Jessie and Poppy had left to inform Anna what had happened, to mobilize forces because… Because once the infection took me, the seal would be broken.
There was no cure for this infection.
We all knew that.
If I was infected, then I was fucked.
I should feel worse. I should be terrified, but instead I was pissed.
This wasn’t the way to exit. Fuck that.
“It’s a deep enough scratch to cause infection,” she confirmed. “See this black residue? It’s a sign she’s infected.”
No. “I feel fine.”
In fact, the wound didn’t even hurt any longer.
“It can take a few hours to take effect,” Pippa said softly.
Her kind eyes delivered a death sentence.
No. Hell no. “I’m fine,” I bit out again. “We need to focus on finding the kidnapped shifter females.”
Sloane had filled us in on the varga’s innocence when it came to the kidnapping. They were looking for their women too.
I had to focus on that. “We need to start thinking outside the box.”
Leif made a strangled sound and walked off into the kitchen.
I should have gone, Rune muttered. I should have gone.
“You saved me,” Sloane said. “That scratch was meant for me.”
No. I didn’t need this. These looks of pity and the sorrow, as if I were already dead. It wasn’t over until I stopped breathing, and I had no plans to do that.
None.
I stood abruptly, clutching my shirt to my chest to cover my boobs and forcing Tor to move back and give me space.
“Stop it. The lot of you. I’m fucking fine. I’m fine until I’m not, and there’s nothing you guys can do either way. So, let’s focus on what we can do. On finding the shifters.”
The door burst open and Conah strode in, chest heaving, golden hair windswept, sapphire eyes bright as they locked onto me.
“Cora, Jessie told me what happened. I want to help.”
“Then find a fucking cure.” Tor’s words were delivered in a vicious growl. “Can you do that?”
The light in Conah’s eyes dimmed and his throat bobbed. “No. There is no known cure, but I can… I can make it painless.”
My pulse sped up. Conah never admitted defeat. If there was even the slimmest possibility of a cure, he would be holed up in the library searching for it. The fact he was here…
My terror, held at bay by my anger, surged up to choke me.
“I’m going to die.” The words were flat.
“Yes,” Conah said at the same time Tor growled, “No.”
Leif barreled back into the room, bridged the distance between us, and tugged me into his arms. He squeezed me tight, pressing his lips to my temple.
“I feel it,” Leif said. “Cora, I can feel it.”
He could feel the infection through our bond.
No doubt now. No doubt at all.
My eyes pricked and I squeezed them shut.
No. I would not cry. No fucking way.
Then Tor’s chest was pressed to my side, and his arms were around us. Rune’s head nudged my thigh.
Cora…
No. Stop it.
I locked gazes with Jasper over Leif’s shoulder. His mouth was turned down and his face blurred through a haze of tears.
I blinked, dislodging the moisture.
“No,” Jasper said. He shook his head and walked toward us. “I don’t feel it at all.”
Leif pulled back. “What?”
Jasper stepped closer. “Move. Now.”
I expected the guys to fight him, but they surprised me by releasing me and stepping away.
Jasper cupped my face, his hands cool against my feverish skin.
Tor’s chest rumbled but he didn’t move to stop him.
Jasper’s emerald eyes bore into mine like all-knowing lasers, and for the first time since donning the amulet, his soul brushed mine in the briefest of contacts.
“Yes. Okay, I see it now.” He canted his head, thumbs sweeping across my cheeks soothingly. “It’s growing slowly.” His lips curved in a smirk. “But it’s no match for us, is it, Cora?” One of his hands slid down to hug my throat. My pulse sped up beneath his fingers. “No match at all.”
A pressure swelled at my solar plexus, cold like ice. My breath hitched. “What are you doing?”
“Speeding things along.”
And then my blood caught fire and a scream tore a path up my throat, but it was never given voice because darkness swallowed me whole.
Chapter Thirty-Four Leif
Cora’s eyes roll back in her head and she slumps. I grab her just as Tor bellows and lunges at Jasper.
The spirit winks out and appears by the kitchen.
Tor’s like a bull seeing red as he crashes across the room, desperate to get his claws into Jasper.
Jasper flicks his wrist and Tor’s thrown off his feet and sent flying across the room.
“Stop!” Jasper orders. “You attack me and you’re attacking her. It takes power to fend you off, and where the fuck do you think I get that from?”
Tor pulls himself to his feet. “Nice try. But the amulet stops you from drawing from her fully.”
“The fucking amulet’s been glitching for a week now, forcing power into me. I resisted the siphon,” Jasper says. “Still, so many pathways in if I want.” He smirks.
But I see behind the evil monster façade, because if the amulet’s been glitching, he could have taken advantage at any time. But by his own admission he resisted. He didn’t take advantage and he won’t now. If Tor attacks him again, Jasper will take the hit.
Tor must come to the same conclusion because his rage ebbs. “What did you do to her?”
“Gave her the push she needs to fight this thing. She’s no ordinary witch. She’s no wolf and she isn’t human. Cora is an anomaly. A tulpa. And this infection has no idea what it’s dealing with, but if she’s going to fight it, she needs to focus entirely on it.”
“What do you mean?” Conah says. “She can fight this?”
Jasper’s mouth turns down. “She’s the only one who can.”
“There must be something we can do to help,” Sloane says.
She’s pale, eyes red-rimmed. Fuck, I’ve never seen her look so shaken.
“No,” Jasper says. “All we can do is wait.”
I look down at the woman in my arms, the
