He shook his head, those shiny blue eyes glowing in the muted light. “It’s just blood.” He hadn’t gotten much rest either. He’d been wearing the same shirt and faded jeans for several days. Circles shadowed his eyes, his dark hair was a mess, and a beard covered his face, but I was grateful for his loyalty and care.
“Demonic blood,” I corrected. “That’s not exactly a perfect match to his O negative, is it?” Being snarky wouldn’t help the situation, but I was feeling edgy and worried sick.
“Demonic blood matches all blood types.”
“So you’ve told me a thousand times.” I probably sounded like an ungrateful bitch, but Papan’s life was in the balance. Between my making this decision on his behalf and Saul’s willingness to pump his blood into him, we were playing God.
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
“Of course not!” This was our last option—our only option. “I just want to make sure it works.”
“There’s no doubt it’ll work.” Saul motioned Lavie to his side. “Let’s show her.”
Lavie wandered over to the bedside table, where her backpack sat, and pulled out a machete. Saul extended his left forearm, holding out the underside and she slashed the blade across his skin, cutting a vertical line from elbow to wrist. Blood gushed out of the wound instantly.
Thunder rumbled, too close for comfort.
I swallowed down my nerves. “You’re not going to bleed out, are you?”
“I’m touched by your concern.” Saul smiled, while Lavie shoved the machete back into her bag and pulled out what looked like a homemade clay bowl with inscriptions on the outside. She placed it on the edge of the bed, under Saul’s arm to collect the blood. It seemed to pour out faster than it should and reminded me of what Maya had done to feed her ritual circle.
No, don’t go there.
I sucked in a deep breath, tasting the metallic tang of Saul’s blood in the air. It made me feel a little heady.
Lavie dipped an index finger into the clay bowl, stirring the contents before using the liquid to draw a circle on the white sheet draped over Papan’s chest and stomach. She did the same several times, bloody fingers going from the bowl to the sheet as she added more detail, including a pentacle inside the circle. She finished up by drawing a symbol I didn’t recognize in the middle of the star.
“The protection is sealed,” she said.
Saul nodded and extended his arm towards Lavie, raising it slightly. Without saying a word, she leaned forward and pressed the tip of her tongue against the wound she’d made on his arm. By the time she was done lapping the blood, the cut was gone.
“I don’t even want to know what the hell just happened.” I was continually learning new things about how powerful my friend Lavie was. Our recent trip into a storm drain had opened my eyes to the fact, but this was just weird.
“It’s nothing,” she said with a half shrug. “Demon hunters can heal demons with their saliva, and vice versa. No big deal.”
Saul winked at me. “It’s not the only thing their saliva is good for.”
“I didn’t need to hear that.”
Lavie giggled. “Don’t listen to him, he’s just teasing.” Her cheeks were rosy, and I wasn’t sure if it was because she had the hots for Saul or because of the blood high. Not for the first time, I wondered about these two. I was positive she was totally smitten and he seemed to enjoy being around her, but this was the first physical exchange I’d seen.
“What’s the protection symbol for?” I asked.
Lightning struck, causing shadows to deepen within the sterile room. Thunder followed close on its heels.
“To make sure Jason stays subdued and doesn’t try to shift while we’re doing this,” he said.
“Why would he shift?”
Saul sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. “Jason’s human side will have no problem accepting the blood, but the wolf might object. The wolf might see it as an attack and will naturally fight back. This sigil will keep the animal docile, like a tranquilizer.”
“That won’t damage either man or wolf?” I loved the wolf as much as the man and didn’t want to sever their connection in any way. “You wouldn’t hurt him, right?”
“I’ll try not to.”