Page 9 of Hunt the Dusk
“Well,” Harriet said, “in that case, you’ll need to get me some more sucker rat blood. No blood. No transfusion. That’s the deal.”
So that’s what Padma had been doing? Hunting sucker rats? Alone. “Padma…does Edwin know you’ve been hunting alone?”
“He found out last week. But I told him it was a one-off hunt. I didn’t want to drag him into it.”
“Dammit, Padma, we’re a team.”
She stared at me for several beats. “I’m tainted, Orina. You know what that means. The blessing…the Order…Soon I won’t belong. I can already feel the power ebbing. I can’t risk Edwin getting hurt or infected because of me.”
It was true. The white wings blessing couldn’t be held by the impure. Infection born vampires couldn’t carry it and these mullo…Who knew what they were? “You can’t do this alone, and you shouldn’t have to. Three of us working together is better than you going it solo. We can watch each other’s backs. And there’s a cure for the regular vamp infection. We’ll make sure to get some to keep on hand before we go hunting.”
“Fabulous,” Harriet said. “Come back to me when you can pay for the transfusion.”
“Please,” Padma implored. “I need it tonight.”
Was this doctor seriously going to withhold her help? “Isn’t it your oath to help people in need? To heal?”
She snorted. “I’m not that kind of doctor, and I’m not a charity. But…I suppose I can do tonight’s transfusion for a different price. If you’re willing.”
“What?” Padma said. “I’ll do anything.”
Harriet smirked. “It’s not you that I need something from.” Her gaze slid my way. “It’s you.”
A shiver skated up my spine. “What do you want?”
“Nothing much, just a vial of your blood.”
“Why?”
“Do you ask the blood donation centers what they plan to do with your blood?”
“I’ve never donated.”
She smiled, mouth parting slightly to reveal pearly white teeth. “Well, consider this your first act of charity.”
I didn’t like her tone. I didn’t trust her either. But right now, she was the only person that could keep Padma from turning into…whatever she was turning into. And if that meant donating a little blood, then so be it.
“Fine. It’s a deal.”
Chapter 5
Ihad Godor take me back to the chapter house after my blood donation. Padma’s transfusion would take a couple of hours, but she promised we’d talk at the office tomorrow.
I should have been knackered, but by the time Godor dropped me back through my window, I was wired and hungry.
Harriet hadn’t even offered me a cookie after taking what had to have been a pint of blood. So it was with wobbly steps and a grumbly tummy that I made my way to the kitchen in search of a snack.
It was almost two in the morning, so the last thing I expected was to find Hemlock and Ordell seated at the kitchen table, nursing mugs of fresh coffee. Hemlock’s hair was damp and slicked back, silver coin coasting along his knuckles. Ordell sat with both hands wrapped around his extra-large mug, white-gold hair unbound and tussled.
They looked up as I stepped into the room. Hemlock’s mouth tightened, his ice-blue eyes darkening, but Ordell shoved back his seat and crossed the room to pull me into a hug. His shirt smelled like pine cones and fabric softener, warm with the heat of his skin and soft against my cheek.
“You’re okay.” He rested his chin on the top of my head. “I was so worried.”
I would never tire of being hugged by this man, no matter how annoyed or irritated I was with him, and so I hugged him back, breathing him in and closing my eyes to enjoy the moment. “I’m fine, just hungry.”
“Haiden made savory scones,” Ordell said, his voice rumbling against me. “Hemlock, get Orina some scones.”
“Do I look like a server?” Hemlock grumbled, but I heard his chair scrape as he got up anyway. Still, his tone was a reminder of what these men represented, and the hug no longer felt like such a safe place.
