“You’re his mate,” Ondrej said, stepping forward. “His heart beats for you. Bring it back to life.”
“It might work,” Tirigan offered. “It’s all you have.”
The rain pelted her face, washing away the blood, and the shield she’d used to hide behind while the monster inside of her snapped its jaws and stretched out into the world.
“My venom is poisonous to him,” she said, dumbly.
“He’ll surely die if you do nothing.” Ondrej held the heart in his hands as if it were made of dust and spiderwebs instead of flesh. He offered it to her like some kind of tribute.
She accepted the beaten and battered organ with trembling hands. She cupped her fingers around it, feeling both like a god—having the power of life and death—but feeling so small and insignificant at the same time.
It was a strange dichotomy.
She brought it to her lips carefully. Somehow, the shriveled dying thing was still warm. There was a good chance her venom could kill him.
But if she did nothing, his death was a certainty.
She touched her tongue to the charred ventricle where the silver had pierced it and like some kind of miracle, it began to heal itself, the flesh knitting back together.
It thrust, as if it attempting to beat in her palm.
“Is the wound clear of silver?” she asked.
“Seems so,” Tirigan said, leaning in. “This wound was cleaner than the others.”
Parker’s face was pallid, and his breathing was shallow and ragged. His eyes closed and that hole in his chest was so surreal. In all of her long years, she’d seen so many things. Things that shouldn’t exist, but this was the only one that made her whole body tremble, her lover’s still somehow living husk. She hoped against hope this would work.
When Tirigan had Turned Evgeni, she’d thought it had been like turning off the sun. It had cut something vital and she’d thought she was dying.
How wrong she’d been.
Nothing compared to what she felt now.
The cold chill of death creeping over her wasn’t just a piece of her. It was in her marrow. It was down to her DNA.
She couldn’t lose Parker.
The sun she’d wanted so desperately to feel on her skin wasn’t in the sky any longer. It was him.
In that moment, she realized how weak she was. How small. In all of her long years walking the wide world, she’d not really experienced anything. She’d only existed. She felt so small and inconsequential holding his heart in her hand.
It struggled to beat again.
Every tentative pulse sent shockwaves of hope and fear through her body.
“Gods below, child. Put that thing back in his body,” Tirigan growled. “It’s making me hungry. You know brave hearts taste much better, and his might be the bravest I’ve encountered.”
“More than your precious Gilgamesh?” She didn’t look up to see her father’s response. Instead, she gently eased the heart back into his chest. She was afraid to let go of it, not only because she feared it would stop beating, but she needed to feel the presence of life. The skittering scorpion sensation manifested again and tiny, thread-like bolts of blue energy shot out from the organ as it anchored itself inside of him and the first thing she saw take hold were his heartstrings.
“Close the wound,” Ondrej prompted.
The wound was jagged, bits of flesh had been charred away by the silver’s poison. She remembered what Eleanor had said about magic. About how her intent was more important than any words or motions of her hands.
Her intent was to heal the wound. To save his life.
She also knew that some magics had a price.
Belle had to consider what price she’d pay for him.
The answer was anything. She’d give anything to heal that gaping hole in his chest. To keep him.
So she lay her hands on him again and opened the floodgates.
A strange peace stole over her and her limbs went jelly and languid. It was almost as if she were melting into the flow of the magic. Until a strong hand clamped down on her shoulder and grounded her back into reality.
She looked up and saw her father in a haze of blue as her magic enveloped him, too.
“Take what you need.”
Another hand closed over her other shoulder and she turned her head to see the Drago Knights Alpha, Ondrej. He was still in his human form, but now she could see the dragon beneath. He was beautiful, and rippled with power.
She accepted their offers. It was a strange alchemy happening inside of her, the power of life and death blending in her magic, filling up Parker, riding his body of the poison silver, and making him whole.
Anchoring him to life.
And Belle as well.
Everything the magic took from her, Tirigan and Ondrej supplied, healing her even as the magic gutted her.