Coldbloods (Hotbloods #2)

“Put simply,” he went on, “all we really want is a place to call home. And isn’t that what everyone wants?”

“Well, it’s not just that, is it?” I cut in bitterly, almost scoffing as the vision of that billowing red smoke flashed across my mind.

“Yes and no,” Orion replied coolly. “We want to restore Vysanthe to the home it should be for all coldbloods, regardless of political affiliation. Those child queens had no right to drive us out, and Vysanthe is suffering under their petty, divided rule. It could be ten times the nation it is today if it were handed back over to the people, and that is really what we’re all about. The immortality elixir is merely a means to help us achieve that.”

“Oh, really? How?”

Orion smiled. “That’s a good question. You’re right that merely prolonging our lives wouldn’t help us win a war. But we’re seeking to create a true immortality elixir—one that not only extends life indefinitely, but preserves it. One that protects us from disease and fortifies our physical strength far beyond that of a regular coldblood. Immortality wouldn’t be true immortality if we could be as easily killed as any old coldblood, now would it?”

I bit my lip, but didn’t respond. The logic made sense, though.

“If Navan were to agree to help us,” Orion continued, “he could go down in Vysanthean history as a hero, be remembered for generations into the future. He could play a pivotal role in all of this. He could be the key to Queen Gianne’s downfall.” Here he paused, and glanced casually over at his tank, his eyes fixing on a particularly vivid plant with purple, tentacle-like leaves. “If he were to agree,” he repeated softly, “it would also mean that we would spare your lives, not to mention, give Navan a real purpose to his life. I’m sure he’d rather be a hero than the lackey boy of some impetuous young queen?”

I nodded stiffly. I wasn’t buying his speech, but I couldn’t miss the underlying threat in his words. I kept my voice bold as I replied, “You clearly have a lot of conviction for your cause, and while I’m not going to pretend to agree with your methods, I will agree to talk to Navan and get him to hear out your proposition—if you agree to a few terms of my own. Trust me when I say that he is way more likely to listen to me than you.” At that, I intensified my glare, but if anything, it only seemed to amuse him.

“I don’t doubt that.”

“Then you will grant me three requests,” I stated. “First, untie Navan. Second, release him and give the two of us a decent room with some privacy. And third, provide us with enough potions to fix whatever damage you have done to him—as well as something to heal his wing,” I added, remembering the wound that the traitorous shifter had inflicted on Navan just after we’d discovered the coldblood base. I wanted to demand Galo’s safety as well, but knowing how much the rebels despised the Fed, I knew I couldn’t push my luck. If I asked for too much, then there was a chance Orion would grant me nothing—given that he didn’t exactly need to bend to any of my demands in the first place—and that would help nobody. I needed to tread carefully to not blow my chances, and somehow figure out a way to help poor Galo later. One step at a time.

Orion drew in a light breath, but I could already see from the look in his eyes that he was not going to deny me. If anything, he looked curious as to whether I, a little human girl, could really pull this off—could really bend a stubborn beast like Navan to my will.

“Pernixa,” he said sharply, his eyes moving to the coldblood woman who was still standing behind me, close to the door. “You heard the girl. Grant her requests.”

The woman nodded and then opened the door, gesturing that I follow her.

I looked back at Orion one last time, at his unnerving gaze that seemed to be X-raying my brain, and then I nodded curtly before turning and following the woman out of the room.

As we ascended the stairs and returned to the corridor, I couldn’t ignore the writhing feeling in my stomach. I didn’t trust Orion, not one bit, and the last thing I wanted to do was try to persuade Navan to have any kind of dealings with him. But… I just had to take this one step at a time. At the moment, it was all I could do.





Chapter Nine





The coldblood woman stopped outside a door on the highest level of the bunker, away from the cells and torture chambers. This was a residential part of the building, judging by the coldbloods milling casually about. They cast both glares and curious glances my way, but I ignored them all, my mind focused on only one thing: making sure I got my end of the deal.

As my escort pushed open the door, it seemed like one of Orion’s promises, at least, had been fulfilled. I stepped inside and found myself looking at a much more pleasant room than any I had seen so far in this building. There was a single bed in one corner, along with a bedside cabinet that held a clock and a bottle of water. There was even a thick, albeit grubby, carpet lining the floor. It wasn’t going to win any TripAdvisor awards, but it would do.

I turned expectantly on the woman, who was already heading for the door. “And you’re going to fetch Navan and the medicine now?” I asked.

She grunted, apparently not wanting to give me the satisfaction of more of a response than that. It was probably too humiliating for her as it was, to be put at the service of a human.

As she disappeared down the corridor, I pulled the door closed. I felt like downing the bottle of water in a few gulps, but something told me Navan would need it more than me, so I ignored my thirst and sat on the bed instead. I waited nervously, listening to the footsteps pounding outside. I got anxious more than once as they swerved a little too close to my door, worrying that some unruly coldblood was suddenly going to burst in. But none did, and, as I watched the seconds tick by on the clock, I managed to relax a bit and settle into my own thoughts.

Navan. I was going to see Navan again. Properly this time, without any of that inselo twine crap stopping him from holding me. What was more, I was going to be alone with him… completely alone. How long we would have, I didn’t know, but for now, the thought of seeing him again was enough to lift my spirits. I had still barely had a chance to process the kiss we’d shared. A part of me couldn’t believe we actually had kissed. Everything had happened so fast, and I’d been trapped in a relentless nightmare ever since. The one thing I did know was that we needed to make every second we had together count.

There was a rapping at the door exactly two minutes later. It swung open, revealing the coldblood woman carrying a tray of familiar-looking silver vials, and behind her… Navan stepped into the room.