“Wait.” She reached out, placing her hand on his arm.
“What is it?” His blue eyes sparked something in her. Sure, Ted’s eyes were blue; her own eyes were blue, for crying out loud. But his were warm in a way she couldn’t explain.
“You said before that he made this for you when you got bitten.” She glanced down at her leg. “Did it work?”
“Yeah.” He smiled, lifting his pant leg to show her the two white dots on his ankle.
“Finn doesn’t think it’ll work.” She studied his expression.
“Finn is a pessimist by nature.” He sat down, cross-legged next to her, and took her hand. “He’s a lovable guy, but his bedside manner kind of sucks.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t have much of a filter, does he?” Her lip curled back as she gently touched the tip of one finger to the most swollen part of her leg. “He also said that I’m not like you guys. What did he mean by that?”
“God, that guy.” Conner huffed. “No filter… yeah, that’s pretty much Finn in a nutshell. He probably just meant that you’re not a dirty, sweaty mountain-man. I mean, we do have amazing immune systems from all the… pollen and what have you.” He nodded, clearing his throat.
“You must think I’m really stupid if I’m supposed to believe a potato is as good as going to the hospital.” Jillian narrowed her eyes at him.
“Potatoes are very porous.” Vincent ducked as he came through the doorway. “I never said they’re as good as going to the hospital, but…”
“Even if we ran toward the ranger station at full sprint, we’d never make it in time,” Finn interrupted. “We either treat you here and now with what we have, or you’ve got no chance at all.”
“Dammit, Finn!” Conner smacked him in the back of the head. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Enough!” Vincent’s booming voice made both of them cease their bickering and look at him. Finn slapped Conner on the back of the head as Vincent crouched down, taking his knife off his belt. “Get the cheese grater, Conner.”
“So basically, I’m fucked.” Jillian nodded, pressing her lips together.
“Finn doesn’t put a whole lot of faith in my grandmother’s recipes. Still, he could have approached the topic with a sliver of tact.” Vincent glared at Finn.
“I don’t think it’s right to bullshit someone when it’s their life on the line,” Finn muttered.
“Right.” Conner rolled his eyes. “Because it’s so much better to scare the shit out of her for no reason.”
“It’s okay.” Jillian’s voice cracked. “After everything I’ve been through in the last twenty-four hours, I’ll do it if only to make sure my dick-head ex rots in jail for attempted murder.”
“Revenge is as good a motivator as anything.” Vincent's eyes squinted as he smiled, touching her cheek. “You’re tough as all hell, and I don’t doubt that you have it in you.”
The three men worked together, making a paste from the lime juice and dry ingredients. Combining the mixture with the shredded potato, Vincent put a glob of the mixture onto a clean cloth and pressed it to the bite. Jillian screamed at his touch, snapping upright so fast that Conner had to push her down and hold her still while Vince wrapped the bandage.
“God, she’s burning up.” Conner’s eyes widened as he looked to Vincent.
“Keep a hold of her.” Vincent patted Conner on the shoulder and looked at Finn. “Cold water and a clean washcloth.”
Finn nodded and headed outside. Jillian’s teeth chattered as she trembled in Conner’s arms.
“You’re okay.” He brushed her hair back as she looked up at him through half-closed lids.
“It hurts,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Oh, I know. Believe me.” He smiled. “When I got bit last year, I didn’t die, but when I was going through the worst of it, I remember wishing I would.”
“You know what?” Jillian’s shallow breaths became more labored as she reached up and touched his chin. “If we had kids, their eyes would be so blue.”
Great. She’s delirious. Conner frowned, wondering where the hell Finn was with that water. That was when it dawned on him. Kids!
“Hey.” He looked at Vince, who was tucking the end of the bandage into itself. “If she’s the vessel from the prophecy, wouldn’t that make her one of us?”
“No,” Vincent whispered, “if she were a shifter, she would have known by now, and she definitely wouldn’t have let that guy rough her up like he did.”
“Then why do you think she’s the one?” Conner’s brow furrowed. “What exactly did the oracle say she saw?”
“Grandmother said that a girl with golden hair would rise from the river wearing a crown of roses. She said that her womb glowed with the life-giving energy of the sun.” He took a deep breath, reciting the story he’d heard a thousand times. “Three bears would save her life, and through her love and power, she would be the one to revive our kind and mend the Rift that separated Earth from the Great Spirit.”
“Crown of roses?” Conner looked down at her.
“When I saw her walking through the trees last night.” Vincent stood up and looked out the window. “The moonlight hit the blood in her hair. I swear it looked like…”
“Roses,” the whisper of a smile appeared at the corner of Conner’s lips as he pictured her.
“Maybe it was just my mind processing an old story and then seeing what I wanted to see. But I swear I felt instantly drawn to her.” Vincent touched a lock of her hair. “Even before you told me about her jumping into the river.”
“So, what about the rest of
