Which, of course, is what he immediately did.
Cassandra dabbed a bit of the cooling burn salve on one finger and reached toward a red mark onRavik’schest but theBeastKindredjerked back as though she had come at him with a blade.
“No!”Hisgolden eyes went wide as she tried again.“No—hurts!Stings!”
“No it doesn’t—Ipromiseit doesn’t!”Cassandrasaid quickly.“Look—see?I’llput some on myself.”
She rubbed the ointment onto the back of her hand and showed him, butRavikonly shook his head, breathing harder.
“No, no!”he rumbled, his eyes wide with fright.“Nolike it!Nowant it!Stings!”
Severin’s throat went tight as he watched.
Ravik had endured plasma burns, broken bones, poison darts, shrapnel wounds, surgical extractions without anesthetic, and once, onVarronMinor, a bite from a venomous underground eel that had caused muscle spasms for two full days.Hehad never feared pain.Hehad cursed it, fought through it, mocked it, and sometimes laughed at it.
But theHungerVirushad stripped away his mind and memories.Ravikwasn’t remembering that treatment helped.Hewasn’t remembering that pain could be temporary or necessary.Heonly knew something hurt and someone was trying to put something on him that might hurt more.
The sight madeSeverinwant to put his fist through the wall…instead, he stood still and letCassandrahandle it.
BecauseCassandrawas the oneRaviktrusted right now—not him.
That truth cut deeper than the burn on his palm.
Severin had savedRavik’slife more than once.Hehad entered quarantine rooms, battlefield triage units, and contaminated ruins for his best friend.Hehad synthesized anti-toxins from nothing but corrupted tissue samples and prayer.Hehad spent the last three months refusing to abandon theBeastKindredwhen every rational protocol said he should have sealed the bunker door and let theDeadZonetake him.
And yetRaviklooked atCassandrafor safety.
Not because he lovedSeverinless, though—because something in her body called to him—soothed him and fought back the virus.
But what was it?Severinwas itching to run experiments but of course he couldn’t—not yet.
Cassandra turned suddenly and looked at him.Herealized belatedly that she had caught him staring with what must have been a grim expression on his face.
“Hey—Ineed your help for a minute,” she said sharply.
“Hmm?Oh, sorry.”Severincame back from his thoughts to pay attenion.“Youneed my help?BecauseIdon’t thinkI’mstrong enough to holdRavikdown while you treat him,” he said.“I’lltry, of course, but?—”
“No, that would only make himmoreupset,”Cassandrasaid impatiently.“WhatIneed is your knowledge—is this stuff safe to ingest?”Shewaved the tube of burn ointment at him.
Severin frowned.
“Are you saying you want toeatsome of that?Why?”
“No,Idon’t want to eat it—Ijust want to make sure it won’t poison me ifIget some in my mouth.Don’task why—just answer the question,” she added, because he could feel his brows drawing together and knew he must look like he wanted to ask several questions.
Which he did—manyquestions.
Questions such as—Whywould burn salve be in your mouth?Whatexactly are you planning to do to my half-infected best friend?Andwhy does the thought of you doing almost anything with your mouth make it nearly impossible for me to think straight?
Severin pushed the thoughts aside and held out his unburned hand.
“All right, let me see the tube.”
She gave it to him and he scanned the ingredients briefly, then nodded and handed it back.
“It should be fine.There’snothing that would be poisonous to a human in the ointment.It’smostly a cooling mineral gel suspended in sterile oil, with a low-grade dermal regenerator and a topical analgesic.Itmight numb your lips slightly, but it shouldn’t harm you.”
“Good, thank you.”Cassandranodded and took the tube back from him.
