“Gabriel,” I tested the spot again, and he hissed. “How were you hurt? Stabbed?”
I smelled his blood, and more of that foul scent, but it was too dark to tell anything except he was breathing erratically.
His jaw flexed. “Don’t fuss over me. I’m fine.”
I peered up at Gabriel’s pale face and swiped my fingers across his sweating brow. “You’re a terrible liar, just so you know.”
Nico dropped down beside us and held out my knife. “Good throw. I owe you one,principessa.”
I took the knife and the praise for what it was worth, tucking the blade back in my boot, then knelt down beside Gabriel.
“He’s hurt, his shoulder, for sure,” I explained, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. “And that smell… I can’t tell where it’s coming from.”
Nico’s breath ghosted over my cheek as he leaned in, checking Gabriel over, fast and efficient. “The bastard’s knife must have caught you… There’s a nick on your shoulder.” He peeled back Gabriel’s jacket, and the reek grew stronger.
“Smells like… yeah, poison.” He pulled something out of his pocket, paper rustling before he ripped a package open with his teeth. “I’m giving you a shot. Standard issue antitoxin injection should take care of whatever’s in your system.”
Gabriel hissed as Nico jammed the needle into the top of his arm, his entire body shuddering against mine, the scent of blood getting stronger—rich and warm.
My fangs began to ache, my stomach clenching. Gods, I couldn’t stop thinking about how good he tasted. How close I’d come to spilling all my very confused, verywrongfeelings before he’d stopped me cold. And thank the gods for that. I hated myself forwantingso badly.
His blood.Him.
I wished I could take back everything I’d said, but I’d been so caught up in the moment, so caught up in my ridiculous notion of what could have been, I’d just…
“Emberline, are you listening? Keep your hand pressedon that wound, and keep him upright,” Nico instructed. “We have about five minutes to get there before they notice the missing guards.” He pointed at a shadowy smudge that could have been a building. Or nothing at all.
Gabriel’s mouth curved, sharp and humorless. “Piece of cake.” His shudders turned to a steady shaking as I hoisted him against me, taking on as much of his weight as I could manage. He looped his arm over my shoulders, his whiskers scratching my cheek.
“Alright, here we go.”
Nico covered us as we hobbled across the open sweep of sand, eyes peeled for movement, ears straining to catch every faint sound. But everything here was strange; with the skittering of small night animals and the rushing wind, there was nothing familiar to ground me. When we reached our destination—a low stacked wall of soft, mud bricks—Gabriel sank to the ground.
Nico peeled Gabriel’s hand away, prodded the wound like an experienced healer. The gash was straightforward enough… except for the bubbling foam around the edges. The smell was acrid, and the skin around the cut looked black.
“Once the poison is out of your system, this will take time to heal. What about your leg?” Nico shot him a steady stare. “I know you tweaked it on the way through the gate.”
“I’m fucking fine. Stop mother-henning me.”
I rocked back on my heels. “Why didn’t you say something? Can you walk?”
Gabriel rolled his shoulder with a wince. “Well enough to get where we need to be,bella.”
“Can you fight?” Nico added, “Because if you can’t, going any further will be a death sentence. We should head backto the gate while we still can and regroup. Come back with reinforcements.”
“No.” I grabbed Nico’s arm. “We can’t turn back, we have to…” I bit my lip. Telling them my dead mother told me in a dream that Dante only had one more day to live would sound… well, they wouldn’t believe me.
“Don’t you dare sideline me, Nico. I’m going in there and getting my brother.” Gabriel’s gaze cut to me. “We’re going in together.”
“In a minute. Give the antitoxin time to work, and for your leg to mend.” I pressed my palm to his chest for one long second, his heart thudding beneath my hand. Our eyes locked, and I wanted to say something. To tell him…
Nico straightened, eyes scanning the dark beyond the wall hiding us. “Both of you… pay attention. We’re at the outer walls, and we have to get through the underground passageways and after that…” He paused, his expression turning grim. “The labyrinth.”
My grip tightened on my blade. “Labyrinth, huh? So… like a maze?”
“Exactly like a maze.” Nico sounded worried. “A rambling maze of tunnels and corridors carved into the rock. They are old and twisting and designed to confuse. Designed to?—”
“To keep prisoners from escaping,” Gabriel finished, his voice rough.
