Page 15 of The Tracker's Rage
“We want in on this cure thing,” Rosalina said.
Damien scrutinized us for a long moment, then asked, “Why?”
“We know someone who needs it,” I said.
“I see.” He paced from one end of the foyer to the next, considering. “You saw my potions room, it’s a disaster. I would have to start from zero, and I may not be able to create a viable cure, and if I do, I may not even be able to create more than one dose.”
“One dose?!” I exclaimed. “But there must be thousands of vampires who need it.”
“It’s far easier to come up with something that destroys than something that creates or restores life. I’ve been looking into this for some time, and I don’t think it’s possible to save everyone. Mainly because the ingredients for a cure are rare. Sadly, many vampires have already died, and for most, it’s already too late.”
“So why try at all?” As soon as the question crossed my lips a possible reason for his interest in a cure came to me.
Damien pressed his lips together into a thin line, unwilling to offer an answer.
“There’s someone you want to save,” Rosalina said, stealing the words from my mouth.
The mage stopped pacing and stared at the floor. He didn’t deny or confirm the assertion, but the pain that etched his face gave us the answer.
“I’m sorry,” Rosalina said.
Damien shrugged dismissively as if it didn’t matter, but it was clear it did. A lot. I wondered who he knew that needed saving.
“We’d like to help,” I said, my conviction building even though I had no clue what we could do. “And we understand what you’re saying about the possibility of having only one dose in the end, but I think we’d rather have some hope.” I searched Rosalina’s gaze. She nodded in agreement.
The mage shook his head. “No. I’m sorry, but I won’t help you build pipe dreams. Getting more ingredients is impossible. Now, are you going to tell me who you think is behind all of this? Or do I have to use a truth spell?”
It was a shitty deal, but we figured we owed him after sending the cops after him, so even though the exchange didn’t seem quite fair, we told him about Stephen.
Chapter 6
The next day, somethingDamien had said when he found his potential cure destroyed still bothered me.“I suppose I’m paying for my own mistakes.”
I’d tried not to read too much into it, but the statement kept coming back again and again, and it got tangled with something else that still bugged me, even after many days since my first discovery of rhabo. It was this: as much as Eric seemed opposed to the drug, he had served it as his party. Why?
The insistent subject of their involvement echoed in my head as I stood in front of Eric in his mirrored training room. It was 4 AM, and I’d had to claw myself out of bed to get here, but I’d made it.
