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I glance over my shoulder. “Mmm?”
Cassius presses his mouth to my ear and says, “I have watched you recover from poison twice in a matter of days. How you survived even once is beyond me. First demon blood then cacodemon berries. Even marked, you are still human. If I didn’t know better, I would say you were bound to a demon.”
Swallowing thickly, I reach up and pull the collar of my cloak higher to partially hide my face, afraid I will give something away.
“Well, I’m not, or I’d be a vampire, wouldn’t I?” I return my gaze to the forest ahead and focus on the beat of hooves over the winter hardened ground. There’s no way the exchange of information with Varin could have bound us in any way. They are not my demon.
The first time Varin came to me, they said being touched by a third demon’s power made me malleable, and others would only increase that.
How many demons have touched me with their power?
Alaric used Cherno’s to compel and heal me. The second was the demon that clawed my leg when I tried to run away from Alaric, and the third when I returned after Kitty’s wedding. Victor both compelled me and sent his demon to possess and haunt me at night.
Mother and Varin each healed me after one of Kerin’s attacks. During the reclaiming both vampire suitors compelled me to use as a weapon against each other. And finally, Cassius has used Asmod’s power to heal me more than a few times now.
I have been touched by the power of nine demons, four directly, and five through their vampire masters. Could that have given me the strength to bear the power of demon blood?
As for the berries… I would be dead now if it weren’t for Cassius combined with the rapid healing gained through the mark.
“You have a point,” Cassius murmurs in agreement, bringing me back to the present.
“Perhaps you are more adept at healing than you realize.”
“Well,” he says. “Either way, I failed to warn you about potential dangers in this area. Wild berries don’t grow near the mountains, only cacodemon berries. They look, smell, and taste the same, but they are deadly. Untapped power leaks from out of the Otherworld in this region and without enough demons to temper it, the local plants and wildlife become infected. There is truth behind every children story.”
I appreciate the explanation and how he doesn’t make me feel stupid for my mistake.
Silence yawns out between us. I push thoughts of demons and their power aside to contemplate the man at my back.
Nearly every word from his mouth is harsh and cutting, or in some way deceptive. He keeps secrets and breaks promises as it suits him.
I didn’t believe him when he first claimed to be my friend. When we met, he saw me as a possession to take from Alaric. But as we spend more time together, I continue to discover more facets of who he really is.
After I recovered from the demon blood, Cassius has shown himself to be a better man than I have given him credit for, starting with his apology.
Cassius could have stopped me or insisted we return to Nightwich after I ate the berries. But instead, he’s helping me save a man he claims to hate. He has given me his full support and saved my life.
He’s doing this because he truly is my friend.
* * *
Halfway through our trek for the day, we break for lunch near a spring. I pace back and forth to work the ache out of my muscles from being on a horse for so long.
I chew unenthusiastically on my meal of teek bread, already tired of the bland taste. At this point, a branch might be more appetizing. It would undoubtedly be less dry.
Cassius pulls a waterskin from our saddlebag and takes a short drink. When he’s done, he passes it to Lawrence then to Della. Judging from how little they consume, they are rationing their blood stores.
I wrap the remaining chunk of teek and slide it into my pocket. Leading the horses to the spring, I let them drink their fill and eat what grass they can find. The steady burble of water is relaxing.
“Are you ready to go?” Cassius asks from behind.
Letting out a squeak, I round on him. My arm archs across my body on instinct, sweeping his hand away.
“Demon shit, you startled me,” I hiss, pressing a hand to my chest to keep my heart from jumping out of my skin.
He smiles satisfactorily, all fangs, though it makes him appear more endearing than vicious.
Has my life changed so much that vampires look more affable to me than the dangerous and powerful creatures they are? Or have I been blessed by the saints of the Otherworld to find several good people who happen to be vampires?
