Page 78 of Mantle

“It’s fighting off the symptoms as you saw, but they’re coming faster now. It used to be a week between needing a shot of the serum. Now it’s barely twenty-four hours. The infection is developing a resistance to it.”

“How did you create it? What are we looking at here? Reversal of necromantic essence particles? Light Fae Realm cleansing herbs?”

“It’s… complicated.”

“So illicit magic then.”

He laid his hand on my shoulder. “Forget it, all right? Let’s head back inside.”

“We’ll find a solution.”

He stilled, his fingers tightening on the shoulder of my coat. “We?”

“I’m going to help you.”

He didn’t say anything for several moments.

And then he pulled away and turned from me. “I’ve got it handled.”

“You’ve been alone in it for so long that you’ve convinced yourself that you do. Reality is decidedly different, though, isn’t it?”

He turned back. He had that playful grin on his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes. This time, it was a deflection. A defense against showing vulnerability and pain. I knew a thing or two about that.

“Now we’re back in contact, can’t stand the idea of me dropping dead at your feet, huh?”

I didn’t allow the bullshit, telling him instead, “Two heads are better than one. Especially somebody like me, with my extensive knowledge.Andmost definitely, my stubbornness and unmatched obsessiveness when it comes to unraveling magical mysteries.”

“It’s about your pursuit of knowledge then, right?”

He was jesting, trying to deflect again, not liking the emotional weight.

This time was different, so Ididhumor him. “Of course.” I lifted a shoulder. “What else would it be?”

He chuckled and came back to me.

But he stumbled in his step.

I caught him and helped ease him down to the rock he’d been sitting on before.

“It’s fine. I get a little lightheaded sometimes for the first ten minutes after an injection.”

“They’re all deeply immersed in their work inside the Conclave, so you have time to take a few moments.”

“I’ve gotta say, I didn’t see things going this way today.”

“Didn’t see me catching you shooting up?”

“Among other things, yeah.”

“Me neither.”

“You don’t usually take a break,” he mused, as he took some rest time. “Whenever you’re here, you’re on and focused the entire time. I mean, I get it, with you being pulled between your classes at Maven Academy, spending time with your loves, and then having this on top of all of that.”

“Yeah, well, I needed one today.”

He arched an eyebrow. “So, she told you finally?”

“Who?”

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