Page 51 of The Cannibal

She fiddled with the ring, using her thumb to spin it. “Not this time.”

“Are you expecting a next time?” I teased.

“Why are you showing me all of this?” The suspicion bled into her words. I could admit it hurt a little, not that I blamed her.

“We don’t have time to wait for Silas to give you a home tour,” I told her bluntly. “We need to figure out what’s wrong with you. And there is no one better than you.”

“Great! So I must solve my own problems by myself. Again.” Her cruel laugh cut through the air. “That’s all right, I should have expected as much.”

“I didn’t say you had to do it alone,” I corrected. “I will help.”

“Because that went so well last time.”

“Don’t start with that.” I threw my hand up in dismissal.

“Am I wrong?” Her eyes widened, a wild edge to them. Her arms crossed, but the tapping of her foot meant a slap was in my near future.

“No, but look around you.” I gestured grandly. “You have very few who can help you right now. Not your little pink friend, not even Silas. Vipera regenerative abilities are impressive, but even the strongest Vipera cannot come back from brain damage. We,” I said as I pointed between the two of us, “need to figure this out before your body betrays you.”

Her brows lifted from their angry posture, a thick swallow as she stared with no more quips. Like everything she wanted to say dissolved. “How much time?”

“End of the month.” I approached, keeping a healthy distance. Only a pace apart. “You can heal if you can stomach something before then. But you have to be ready for extreme measures if you want to come out of this with your head intact.”

She looked relieved, but she shouldn’t have been.

“It will become exponentially harder the longer we wait.” I pointed to her. “You will be in such pain, you can’t see, feel, do anything except move those tiny talons in your mouth.”

I stepped forward, she stepped back.

“Your body will conserve all your energy, to the last moment, for feeding before you go feral. Corrupted in a last attempt before you starve.”

She still didn’t look convinced.

My shoulders physically slouched as I grasped hers, making sure her eyes met mine. “I know you do not trust me. But if killing for you wasn’t enough to convince you, I don’t know what will. Just being here, working under Silas, helping you, puts my neck on the block if we are not successful in our Appraisal. Do you understand me? We are standing in the grave together. It’s time you trust someone to help you.”

I think I was scaring her more than earning her trust now. Her eyes were wide, she had nothing to say.

“I may be vermin to you, but you need everyone on your side.” I was unsure of what else I could say. I squeezed her shoulders again and she shrank in on herself. “We are on your side. I am on your side, Alina. You don’t have to do this alone.”

She shrugged my hands off before returning to exploring her lab. Her fingers dragged across the counter surface as she looked at all the bottles. Her silence wasn’t concerning . . . yet. But whether she believed my earnestness or not would depend on her mood. Even if she didn’t believe me, it didn’t make my words or actions any less true.

“Sit.” She loosely gestured to the stool tucked under the workbench.

I did so.

Another knock at the door before it creaked open, Phoebe’s red hair poked in as she invited herself inside.

She looked at me as Alina’s back was still turned.

She likes it? she mouthed silently to me.

I lifted a shoulder before it slumped.

The lab was quiet, much like the company.

Alina took out a cloth and one of the glass bottles. As she soaked the cloth, it smelled of witch hazel.

Phoebe closed the door quietly, leaning against the door as she joined our somber party.