Page 110 of All Your Bloody Lies

If it weren’t for my need to keep her close, the moment she is fed and situated in bed, I’d be out looking for Lars.

After getting out of the very windy roads of the mountain range, we hit the highway. I’m proud of Sydni for speeding, and since it’s in the middle of the night, there isn’t much traffic.

A few hours into the drive is when Xeraphine moves for the first time. She doesn’t open her eyes, but she tenses. I fear she may wake not knowing where she is, so I adjust, ready to subdue her when she grips tightly to my shirt and sinks further into my embrace.

“Cinnamon…” she murmurs so softly I’m surprised I can hear it over the heater and soft music playing. Sydni had released her hand a while ago, now all my girl is holding onto is me.

I smile, “I was just adjusting you,” she doesn’t move or acknowledge me speaking, “kind of worried you’d punch me because you didn’t know who was holding you.”

Her lips part, and I watch her breathing escalate, as if it’s difficult to speak, “Doesn’t… matter…” I lift her head so she isn’t talking to my chest. My arm moves behind her neck so that it can rest there. “Still… would punch you…”

A soft laugh rolls from my throat, “I’ll take it.” I press a kiss to her forehead.

“Driving…?”

“Sydni.” The back of my hand comes to brush against her cheek, watching as the edge of her lip curls up slightly. “She’s being awfully quiet though.”

When I peek at her, it’s because she’s crying. I don’t say anything, but just look back at my girl who is asleep once again. Her head isrolled back into the crook of my arm, and the tension in her shoulders has disappeared.

I wrap my arm around her leg and rest my cheek against her head. The remainder of the drive, I focus on listening to her heart. Just hearing and allowing that to fill me with the solace I need to remind me that she’s still alive. I know she can’t die, but I’m still so fucking terrified to lose her.

Gods damn.

I love this woman.

39

Kairhyse

The elevator ride up to my apartment is silent. Sydni holds Xeraphine’s hand closely, their fingers intertwined. Since waking for that brief moment in the car, there has been no other movement from her. She feels safe because I’m sure she wouldn’t be this dead weight otherwise.

As the elevator doors slide open, Sydni moves swiftly ahead of us, her hand already reaching for the handle of my apartment door. Since I’m the only resident on this floor, my front door stands directly in front of the elevator.

The sound of Tyson’s hurried footsteps echo toward us as the door swings open. “Holy fucking Belial himself, you found her.” The relief in his tone makes me groan inwardly—I get it, they are just friends. Doesn’t matter, I still find his presence in her life a bit strange. I’ll get over it; I won’t take his hands and ship them to his family.

He is in front of us, looking down at her, “She’s a mess, looks like she is struggling to heal.” I remember that he had quite the understanding of what she was because of their history. “How long has it been since you found her?”

“Five or so hours,” Sydni whispers, “she just needs to feed I’m sure.”

“May need more than that, you see her veins? They are struggling to pump blood through them.” He points down at her throat. The jacket is covering nearly everything, which is good because I don’t think Sydni would be able to stay conscious if she saw her chest and the chunk of her leg missing.

Tyson looks up at me, “Her Amoro is looking for sustenance. Look at where it is drawing to.”

I hadn’t even considered what it meant, but the darkness that would consume her upon losing control or lack of feeding, was only on her right side, which was the piece closest to me.

I begin moving toward the stairway, silently gesturing him to follow.

“Was she poisoned?”

I nod, “A Shifter, I’m pretty sure it was a Komodo.”

“I’ve seen this, but not with her. Other Dylox react this way when they are injected with a blood-attacking venom.” The moment we are on the landing, right before the master bedroom, he stops, Sydni right along with him.

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to be careful,” he sighs. “Her Amoro can kill, just remember that.”

I pull her closer to me, “It—she won’t.” I’m pretty sure that night she fell asleep on me, her Amoro held my lifeforce all night. If it wanted to take my life, it would have then.

Looking down at Sydni, she is pressing her forehead against Xeraphine, “Great job, Phiny-bear. I’m so proud of you.” I see the corner of Xera’s lip lift slightly.