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“Please,” her father pleaded once more.

Nathair took in the way the male’s eyes welled with unshed tears. He finally released the breath he’d been holding to find thesmell of his fear had dissipated. However, the male’s heart raced with anxiety, and it coursed within Nathair’s mind.

“What’s wrong with her?” Kai asked, taking in her limp state.

Nathair leaned forward and bared his fangs at the male. His features grew ashen, and the soldiers raised their weapons. But, with no hiss, and no attack from Nathair, Kai threw his hand out to ward them.

“Wait,” he demanded.

He eyed Nathair suspiciously, his gaze slipping over his bony face and exposed fangs. It lingered there, on the liquid that dripped from them.

His features fell as realisation seemed to dawn. He turned to one of the soldiers.

“Get me Tahlia and one of the Priestesses,” he demanded, stepping back from Nathair.

He closed his maw with a nod, wanting to confirm the male’s suspicions. A soldier quickly did as he was asked, while Kai remained with a guard. He and Nathair stared at each other for the entire duration.

“You’re a Duskwalker,” Kai stated matter-of-factly, and Nathair answered him with a nod. His dark brow rose at Nathair’s confirmation. “You understand me, don’t you?”

Once more, Nathair nodded. Nathair cupped the side of her face and rubbed back over her ear, trying to show that he cared for the female in his arms. Kai’s lips flattened, and his slight beard growth poked his inward-curling lips.

Nathair held the female in one arm by squishing her to his chest to free up an arm.She said her father knows sign language.He gestured with one hand, “I did not mean to hurt her.”

Kai’s brown eyes widened. “You can talk!”

“Yes,” he answered. “You will keep her safe? You are her father–”

Kai shook his head while his dark brows drew together tightly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know the language you’re using.” Then he brought his own hands up, and Nathair noticed two missing fingers on his left hand, and that his other was rather stiff. “Do you know Austlan?”

Nathair winced at that.Shit. I taught her my signs, rather than learning hers.Had he not been so stubborn, he may have been able to communicate with this male. He knew a few words, but nothing that would aid this situation.

Nathair shook his head in answer, and the male appeared to curse. The human closed his hands, pushed his index knuckles forward, and pointed them at the ground.

Nathair didn’t know the gesture.

“Hey! What are you saying to him?” the soldier asked.

Nathair waved his right hand to the side, asking, “What?”

Realising Nathair couldn’t understand it, Kai pursed his lips before eyeing him in an odd way. It didn’t look distrustful, and more like he was trying to ponder a solution.

They were interrupted when two females approached. One wore dark robes that had purple symbols etched into every seam available, including the hood over her head. A mask situated over her face was painted half white from the nose down, with silver from the nose up. Black mesh covered her eyes and mouth holes.

The female next to her was a dark brunette, her skin a lighter brown. Her lips were pouty, full, and her eyes a molten hazel. She had a similar chin, cheek, and brow structure to Linh, but her gaze wasn’t as soft as Linh’s or Kai’s. He could see she got her curves from her mother.

A tangy, sweet scent exploded into the clearing, all of it coming from the Anzúli. Nathair leaned towards her and bared his fangs.

“Watch it, Duskwalker,” the Anzúli snapped out distrustfully, backing up a step.

Kai put his arms out to grab her forearm. “He’s showing you what’s wrong with Linh,” he stated, pointing at Nathair’s face. “I think he’s trying to say he’s envenomed her.”

Nathair pointed at him and nodded.

She cupped the pointed chin of her mask. “I see. If it’s anything like Demon venom...” She turned to Kai sharply. “You were right to call me here. The only ones thatmaybe able to help her are us.”

Kai’s brown eyes fell on the other female. “Tahlia, you can’t? What about our medicine?”

“No,” Tahlia answered, and her sharp gaze softened as worry etched across her features. “Our medicine can’t even help against snake or spider bites if they’re fatal. We can only aid the symptoms and wait to see if the person can fight it.”