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Vulnerable.
Beautiful.
You fucking creep, she’s unconscious. Stop staring.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I tear my eyes away from her porcelain face and shake my head sternly, shifting my attention to her injury.
The scratch isn’t as deep as I originally thought, which is surprising considering how much blood she lost. Now that it’s crusted over, it doesn’t look life-threatening, but I could be fooling myself with optimism.
“Hang in there,” I mutter.
Elio returns several minutes later with a stack of folded clothes in one hand and a small white box in the other. The corners of his mouth are downturned as his gaze falls to Devyn’s body, and he quickly looks away.
“Xia’s clothes are going to swallow her,” he says, handing me the garments.
“I figured.”
Most of the women that visit Rafe’s mansion come in the form of escorts or personal conquests, but Xia is a force to be reckoned with.
She’s fucking terrifying.
I don’t know her history with Rafe—nor do I want to. All I know is that he hired her shortly before Elio and I came to work for him, and I avoid her when I can. Six feet of pure muscle and a poisonous personality—she would probably kill us both if she knew we’d gone through her things.
Thankfully she spends most of her time in the human world.
“It’s only temporary,” I say.
He hands me the small white box, his frown deepening. “All I found was some frex oil and some gauze. I don’t know how she’ll react to the oil, though.”
I nod numbly. Using frex oil or any of our other monster remedies could end up causing more harm than good at this point, but a weight in my gut tells me it’s worth trying. If she can survive portal travel, which up until now only monsters have been able to do, hopefully she can handle it.
“I’ll try a little to be on the safe side.” I set the clothes and box aside. “What do you think the chances are of us sneaking one of your warlock friends in to heal her?”
Elio laughs forcefully and shakes his head. “You’re joking. You’ve lost your fucking mind, Az.”
Our eyes lock and my jaw hardens. “I’m serious.”
“No, you’re fucking nuts is what you are.” He shakes his head again. “You’re going out of your way, risking pissing Rafe off, and for what? To save a fucking human.”
“There’s no way she’s just a human, Elio, and I think you know that.” I point to Devyn for emphasis. “There’s nothing wrong with the portal. There wasn’t a mistake. I think she has some monster blood in her. I just have to prove it somehow.”
Typically, Elio and I are thick as thieves. We’ve been friends for so long that he’s practically a brother to me—much more so than my ten biologically siblings, anyway. So when he presses his lips into a line and slowly shakes his head a third time, I’m genuinely surprised.
“Az, you know I’m normally in your corner,” he says, dropping his gaze to the floor. “But this is a bit much. You’re a monster for fuck’s sake, not a bleeding heart destined to save the world.”
Silence creeps through the room, and a flicker of anger springs to life in my chest. Elio’s reluctance to help irritates me, and even though I’d fight a Malev army for him, I just want to punch him. Sometimes he can be fucking dense.
“Thanks for your help,” I say, desperately trying to diffuse the tension. Fighting isn’t going to get us anywhere or help Devyn. My energy is best spent focusing on her right now. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
We stare each other down for a long moment before Elio’s shoulders sag, and he turns on his heel and walks into the hallway. He closes the door behind him, leaving me alone with Devyn and my thoughts, and a sliver of doubt creeps through my mind.
Maybe he’s right, and I’m the one being dense. After all, I’m risking a lot trying to save a girl I barely know who might end up dead anyway.
Goddamn it.
ChapterFive
