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If I ever did make it home, I’d have to tell the manufacturer that their ‘unpleasant, but nonlethal side effects’ saved my bacon.
The fish-faced female arrived again, carrying with her a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a large platter of tiny sandwiches.
I’m not ashamed to say I drooled at the idea of an actual sandwich, especially when I saw they seemed to be ham and cheese and cucumber. My stomach rumbled, loud enough for Bloodworm to hear. He belly-laughed, and that only stoked my anger, my face reddening as I bit my tongue to keep from railing at him.
“Please,” he motioned toward the food and drink that the server had placed on his desk before leaving.
“No,” I growled, though I knew I had to get a hold of the wine at the very least.
“Now, now. Eating and drinking doesn't make us friends.”
“I don’t want anything from you.”
“Oh really?” He made a show of snagging a small sandwich between two fingers and eating it in one bite, chewing with his mouth open. As if he thought that would be appetizing to see. My stomach, damn it, rumbled yet again. “Just eat. I promise it’s not poison.”
“Fine,” I hissed, walking over and making my own show. I popped the wine cork which had already been removed for the red to breathe, and I turned my back just enough to conceal one of the glasses as I filled them both with cabernet and then dropped in the pills. I watched in horror as the red bubbled and fizzed, praying they would dissolve quickly.
I dipped my finger in, swirling the liquid around.
“I’m not sure if getting drunk with you around is a smart idea.” Bloodworm had moved closer to me, and his hot acrid breath tickled my neck.
Keeping my finger in his wine, I turned around. I swirled his drink seductively and then lifted my finger, red dripping from the tip, and popped it into my mouth. I sucked at my finger, moving my lips down to the base and back to the very end of my fingernail. I kept my eyes on Bloodworm the entire time, watching need fill his gaze. And then I handed him his wine before turning around to grab my own.
As I’d thought he would, Bloodworm drank greedily, his gaze never leaving my face.
He was a crude, awful man, but he was still a man. And I’d bet he hadn’t been with a human woman in a long time.
“I don’t like a tease,” he whispered before tipping his glass back and finishing the rest of it in one great swallow. Tiny particles remained at the bottom of the glass, and I crossed my fingers he’d be as oblivious to that as he was to my bag on the floor.
“And I don’t like a brute,” I responded, winking.
He didn’t seem to care—or even notice, really—that my attitude had done a one-eighty. He was thinking with his other brain now.
All I had to do was bide my time, flirt, and wait for the medicine to hit.
It wouldn’t take long. Not with sixteen pills at once.
“Once this is over, you don’t have to go back to Earth, you know.” Bloodworm ate another sandwich and tried to put an arm around me. I sidestepped, laughing.
“Now, now. Don’t get handsy. I think you’re already drunk.”
“Not yet. It would take at least three glasses.” He moved toward me again, reaching out and pinching my ass.
“Hey!” I squealed. “I’m trying to watch the fight and you’re missing it. Isn’t this your grand design? Mortal foes in a final bloody battle.”
“I am brilliant,” he remarked, trying once again to thread his arm around my waist. This time I let him, hoping the small amount of touch would satisfy him, even as it made my skin crawl.
On the screen, Zyair was tossing fireballs at Kaio.
I watched the fight, transfixed, yet wholly aware of Bloodworm’s hand creeping lower.
Zyair was destroying Kaio and I could tell that Kaio was still hesitant to use the forbidden magick for anything other than defense. But he had to. He had to.
I gasped as Zyair threw yet another fireball, barely missing Kaio’s head. They were both out in the wide open now. The elevator was on its side, broken from the pulley.
They danced, back and forth, Kaio playing defense while Zyair was all offense.
Use the magick, Kaio. You have to.
