Dez was at my side in a second, kneeling down. He opened his mouth.
“Don’t you dare say I told you so,” I warned, glancing down at my finger. Blood welled up from three little indentations. “I can’t believe he bit me. I thought he liked me.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything. Let me see it.” He reached for my hand. “He broke the skin, didn’t he? Christ,” he muttered. “You’re bleeding. Come on, let’s wash it off and get out of here before more of them show up and decide to take a bite out of you.”
“You think there’re more?” I let him pull me to my feet and guide me to the edge of the lake.
“If there’s one, there’s probably a hundred.” He dipped my hand under the cool water, washing away the blood.
“You should’ve killed it,” I grumbled crossly.
Dez cast me a long look. “I tried, but someone—no names mentioned—thought Herbert was so ugly it was cute.”
I sighed. True. “He doesn’t deserve the name Herbert.”
He relented enough to snicker as he lifted my hand from the water. “Does it hurt?”
“Actually...” It did hurt. The sting from the pukwudgie’s bite radiated over my hand and down my arm. “Not really,” I finished. Dez already thought I was a big enough idiot. No reason to add to it.
We were halfway back to the SUV when a fine sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead. Heat traveled across my skin like a fever. I felt flushed, sticky. Stomach roiling, I glanced down at my finger and sucked in a shaky breath. The skin around the bite was blood red, and angry-looking streaks spread out from the otherwise-minor wound.
Uh-oh.
I stopped walking, but the trees kept moving. Odd. “Dez...?”
He turned to me, but something was wrong with his face. All his features blurred together. “Jasmine?”
His voice sounded way, way far away. “I don’t... feel so good.”
I took a step or at least I thought I had, but suddenly the ground was in the sky and the sky was no more. Somewhere, off in the distance, I thought I heard Dez calling my name, and then there was nothing.
Chapter Eleven
I was on fire.
It was the only explanation for the searing burn sweeping through my veins, cooking me from the inside, boiling my blood and blistering my skin. I couldn’t move, but I was gliding. Blissful cool air washed over my heated skin, a momentary reprieve, but the fire invaded every cell. Heat surrounded me, cradling me in a hard embrace.
In the rare moments when my brain wasn’t mush, I knew I had to phase. I had to reach the deep level of sleep necessary to heal, but I couldn’t will my muscles to do what I needed. Nothing responded to me. I was trapped in a circle of Hell.
Consciousness slipped in and out, and when I was awake, I wanted to be out—to be far away. My skin was slipping off my bones. Flames crawled up my throat. Unable to escape the pain, I shrank into myself, and a million miles away, I heard someone calling to me. The words made no sense, but I clung to the voice and tried to reach for it. Then the inferno spiked, consuming me until there was only darkness and the distant hum of that voice.
It felt like a stuttered heartbeat later when I became aware of the shift in my surroundings. There were more voices in the distance, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying and I couldn’t force my eyes open. Something was different though. The hard warmth that had surrounded me was gone and in its place was billowy softness. I didn’t understand, but I sank into it for a little while, dragging myself back out when something cool was pressed to my forehead and bitter, tangy liquid coursed down my throat. I tried to turn my head, whimpering as a gentle hand stopped me.
“You have to drink this. It will help you feel better.”
I didn’t recognize the voice. My heart rate skyrocketed. Where was Dez? I didn’t have a chance to spit up the liquid. It kept coming until I was drowning in it,and when it stopped, I dragged in deep breaths that hurt.
“That’s good,” said the stranger. He was moving away from me. “She’ll sleep now.”
The silence that followed was as frightening as the fire. Summoning every ounce of energy in me, I lifted my hand, searching for something—anything—to hold on to.
A strong hand folded around mine, and the softness shifted. A damp cloth caressed my forehead. My lips formed his name, but there was no sound.
“I’m here with you.” The coolness slid over my blazing cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere, Jas. I’m not going to leave you again.”
The fire was gone the next time my brain churned awake. A dull throbbing remained in every part of my body and my eyes felt sewn shut. My body came back on at the speed of a three-legged turtle. I moved, maybe shifted about an inch on the bed, and I felt as if I’d accomplished something major.
“Jas?”
I turned my head toward the sound of Dez’s deep voice. A hand curved around my cheek, and I sighed at the contact. It didn’t burn. Oh, no, it felt grounding and wonderful.
Finally, after an eternity, I pried my eyes open. I squinted at the low light in the room, surprised by the sensitivity of my eyes. As my vision cleared, I saw Dez sitting beside me.
I’d never seen him look so tired. Dark shadows bloomed under his pale eyes. His features were pinched with weariness, but the hand around mine was full of strength.
“Hey,” he said, scooting closer. “You’re finally awake.”
I opened my mouth, but what came out was no more than a hoarse, pathetic croak. Dez dropped my hand as he leaned back in his chair, reaching for the pitcher of water on the nightstand.
As Dez helped me sit up enough to drink, my gaze flitted around my surroundings. Beige walls, minimal furniture and heavy white curtains. It wasn’t a room in my clan’s home.
I felt as if I’d climbed a hundred stairs by the time I rested my head on the soft pillow again. “Thank you.”
Dez picked up my hand again, threading his fingers through mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired.” I turned toward him. My head was full of cobwebs. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
I searched through my hazy thoughts, slowly picking up the important stuff. “Herbert bit me.”
He nodded. “A pukwudgie’s bite is poisonous. I didn’t know it would be. If I had—”
“It’s not your fault.” I cleared my throat, wishing I could sit up. “You didn’t know. And if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. God, I feel dumb.”
He smiled slightly. “Why?”
“Why?” I repeated dully. “You told me not to touch the stupid thing and I should’ve known better.”
He smoothed my damp hair back from my face with his free hand. “Well, trusting anything named Herbert is a bad idea.”
I croaked out a laugh. “That’s true.” Wetting my lips, I then let out a long breath. “Where are we?”
“We were too far from home to take you back.” He slid his hand to my cheek and then he sat back, still holding my hand in his other one. “I brought you to DC. We’re in Abbot’s home.”
My eyes widened. “We’re here? How? Did you drive?”
“Driving would’ve taken too long, and I didn’t know how dangerous the bite was. It was quicker to fly. And I’m glad I did. Turns out a pukwudgie’s bite isn’t something to mess with. Abbot sent one of his clansmen to get our car. All your stuff is here.”