Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“You said the diagnostic gasses weren’t painful or harmful,” he reminded Silki, who was sitting beside him, reading the information the gasses relayed through the bubble on a small, scrolling screen. “So why can’t I sit with Kara while you do the test?”
“You must be here with me so I can talk to you. Yes, you must, yes, you must.”
Silki’s high voice was serious and quiet and there was something like fear in her large, dark eyes, Raak saw with concern. Fear for Kara, he realized suddenly, which caused a knife of terror to twist in his own guts.
“What is it?” he demanded roughly. “What do you need to talk to me about? What’s wrong with Kara?”
“Kara is dying. Yes she is, yes she is.” There were tears in Silki’s eyes now and a mournful howl in her voice. “How I wish you would have come to me at once—yes I do, yes I do! But I’m afraid the essence poisoning is too far gone now to save her.”
“What? Essence poisoning?” Raak had to restrain the urge to grab the little Tolleg doctor by her slight shoulders and shake her. “What in the Seven Hells is that?” he demanded angrily.
“It is a very rare occurrence that happens sometimes to Blood Kindred, yes it does, yes it does,” Silki told him. “When the flow of the essence is reversed and it goes inward instead of outward it can poison the body—overload it with chemicals and hormones. If it isn’t reversed within the first twenty-four hours, I’m afraid it’s fatal. Yes it is, yes it is.” She lifted her pointed little muzzle and howled sadly, as though she could barely stand to think of Kara’s impending death.
Raak knew how she felt.
“Please,” he begged roughly. “Please, there has to be something you can do! Some cure—some therapy or surgery or treatment!”
Silki shook her head, her bushy ears swiveling with the motion.
“I’m afraid there’s no cure. No there isn’t, no there isn’t,” she said mournfully. “Well, except…but no.” She shook her head again. “No, I must not say it.”
“Please, say it!” Raak fell to his knees before the little doctor, gripping the arms of her chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Please,” he begged. “If there’s any chance—any chance at all… I’ll do anything to save her. I love Kara!”
As he said the words, he knew they were true. Though it ought to be impossible for him to fall in love and care for anyone because of his soulless state, somehow he had fallen for the curvy little female with the pale blue eyes and the long, sharp fangs. Somehow he had fallen in love and now the thought of losing her was like the thought of someone ripping out his heart—unthinkable. He couldn’t lose her—he wouldn’t, he swore to himself.
“Please,” he begged again. “I’ll do anything—anything at all!”
“Would you trade your life for hers?” Silki asked quietly.
“What?” Raak frowned. “What are you talking about? Is there some way for me to take the poison instead of Kara? If there is, tell me about it!”
“There is a way, but it is lethal—will be lethal to one such as yourself,” the little Tolleg told him. “You are one of the Unbondable Kindred—are you not, are you not?”
“I am.” Raak nodded. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
“You told me you were Kara’s mate, but she is Blood Kindred and her eyes are still a pale blue,” Silki remarked, maddeningly not answering his question. “Therefore, I surmise that the two of you are not really bonded and have not even attempted to bond, no you haven’t, no you haven’t.”
“She comes from a really strict family,” Raak said, frowning uncomfortably. “I didn’t want to change the color of her eyes when I knew I couldn’t bond her to me since I have no soul.”
“Ah, it’s too bad you don’t have a soul. Yes it is, yes it is. You might survive that way, when the soul-bond formed. But without a soul—no bond is possible. No it isn’t, no it isn’t,” Silki said sadly.
“What are you saying?” Raak demanded. “Tell me how to save Kara—I don’t care what happens to me as long as I can save her.”
Silki peered into his eyes for a long moment.
“You truly mean that, I think. Yes I do, yes I do,” she said at last. “Very well—I will tell you. In order to give Kara even a chance at survival, you must change the color of her eyes and let her bite you at the same time.”
“You mean we have to make love,” Raak said bluntly. “Have to have sex while she bites me. But why?”
“The force of her orgasm when you change the color of her eyes should reverse the flow of the essence. Yes it should, yes it should,” Silki explained earnestly. “But when that happens, the amount of essence her fangs pump into your body will very probably overload your own system and stop your heart.”