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"The pools have all been compromised," Commander Azrael explained.

Each healing pool had a body in it, and the Practitioners and Attendants were notably absent from the main level.

I nodded my understanding, pulling the blanket that I was wrapped up in even tighter.

"What is Ariadne supposed to do now?" Viggo demanded. "She has maybe two hours left before the salve starts feeding off of her thaumaturgy and soul."

"Huh?" I asked; that snapped me out of my daze, albeit temporarily.

Azrael glared at Viggo before offering me a sympathetic smile. "Child, since you do not care to partake in the healing pools you do not know the dangers that they can pose. If the mud is polluted with evil, in this case, the drained bodies of the staff care of Devilry, it reverses the mud's effect. It literally would have killed you if you had gotten in it. The other problem that you are currently facing is the salve used to heal those wounds needs to draw thaumaturgic energy from somewhere to complete the process. If you are not submerged in something of the thaumaturgic healing variety, the salve will feed off of your thaumaturgy and soul before ultimately killing you."

"I'm not a Wight. I'm a Mundane," I reminded them.

Viggo's jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. "Mundane or Wight, it does not matter!" he snapped at me as if I should have been aware of that. "Every creature in the world of Thaumaturgy has some sort of thaumaturgic energy in their soul, and when it is depleted, you will die."

I laughed half-heartedly. "And you wondered why I didn't want to go to the damn healing mud," I reminded him. "I hate to say it, and you know it's coming, but I told you so."

"That is not funny," Viggo snapped at me. "What about the pools in Seattle?"

Azrael shook his head. "Contaminated in much the same manner, besides we could not get there quick enough. Even with the most proficient Wizards available, the trip is long and her system is too compromised to handle that many teleportation spells to get there. She barely survived the first time."

Apparently, I didn't get to the hospital in Seattle by private jet, and it was instead Wizards and they nearly killed me.

Awesome.

"I'd like to see my brother and call my parents," I interrupted.

"Of course, Child," Azrael said with a forced smile and motioned for five of the Imperial Guard to escort me to my dorm.

Viggo pulled the blanket tight around me. "Permission to touch you?" he asked.

"Always," I whispered.

He made sure the blanket was tucked under my backside before he picked me up and carried me from the Healing Center.

I didn't want to look weak, especially in front of Commander Azrael and the other Sentinels since I was in training to be one, but I couldn't feel my legs and would have face-planted if I tried to stand up, let alone walk.

A fight would start the moment we got back to the dorms since I was only wearing a blanket, there was no way there wouldn't be a fight over this. Amusingly enough, everyone but me wanted me to go to the healing mud! Not that I saw this exact situation happening, but it was the perfect I told you so reason to not want to go to the healing pools.

The earthquake had everyone out of their dorms checking for damage, discussing what happened and speculating what caused it. There were no Earth Elementals at the Academy that were strong enough to cause an earthquake, that I was aware of, but I wouldn't put it past someone to play a prank when the campus and security were already on high alert just to prove they could.

When those in the courtyard saw me in Viggo's arms, being escorted by a small contingency of the Imperial Guard, they instantly quieted and parted for us.

Good thing I will be dead when classes start again because I don't want to hear the rumors that this is going to cause.

When Viggo carried me into my suite, Harper hurried to us.

"Love, are you okay?" Harper asked. "I thought you were at the Healing Center? You can't be healed that quickly... You look knackered, what is wrong? What happened?" he demanded.

"Save it for my eulogy," I said, caressing the side of his face in passing.

"Stop taking the piss," Harper scolded.

Zane exited his room. "Why is de Babinbitch here? And why is my sister naked? Ew, did you two sleep together?"

Viggo carefully sat me down on the couch. "Do you need anything?" he whispered.

The look of unfathomable loss that was clearly visible on his face made the tears I was struggling to hold back stain my cheeks.

"Zannie, can you call Mom and Dad for me?" I asked, looking from Viggo to Zane.

Zane started for the phone then stopped, his eyes closed while he took deep breaths. "No?" he whispered, his brows pulling together before his eyes snapped open and he looked at me. "No!" he shouted, hurrying over to me then took my face between his hands. "What happened, Ari?" he stammered, tears staining his cheeks.

Harper looked between us and Viggo. "What in bloody hell is going on? What is wrong with that one now?" he asked, heading towards us.

Viggo stopped him, stepping between the couch and Harper, shaking his head. "Do not get between them," he whispered, looking over at us. "Never get between Ariadne and Zaidin, ever."

Harper glared at him.

"How does de Babinbitch know my real name?" Zane whispered.

"Not a clue," I grumbled. "I forgot that was your name."

"Thanks, I feel the love," he complained.

"You shouldn't. You forgot my damn name," I reminded him.

"Okay, that's fair," Zane conceded. "What's going on? Why are you naked and look like shit?"

My support system is so sickening sometimes.

"Mud pools are compromised," I explained, resting my forehead against Zane's. "I have maybe ninety minutes or so left before the salve kills me."

"What about Seattle?" Harper asked, but Viggo shook his head. "Bollocks!"

One of the barstools flew across the room before embedding in the wall.

Harper has a bit of a temper, to say the least.

"They just repainted that wall," I scolded.

"The closest Healing Pools are in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho," Viggo said. "There is no way to make it there in time. Adriane will not survive that many wizard teleportation spells. Permission to touch you?"

I continued to sit on the couch with Zane hugging me.

"Always," I said with a lazy smile, causing Zane to gag.

Viggo pressed his hand against the side of my neck and something warmed trickled down it.

"Ew, what are you doing?" Zane demanded.

"Keep your Alans on," Harper warned. "Let Prince de Babineaux do what he is preparing to do. The salve on her wounds needs to feed on thaumaturgic energy. Since your sister's a Mundane, it'll devour her soul."

Zane groaned. "That... Okay, but does he have to do it like that?"

"Yes," Harper said.

"So gross," Zane grumbled. "You better not give her Vampire-hepatitis or something. Feed him to the salve, save us all some time," he sneered

"Be nice," I warned, opening my eyes and then touched my neck when I felt something trickling down it. I pulled back bloody fingers. "Why am I bleeding?" I mumbled, rubbing my fingers together; the blood was thick, hot, and teeming with some type of energy.

"Because it isn't yours," Zane said as if it were obvious.

But it wasn't obvious in the least.

Why does this always happen to me? Even as a kid, it was always me that was sick, never Zane. I'm the one that broke bones and got cuts, never my brother. It's weird. Seventeen years old and never been kissed...

"Oh crap, my life is a teen drama that is big screen worthy!" I gasped.

Zane chuckled. "Shut up. That is a mental picture I did not need, especially with that creature of all creatures in the room and groping and bleeding all over your neck."

I blushed. "I hope that's not literal. I'm hungry. Can we get takeout before I die?" I asked.

"You're always Hank Marvin, Love," Harper said. "I'd be concerned if you weren't."

"I'm a fat girl and fat girls love to eat," I reminded him.

Harper snorted. "You would make good dosh in an eating competition," he agreed, causing me to smile.

"Who's Hank Marvin and does he deliver because now I want takeout," Zane complained.

I chuckled. "It's Cockney rhyming slang for starving," I explained. "When Harper gets upset he goes full English. When in his formal wear he reminds me of a Victorian period piece on PBS."

"That is it!" Viggo said, startling everyone. "Ariadne, I shall return momentarily," he said, kissing me on the top of the head before hurrying from the room.

That's one way to get rid of a Vampire Prince, I guess.