Page 154 of The Hunger
He shook his head and produced six empty vials from his coat pocket. “Please. I’ll do anything.”
I looked from the vials to Megan, not fully understanding what he wanted but very aware of his desperation and need. Whatever he wanted from me would be powerful. More power in the hands of an already powerful druid. That couldn’t be a good thing.
Megan seemed to have the same thoughts because the fire rekindled in her eyes.
“No, Zayn. You told me you had what you needed for today.”
He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Megan.
“A god is awake. We don’t know what that will mean for us. I’ve been collecting ingredients. Powerful stuff to prepare for whatever he might throw our way. Even with the strongest of ingredients, I’m only a druid. But I’d take whatever I can get to stand against a god who might want to destroy everything we know and love.”
The four of us exchanged a glance.
“What do you want, exactly?” I asked.
“Your life essence, not life force.” At my continued blank look he added, “Sexual fluids. You’ll need someone strong enough to resist your lure to collect it.” He glanced between Oanen and Megan. “Since you’re a mated pair, you shouldn’t have a problem. Just make sure there’s no penetration when you arouse her. Potency is dependent on her purity.”
Megan looked at me and started laughing her butt off.
“Your face,” she wheezed, and I tried to suppress the absolute horror Zayn’s suggestion had provoked me to show.
Oanen moved closer to me.
“Eliana is like my sister,” he explained to Zayn.
“Ah.”
Megan wiped her eyes, still grinning.
“I’d willingly make out with Eliana to help Ashlyn, and I know Eliana feels the same. However, I think you’ll see better results if you send this guy with her,” she said, slapping Fenris on the back.
I didn’t look at Fenris. I couldn’t. I felt just how willing he was to help me. But underneath the willingness, there was a significant measure of distrust. A sentiment I shared.
“Past experiences have left me with no faith in druids. I find your kind self-serving mercenaries,” I said bluntly. “The last thing I want to do is put untold power at your fingertips.”
“An unbreakable vow,” Oanen said. “You can’t use Eliana’s essence without our unanimous consent.”
“Our?” I asked.
“Just like we don’t want Zayn to have unlimited power, it’s safer to divide the decision of how to use that power.”
“I like it,” Fenris said, rubbing his hands together. “We’re forming our own Council.”
“A power coup in the making?” Megan said with a grin. “I’m for it. But part of the vow has to be that you’re agreeing to be part of this Council, too, Zayn.”
“I agree,” he said far too quickly, holding out the vials to me again.
Fenris took them instead and wrapped his fingers through mine and gave me a reassuring squeeze.
“You said you can do the spell. You don’t need us to fill them now.”
I understood what Fenris was doing and loved him so much for it.
“But it will work better with your essence,” Zayn said, looking at me.
My gaze went to Fenris. He said nothing, letting me decide. So many thoughts swirled in my head. The first one should have been that I owed it to Ashlyn to do whatever it took to find her. But that was drowned out by wondering how exactly Fenris would collect my essence. My hunger surged.
“We’ll be outside,” Megan said, tugging Zayn and Oanen along with her. “Take your time.”
