Page 49 of Thirst
We set off, and Ash took the rear. The rodents darted ahead to scout.
We crossed paths with two more groups of vampires before the labyrinth quieted again.
The first took one look at Ash and bolted down a side passage, their panicked cries echoing against the walls. We let them go.
The second group wasn’t so lucky. They were already weakened; the vampiress limped from a bleeding gash in her thigh, and her devotees moved with the stiffness of exhaustion. When they saw us, there was a moment of resignation on their faces. Still, they lifted their weapons and charged.
Ash met them with a roar. The fight was brief and brutal, punctuated by a snapping beak and flashing claws. When the echoes faded, I looted the bodies for anything worth carrying.
Another half day bled away before we stoppedand napped in uneasy spurts. We took turns, one always watching our surroundings.
With less than a half a day remaining in the trial, confirmed by Finn's timepiece, we’d survived three traps and two collapsing corridors before the passage opened into a vast, circular chamber.
Felicity and Emmeline waited there, their Devotions ringed around them in a rough defensive circle. Felicity’s wide grin bloomed the moment she saw me. “Ilyana! There you are.”
Razira stood among them as well, unmistakable with her white hair. A tightness in my chest eased to see that she was still alive, and I almost smiled.
Razira stepped forward, and the back of her hand accidentally brushing my neck when she rested a hand on my shoulder in greeting. Her eyes widened in a flicker of surprise, then narrowed in on my face.
“What?” I asked.
“Good to see you.” She nodded and stepped back to stand with her mates.
Finn turned to his animal companions and made a subtle downward motion with his palm indicating tostand down.Ash trilled in acknowledgment. Boris stilled.
“By the goddess,” Felicity breathed, gasping at Ash as her hand shot to her sword.
“He’s a friend,” I said. “This is Finn. Ash, Boris, and a bunch of rats.” I pointed to each in turn. Finn waved.
A slow smile spread across Felicity’s face. “I thought you didn’t have a Devotion. You're breaking the rules. I love it!”
A jolt of terror shrilled through me. “Finn is not just a friend. He’ll be my Devotion once the required moon phase arrives.”
Emmeline waved dismissively. “I don’t care what he is. He’s another body to help us.”
Razira nodded, her eyes sharp. “Yes, every advantage counts down here.”
We had already agreed to work together to improve our chances of survival, but the air between us held an edge. One wrong word could fracture this temporary alliance.
We shared some brief explanations.. They’d faced other Beloveds and their Devotions, avoided traps, and gathered dwindling supplies. Emmaline looked particularly shaken, her eyes wide and haunted from witnessing a lost vampire’s slaughter by a pack of wolves.
“Do you have any blood, Ilyana? We’re all out,” Razira raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, we have some.” I pulled out the containers and handed them around. “Sorry, there isn’t much left in most of them.”
“But you’re willing to share!” Felicity’s eyes widened with genuine gratitude. She moved toward me, pulling me into a quick embrace and pressing a container back into my hand. “Please drink first. You need your strength, too.”
“No, that’s fine. You can have it.” I tried to pass it back to her.
“It’s only fair,” she insisted, refusing to take it.
I opened the bottle. The coppery scent wafted up, rich and metallic. My body reacted before my mind could process it—saliva pooled in my mouth, hunger and need gnawing at the edges of my stomach.
Repulsion rose in my throat, hot and acidic, warring with lingering temptation.
I closed my eyes, picturing Zane’s face, my promise, the ring against my chest.For Zane. You can do this for him.
I lifted the bottle to my lips and let the blood coat mythroat. The taste hit me: metallic and wrong, yet intoxicating. The dark, forbidden essence I had sworn to avoid. I had never consumed it, not once. The world sharpened around me, every sound and movement alive, heightened, vivid.
