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"Why? Do you have more?"
Aru laughed. "Apart from being in the resistance, not really."
"I wouldn't call fighting for your rights a vice." Kian flicked the lighter on and lit Aru's cigarillo.
"It's not good for my health, that's for sure." Aru took a puff of the surprisingly tasty and aromatic tobacco.
Smiling, Kian lit his own stick. "Yeah. I know what you mean."
For a moment, they sat in silence, puffing smoke and enjoying the mild ocean breeze.
"So," Kian broke the silence. "What is it that you need to talk to me privately about?"
"You've probably guessed it already. I told Negal about the healing properties of a god's blood so he could tell Dagor. I know that I promised you I wouldn't tell anyone, but given the situation, it was necessary. The problem is that they need to wait for the doctor because they need a syringe. I instructed Negal to take precautions so the doctor and Jin wouldn't find out, and if they do, to thrall their memories away."
"I see." Kian didn't look like he approved. "You should have checked with me first."
"Frankie is not doing well, and if she dies, it will devastate Dagor. He's stubborn and not willing to admit how much she means to him, but it's evident in every look he casts her way. Besides, she's Toven's mate's best friend, and Toven would never forgive us if we didn't do everything we could to save her."
That was his trump card, and given Kian's sigh, it had worked.
"Right." Kian leaned back. "Toven doesn't know what's going on yet, and neither does Mia. It's not that I'm trying to hide it from them, but I'm using the lack of time as an excuse to postpone it."
Aru took another puff of his cigarillo. "Do you want me to inform them? I'm at your disposal for any task you need to be done."
"Thank you." Kian took a sip of his whiskey. "But I'd prefer to wait until Bridget sees Frankie, and I can tell Mia that her friend is not going to die." He put the glass down on the side table. "If Frankie holds on until Bridget gets there, and Dagor gives her his blood, I can tell Mia that her friend is going to make it, and I'd rather do that than worry her needlessly."
"Makes sense. Thank you for understanding."
"I still don't like it," Kian said. "The more people know about the healing properties of a god's blood, the bigger the chance the secret will be exposed. Make sure that your teammates keep the information contained. We can't afford a breach."
"You have my word that I'll do everything I can to keep it contained. I know that Negal and Dagor will follow my orders, but I will restate the need to keep this in the strictest confidence, and if need be, I'll thrall the doctor and Jin myself to forget they ever saw Dagor or Negal with a syringe."
"Be careful. Bridget's mind is too precious to mess with."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Kian tapped his cigarillo to dislodge the ash. "The transfusion might not be necessary. Bridget is a very capable physician, and Frankie is a young woman. The doctor's intervention might suffice."
Aru nodded. "I'll call Negal and tell him to hold off on the transfusion and only administer it if it's absolutely necessary." He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "The problem is that neither Negal nor Dagor can judge that accurately, and they can't ask the doctor without showing their hand."
"They shouldn't wait until the last moment. After Bridget patches Frankie up, she will give them an assessment of her condition, and she's not the type to sugarcoat anything. She tells things like they are."
"Good." Aru took another small sip from the whiskey. "We will play it by ear. I appreciate your pragmatic approach, Kian. I was afraid you would forbid it."
"I'm not happy about it, but I don't want to lose the girl either. That being said, there is more at stake than just keeping the secret contained. Do you know what the blood transfusion will do to Frankie besides saving her life?"
"What?"
Kian tilted his head. "I thought that I told you that. If Frankie is a dormant carrier of godly genes, the transfusion might induce her transition. But since she is unconscious, she can't give Dagor her consent, which is problematic. This is not the kind of thing that should be decided for her."
"You are right, but what choice do we have? We can't let her die without doing all we can to save her."
"I know, and I agree." Kian sighed. "Decisions are never as simple as black and white, yes or no, this or the other. Most involve an array of conflicting factors and are about making a choice between different shades of gray."
Aru's mind raced with the implications. "How soon after the transfusion would we know if she's transitioning?"
"It varies," Kian said. "Each Dormant responds differently. Some might start showing signs the next day while others might take longer."
