kalaei, and I wondered how long they had been at it if he was already this far gone.

It took them a moment to realize I was there, and their cheerful expressions fell immediately. Kalaei at least attempted a weak half-smile.

“Wha’d’you want?” Remi slurred. His brows knit together as he scowled up at me from the floor.

I gave a small wave, the only peaceful gesture I could think to offer. “Can I have an elixir for a headache?”

Remi’s lips quirked as I watched him consider me, swirling the near-empty bottle of vodka between his fingers as he did.

“I’ve got cash,” I said.

If there was one thing Remi definitely couldn’t resist, it was a quick buck. With a deep sigh, he got to his feet, swaying as he made his way to the tall cabinet and began to rifle through the overflowing chaos of tinctures and brewing instruments set in delicate disarray along the shelves.

“You look good,” Kalaei said to me, albeit a bit forced.

“Thanks,” I said as I stepped a few feet into the room, arms crossed tightly against my chest. I didn’t know what else to say.

You too, sounded too disingenuous. How are you, felt too awkward. I miss how things used to be, would have been pathetic even though it was true.

When Luke and I were together, things between the four of us had been easy. With them, I finally felt like I had a home at the Moreau Coven after all these years. We’d been inseparable once—a bunch of strays and misfits, just trying to find our place in the fucked-up world. But I’d blown a colossal hole through whatever friendship we’d had the moment I decided to raze my and Luke’s relationship to the ground. Admittedly, I’d been cruel to him. Not that he hadn’t also doled out his fair share of 'fuck you's in the process, but of course that didn’t matter when no one took my side in the end.

“What’s the occasion?” I asked.

Kalaei’s mouth popped open, but Remi tossed his retort back before she could speak.

“Is the fact that we’re still alive not enough reason to celebrate for you?” It felt like he’d tipped every consonant, every syllable, in venom.

Ouch.

I fully expected him to kick me out empty handed, but instead he plucked a vial from the drawer and teetered back over the mess of scrolls and bottles on the floor and pressed the elixir into my palm.

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