Page 193 of Quicksilver

Taladaius looked like he wanted to refuse, but he said, “If you're certain you want me to, I will, but it can be very traumatic—”

“Remove. It,” I snarled.

“As you wish.” He didn't need to touch me. It was simpler than that. One minute, I had no recollection of the moment when Taladaius's teeth had sunk into the top of my shoulder. No recollection of the horror show that followed after. And then, the next minute, I did.

The bite from Taladaius.

Fisher, carrying me in his arms. Opening a shadow gate. Me flying through the air toward the quicksilver pool. The brief but tense conversation with Zareth that followed.

Then, Fisher pulling me out of the quicksilver. He and Carrion, arguing like they were about to kill each other.

Lorreth, sitting by my bedside, playing some kind of lute and singing softly to me while I thrashed and moaned.

Three days of me lying in this bed, in this room, begging for Fisher to kill me because I couldn't face the pain for another second.

And me...biting...someone.

My eyes snapped up to Taladaius's neck.

I'd bittenhim.

He saw my realization and gave me a small smile. Angling his neck, he showed it to me—his smooth, unblemished skin. “No harm done,” he said. “You barely broke the skin.”

“Why did Idothat?” I pressed my hand to my mouth, too afraid to part my lips and accept a truth that I already knew but was too afraid to face.

“Fisher should really be here for this,” Taladaius said. He started for the door.

“No! I—” I didn't know what to say. “A part of me feels like I should thank you for saving my life.”

“And the rest of you?'

“Wants to kill you for what you've done,” I whispered.

The vampire nodded, studying his boots. “I felt the same way for a long time. There were whole centuries where I hated what I'd become, and I wanted to destroy Malcolm. I wanted nothing but to die and be gone from this world so badly.”

“What made you decide to stay?”

Taladaius gave me a small, very sad smile. “I didn't. I wasn't given a choice. Malcolm wouldn't let me go. I tried to kill myself once, and he forbade me from ever trying again. His word was law.”

“But now he's dead...”

“And I am free.” Taladaius rocked on his heels. “I'm still trying to decide what that means for me. But things have gotten rather interesting recently.” He looked me up and down, frowning a little, as if weighing up what he wanted to say. After a moment, he said, “There are two kinds of forever, Alchemist. One is heaven. The other is hell. It doesn’t matter what I do. Make sure you chooseyourversion of immortality wisely.”

I blinked, trying to force this version of Carrion Swift to make sense in my head.

Still the same artfully messy copper-brown hair. Still the same blue eyes and that roguish grin.

But also the sloped ears. And the pointed canines. And he was sotall.

I punched him in the chest.

“Ow! What wasthatfor?”

I shoved a finger in his face. “Because you're an asshole. I've known you since I wasfifteen!”

He shook his head, hands palm up in the air.“And?I've known you since I was a thousand and eighty-six. Do I win a prize?”

“You didn't tell me that you were heir to a fucking Fae throne!”