“I guess she likes it.” Lily scooped the dregs off Dana’s lips and into her mouth. Dana sucked on her finger, making sure to take it in.
“More. Do you have any more?” Dana looked around the room.
“Not currently. If you give me time, I can replenish my stock.” Zel was writing in another journal. “But I think we’re going to leave you tied up for a bit.”
“Hey,” Lily said, leaning in to examine Dana’s face. “Her eyes are back to normal.”
“But not her hair or skin. The mental faculties are first to return, though the subject is still hungry.” Zel turned the page, drawing something. “What I gave her wasn’t enough, but it did serve to restore her mind.” She held up the vial, then wrote something else. “We know a minimum amount, which is good news.”
“If we had enough of this, could we turn her human again?”
“Doubtful. We’ve charged the cells, but that does give me an idea.” Zel tucked her journal in one of her bags and pulled out another one. She made a couple of notes, then tucked it away. “I’ll need access to the Library that Naia was telling me about, but that’ll have to wait until the others return. Until then, I’m going to get everything else ready so we can mix up a new batch right away.” The centaur moved to the back of the garage, where her makeshift lab had been set up.
“I hope they come back soon.” Lily brushed a hair out of Dana’s eyes. “Hang in there, okay?”
“I’ll try.” Dana closed her eyes, doing her best to think about anything but food. Her mind swirled in circles, picturing everyone she had met in the last twenty-four hours. Thinking of them reminded her that each had their own scent, something that made her stomach rumble. The banshee smelled of lightning storms and peppermints, and the nymph reminded her of seaweed wraps full of rice and avocado. From here, she could smell the cinnamon and spice of the succubus, making her think of spiced cider in the fall and Thanksgiving dinners.
“Getting hungry?” Lily asked.
Dana opened her eyes to see that the succubus was using her tail as an impromptu stool. “Yeah. How can you tell?”
Lily leaned forward to wipe drool off Dana’s chin. “Would it help if I gave you something better to do?” She held out Dana’s cellphone. “Maybe you have some games on here or something? Check some emails, stream a movie, maybe? Also…sorry I took it. I needed to lure Daryl away from the others.”
“You killed him, didn’t you?” Dana took the phone.
“I did.”
“But why? You told me to forget about it.”
“You’re right. Killing another person places a terrible burden on your soul. And while you may be numb to it now, I don’t think your heart could take it if you become human again.” Lily laughed. “I, however, had no problem feeding him to the mimic. Bastard won’t come back from that.”
Dana shook her head. “That still wasn’t your call. But…thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Lily slid the phone under Dana’s hand, and she unlocked it with her fingerprint. A picture of Alex appeared, a photo of her on her motorcycle. Dana had taken the picture on their last trip, when they had ridden up to some cliffs overlooking the lake where they were camping. Over Alex’s shoulder was a beautiful blue horizon scattered with rays of light that had fallen through holes in the clouds above. In her mind, Heaven looked more like this anyway.
“You miss her.”
“Yeah. I do.” Dana didn’t have to ask how Lily knew. She could feel the tears dripping off her chin.
“I used to have someone like that. But that was a really long time ago.” Lily sighed. “Between having a broken heart and being a soul-eating bitch, I barely remember those feelings anymore.”
“Is that what’s waiting for me? If I can’t fix this?”
“Honestly? I truly hope not.” Lily scooted closer, putting her hand on Dana’s leg and squeezing gently. “I wouldn’t wish my fate on anyone who didn’t deserve it.”
“Thank you.” Dana grabbed Lily’s hand and squeezed back. Shutting her eyes again, she did her best to think nonhungry thoughts. Inevitably, her mind brought up the memory of the liquid that Zel had given her. The taste of it lingered in the back of her throat, and she smacked her lips. It had felt so warm sliding down her throat, and even now she could feel that same warmth radiating out from her belly.
Minutes passed, and she became aware of the delicate fingers on her thigh, squeezing her flesh ever so gently. She opened her eyes and stared at those fingers, marveling at the sensuality that had been carved into every joint. She took the hand in her own and squeezed it. When it squeezed her back, the warmth radiated out again, focusing along her upper thighs.
“Hey, Zel?” Lily was looking at the back of the garage. “That stuff you gave her? Would it have any side effects?”
“None that I can think of.” Zel emerged from the shadows of her lab. “Why do you ask?” Zel’s nose suddenly wrinkled up. “That smells like human arousal.”
“Yeah, it does. How are you feeling, Dana?”
“I feel pretty good. Just trying to keep my mind off food.” She was rubbing Lily’s arm now, her gaze wandering across Lily’s chest. The warmth in her upper thighs was pulsating now, moving up to her hips, then back down to her knees. The logical part of her brain said that she should be concerned, but without a heightened sense of fear, it couldn’t be heard over the pleasant sensations in her legs.
“What was in that substance?” Lily asked, a cold edge to her voice.
Zel sighed. “A concentrated version of Mike’s semen.”
Lily’s head whipped
