Page 114 of Mortal Blood
“You have to. You’re the only one who knows where the fae train, and Alina’s the only one who knows what the mushroom looks like. I’ll keep watch over Cole until you get back. Help me move him over there so we’re more hidden.”
He nodded, and between us we moved Cole, setting him down carefully in the shelter of the outcropping, and Alina followed, piling our meager supplies against the cliff face.
“We’ll be back as quickly as we can,” she said.
I nodded, carefully removing the necklace from Cole and slipping it over my own head.
“We should take that,” Jax said.
“No. You’ll be faster without it trying to slow you down.”
“Leave it on Cole, then,” he pressed.
“I can’t. Cole’s fear…it’s being too weak to lead.”
“Shit.” Jax snapped his head to the side on a frustrated snarl.
“Yeah.” I tucked the necklace under my shirt. “Go on. We’ll be fine. Just…be quick, okay? I don’t know how long he has.”
“We will,” Jax vowed.
I settled down beside Cole in the small clearing, watching thetwo of them go. The fog was thinner here, hovering at the edges of our clearing, and my eyes searching it constantly, flicking restlessly between one spot and the next, waiting for someone—something—to take advantage of our vulnerability.
“Cali?” Cole croaked. My eyes snapped back down to him.
“I’m here,” I said, squeezing his hand. “And you’re an idiot. You should have told me how badly you were hurt.”
“Cali? Where are you?”
“What? That’s not funny, Cole.”
“Cali?” He twisted round, jerking his hand from mine and scanning the clearing frantically. “Cali!”
“I’m right here, Cole! Shit, the venom, it must be—”
“Cali! Cali…” He sank back to the ground, eyelids fluttering. “Cali…”
Throat squeezing in terror, I pressed my fingers to his neck, sagging in relief as I felt the thready pumping of his pulse. Wherever Alina and Jax were headed, I hoped it wasn’t far. I didn’t know how long Cole had left. If he was hallucinating already…
With a frantic sob, I grabbed one of the vines from the pile and tied it above the puncture wound. I didn’t know how much venom was already in his system, but if this would slow it even a little then I had to try.
That done, I settled down to keep watch, wishing I had some kind of container for water to at least keep him hydrated. But it didn’t matter. Because Alina and Jax were going to find the mushroom, and Cole was going to be fine. He had to be.
A twig snapped somewhere nearby and I whirled round,peering out into the gloom. Shit. Something was out there.
Another twig snapped, closer this time, and I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching.Humanfootsteps. And there was no way Alina and Jax would be back already.
Slowly, as quietly as I was able, I got to my feet, cursing my stupidity in not scavenging anything that could be used as a weapon. Whoever was out there was right on top of us now—there was no time to shift. I snatched up one of the sturdier vines. It wasn’t much, but if I could get out of sight and behind whoever was coming…
Before I had a chance to move, the bushes parted, and four figures stepped through. And at the front of them was Kallan. He paused, taking in Cole’s prone form, and then threw back his head and laughed.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” he sneered, swaggering closer and ignoring me completely. “Looks like your little pack of misfits left you here to die, all alone.”
All alone?
Kallan shared a gloating look with Eva, Harvey, and…Wes. Of course. Because as if today couldn’t have gotten any worse.
“I say we finish him before the others get back,” Wes said.
