Page 68 of Vasmora

“Maevyth!” Melantha cried out. “Please. Please help me.”

My head urged me to run. Why should I help her?

What had she ever done to step in and help me?

I ran my thumb over the healed cut she’d inflicted on me earlier.

Ahead of me lay a mound of bright green orbs surrounded by bones. Eggs in a nest. As the female headed that way, I let out a quiet growl and sliced my nail across my arm, opening the wound to fresh blood. When I spun back for Melantha, I noticed the males, off to the side, their appendages exposed, snapping at each. Fighting. For what?

I refused to entertain the thought swirling in my head.

Quick steps carried me around the pool, and I lifted my forearm, holding it out to the serpents as I carefully approached Melantha. Both males snapped out of their quarrel, hissing and growling while I edged closer. Once at Melantha’s side, I smeared the blood over her neck and face and jabbed my nail into the wound again for more. Then, hooking my arms beneath hers, I heaved at her body, but she was a deadweight in my grasp–far too heavy. Not having eaten for so many days had made me weaker.

“Gods be damned!” I groaned and heaved again, only inching her to the side.

“Let me … feed from you. I promise, I won’t take too much.”

“You said my blood was tainted. Are you asking to die?”

“It’s better than what the two of them have planned for me.”

“I did not just give up my freedom to watch you die!” I snarled back at her. “How long before the paralysis wears off?”

“A few hours, I would suspect. In the meantime, they’ll be fighting to lay and fertilize her eggs in me.”

“Then, we’ll fight back.” I lowered her to the ground again and sliced another cut into my arm, pressing the vein for more blood. I dripped an arc around Melantha, attempting to create a barrier that I prayed would be effective enough to keep them away. Once in place, I settled in behind her, letting her lean against my chest for support.

One of the charnelyths charged forward, and I held tight to Melantha, bracing for the attack.

She let out a scream as it cut close to the drawn blood and my muscles pulled so tight, squeezing her against me, they could’ve snapped.

It stopped suddenly. Sniffed the blood.

The other arrived alongside it and sniffed, then hissed, backing away.

“It’s working,” I said, unable to contain that sickening beam of hope in my voice. There was no hope in a place like that. I knew that all too well. But somehow, it felt like a small victory.

“Maevyth … promise me.” The words trembled out of her as her body shook in my arms, her fear apparently strong enough to breach the paralysis. “If they attempt it … promise me you’ll let me feed.”

“I promise. So long as you promise not to kill me, too.”

“I promise.”

* * *

An hour must’ve passed as I sat holding Melantha in my lap, eyeing that tunnel. Wondering if I could be cruel enough to leave her behind. “You knew they’d have an aversion to my blood.”

“Any creature of this world would have an aversion to death. Yes, it was an easy gamble.”

“You knew she planned to throw me in the pit?”

“I’d overheard the two of them laughing about it earlier in the day.” Long, labored breaths sawed in and out of her. “I assumed it wasn’t a hypothetical. Nothing ever is with that woman.”

Across from us, the two males sat watching, never once moving or averting those glowing eyes. They waited like patient predators for the moment when they could strike without warning. Which meant neither of us would be sleeping any time soon. “Why? Why help me?”

A long pause followed. “Perhaps I was only looking out for myself.”

“You wouldn’t have cut me, if that were true. You helped me escape to Mortasia, as well.”