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“What, Lana?” he said over his shoulder.

“I owe you another debt.” He’d saved my life.Again.

“You owe menothing.”

But I did. That’s how my kind worked. We repaid kindness with kindness, mercy with mercy. Only mates weren’t required to repay debts, but that was only because they were bound by a bond far stronger than a blood debt.

I doubtedthatwas what Asher was suggesting. He was just being... selfless.

“You are the best kind of human,” I said.

He bowed his head, like my words weighed him down. “Get some sleep. I’ll be back soon.” With that, he left.

It took afull day for the antibiotics to really begin to work. By the time we were back in Asher’s car, I felt weak but better. My arm was still swollen and tender, but I could move it a little without hurting.

But most importantly, it was sunny out, the sky was bright blue, the ocean gleamed like a jewel, and for once I didn’t even mind being in the car.

Because I wasalive.

Alive, thanks to the killer next to me.

I wiggled my toes, practically bouncing in my seat. “How much longer?” I asked.

“You are such a kid,” Asher grumbled.

“It’s calledenthusiasm. It’s a human word, so I know you know of it.”

His hard look only deepened. “We’ll get there tonight... stay in the villa... we’ll destroy the portal tomorrow.”

“You mean gothroughit?” I threw my head back against the seat rest. “The one time I would’ve appreciated a human lie you tell me the truth.”

Even that couldn’t bring down my mood for long. I tucked my feet under my thighs and began rolling the beads of my various necklaces together. They were especially beautiful in the sunlight. Everything was beautiful in this earthly light.

“Thank you for saving my life,” I said. It was unprecedented for one of our kind to survive the sickness of this world.

“Lana, you don’t need to keep saying that,” Asher said, rubbing his jaw.

He glanced over at me, and butterflies blossomed in my stomach. I remembered being cradled in those arms, cared for by those hands.

“My life is yours,” I said.

“Stop it. Stop saying shit like that.” He scrubbed that hand over his face. “I don’t want you to give up your life. Not for me or anyone else.”

“But my lifeisyours. You healed me.” I reached for the vial of Asher’s blood, my hand groping through the many ropes of necklaces for it.

“Just please don’t cut yourself again.”

I dropped my hand when I didn’t feel the vial.

Having come this close to death, I doubted I’d be cutting myself again anytime soon. The urge was gone, in fact, which I suspected had everything to do with Asher taking care of me... with metrustinghim. Those first few days around him, I’d been a complete wreck. He’d brought out all my nervous habits.

But now he... didn’t.

Now I felt safe around him, cared for. Somehow, he made me less neurotic.

I peeked at him before looking down at my lap, suddenly feeling shy. “I won’t,” I said softly.

“What’d you do it with?” he asked.