Ravik leaned forward, looking over her shoulder at the wand.
“Cassie’s honey is pretty,” he observed.
Cassie gave a weak laugh.
“That is maybe the weirdest complimentIhaveevergotten.”
“It is more than pretty,”Severinsaid.Hiseyes were fixed on the shimmering sample, and his face had gone pale with wonder.“It’schanged.Theanti-viral activity must be extremely high.I’llneed to test it, butCassandra…”Helooked up at her at last.“Thismay be the first stable form of the cure for theHungerVirus.”
At firstCassiedidn’t understand.Shelooked from the glowing wand toSeverin’sface and then down at her own arm.Thebite wound was calm now, barely shimmering.Herbody was calm too, still humming faintly with pleasure but no longer screaming at her.
She should have felt relieved—shedidfeel relieved.Butunderneath that relief was something else—something bigger and stranger.BecauseifSeverinwas right, then the cure wasn’t just in her blood.Itwasn’t just inRavik’sseed orSeverin’sscience or the weird, humiliating virus pathway that had made her crave sex instead of flesh.
It was in what happened after the three of them came together—because this sample had been takenaftershe drank the twoKindreds’ cream.
Cassie swallowed hard, tying to take it all in.
“So…my body is making glowing anti-zombie honey now?”she asked, trying for a light tone.
Severin frowned.
“That’s not exactly whatIwould call it but in the simplest terms, yes.AsIsaid,I’llhave to test it to be sure.”
Ravik nodded solemnly.
“Cassie is miracle.”
Cassie almost laughed.
“I wouldn’t saythatexactly.”
“Truth,” he rumbled.
Severin set the wand carefully into its sterile case and sealed it, though his hands were not quite steady.
“I need to get this to the lab.”
“Of course you do,”Cassiesaid, but her voice was soft now…tired.Infact, she didn’t know when she’d felt this tired.Allthe science sex the three of them had done together that night and the way her body had been fighting theHungerVirusall day had worn her completely out.
Severin looked at her longingly.
“I don’t want to leave you.”
The admission was so simple and so unlike his usual careful explanations that for a second she didn’t know what to say.
“I’m okay,” she said at last.“Really.Fornow,Ifeel…quiet.”
“Quiet is good,”Raviksaid, his arms still around her.
“Yes,” she whispered.“Quietis very good.”
Severin leaned forward and brushed his lips over her forehead.Thekiss was brief and gentle and made her heart ache.
“I’ll be close,” he murmured.“Ifthe need returns, call me.”
Cassie managed a tired little smile.
“If the need returns,Ihave a feeling both of you will smell it beforeIcan say a word.”
