Page 49 of Rebel Fae
“No!” I whirled toward Crescent, my hands fisted, but her face was passive. “Bring him back.” I swayed, almost seeing double with weakness.
“You’ve used that guard’s help far too much. The idea was for you campers to come together and solve the problems, not let some werewolf solve them for you.”
“That’s not fair,” I said. “We solved them together. Regina found Antonio. She drank blood from me to have the strength to do it. Ronnie used his magic and Bael helped fight the beast. We have been working together.”
“I did stuff, too,” Becca said behind me.
I ignored Becca, turning to Crescent. “Please bring him back.”
My voice sounded high-pitched and desperate, but facing all of this without Vaughn at my side felt like the worst possible scenario. My selfish reasons weren’t my only concern. If the beast came back, how would we defend ourselves? Bael was hurt, Antonio had been half-drowned, and who knew if we could trust him or Regina?
“You can’t do this,” I said, pleading with them.
However, our words didn’t sway them. Crescent and Dr. Watts stood as if to go.
“Youcando it,” Dr. Watts said. “Trust in each other and work together.”
“We’ll send word with your task in the morning. Enjoy your food.” Crescent’s voice was as emotionless as her heart as she stood and whisked Dr. Watts away.
I watched them dissipate with a stone in my throat. Vaughn was gone. Who knew when I’d see him again?
The others walked over to the buffet and dug in, their mood drastically improved by good nutrition and sugary cakes that Ronnie stuffed into his mouth whole. I hung back, wrestling with myself. My will to go on seemed dead. I hadn’t depended on Vaughn at the start of this task, but now, losing him felt like a limb had been severed.
Pressing my thumbs to my eyes, I tried to control the emotions that were running riot inside my chest.
Someone stepped near me and stopped as if waiting for me to pick up my head. I did so, coming face to face with Regina.
She didn’t smile or comfort me. Instead, she stared as if I were a curiosity, an oddity.
“What do you want?” I asked, wanting to lash out at anyone and everyone who got too close.
She narrowed her brown eyes, continuing to stare. “I’m trying to figure something out.”
“What’s that?” I spit back angrily.
She cocked her head to the side. “I’m trying to figure out why you and that beast taste exactly the same.”
“What?” I asked, not sure I heard her correctly.
“You and the beast,” she repeated. “You’re the same. That beast is fae.”
Chapter Nineteen
“The beast is fae,”Regina insisted.
“No, you’re mistaken,” I said. “There aren’t any creatures like that among the fae.”
“Whatever. I know what I tasted.” Regina shrugged and walked back to the food-laden table. Antonio was there, greedily drinking from a decanter of blood. Quickly, as if by magic, he stopped looking like a translucent jellyfish and became more solid. Regina drank from the other decanter, emptying it just as quickly.
The rest of the group was eating as if there were no tomorrow while Bael still lay on the ground, forgotten. I stood up slowly, shakily. I still felt weak and lightheaded from the blood Regina had taken from me and all that had happened. I needed to get to the table to drink and eat something, so I could replenish my strength and be ready for what was to come, but I couldn’t do that before helping Bael.
Dragging my feet, I got to the table, grabbed two bottles of water, and knelt next to the large Khurynian. “Here, Bael. Drink some water.”
He blinked up at me, pushed up with his good leg, and reclined his back against the tree behind him, being careful of his wings. He took the bottle from me and gulped. I was relieved to see that he wasn’t beyond helping himself and had regained some energy after resting.
“Do you think you can eat something?” I asked.
He nodded his great, horned head. “I’ll eat. Can’t survive if I don’t. You should eat, too.”
