| |
Edward opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling, “What happened? Am I in the Netherworld?”
Kai stepped up to the side of the gurney, “No, Edward. You’re still in Te Ling.”
He turned toward her, “What the hell hit me? I feel so drained.”
Kai glanced at Amira, who stood on the other side of the room with the others, as far from them as they could get. I know she said to keep the truth from him, but I can’t. He’s my oldest friend in this city. She took a deep breath, but before she could say anything, he looked her in the eyes.
“Tell me the truth, Kai, Please.”
“The dart carried a disease called Ghoul Pox. You were infected.” She kept her gaze steady on his pale face.
“I survived? Am I healed of it?”
Kai shook her head, “Of those of us who were attacked with it, you are the only one that died.”
Edward blinked, “I died? Then how am I talking to you? Am I a Spirit?” He frowned, his pupils dilating until they seemed huge and black.
“Stay calm, I think he might be about to transform.” Amira’s voice said to Kai.
“What’s going to happen to him?” she said.
“I don’t know, all the Ghoul Lore was burnt after the Vampire Wars.” Amira sounded worried, “Just stay calm and alert.”
“So, I’m dead... but I’m clearly not... Am I a werewolf or vampire?” He tried to sit up, “Why am I strapped down?”
He looked past Kai, “Why is everyone over there? What are they scared of?” He licked his lips, turned his head and spat out teeth onto the gurney beside his head, before yawning.
Kai saw long thin fangs growing from where the canine teeth should have been, “Edward, you need to focus on me. Look only at me.”
He dragged his gaze back to her face and Kai saw bright red lines forming around his eyes and snaking across the whites to the pupils, “I’m hungry, Kai. And thirsty. I can’t be dead if I’m feeling those things.” The red lines spread further until his pale face was criss-crossed.
“But you are dead and more than that, you’re a Ghoul.” She said gently.
“I’m a Ghoul? What the fuck does that mean?” Edward growled, “Am I going to start killing and eating people... fuck that! Get me out of here.”
“It’s a possibility, certainly.” Kai stayed where she was as he began to struggle against the thick straps, “You need to make a decision though; Live or Die.”
“What the fuck does that mean? Let me out of here, bitch.” He arched his back against the strap across his chest, “I’m so hungry, I need food.”
“You need to lay out the terms of the contract between you before you feed him your blood.” Amira told her, “He will stay loyal to the letter of what you agree.”
“Edward, stop moving and listen to me.” Kai hardened her voice, the commanding tone making him look at her again, “I can stop the hunger and help you live, but you have to make this decision first. Do you want to live or die?”
“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”
Patiently, Kai told him how if he chose not to live as a Ghoul, he would have to be destroyed, “You’re immortal as a Ghoul; I’d have to cut you into pieces and get the Southern Dragon King to burn them to ash. You’d be alive and feeling everything as it happened.”
“You’d do that to me?” The red lines faded a little on his face, “Why? Couldn’t you just let me go?”
“Edward, if you could live and be free from anyone, very soon the world would be populated by ghouls. Every ghoul’s toxin can spread Ghoul Pox just through it being breathed on humans which carries a fifty percent chance of becoming a ghoul and if they inject it directly during a fight, it’s a certainty.” Amira was very matter of fact, but she still sounded scared.
“I thought you didn’t know anything about Ghouls?” Kai asked her.
“Nothing directly about Ghouls, just a small amount that I’ve found from researching about Ghoul Pox.” The dragon priestess replied.
“Well?” Kai looked into Edward’s eyes which had become redder and redder as the minutes passed, the colour glowing slightly.
“I’m so hungry... can’t I eat first?” a little dribble of yellow tainted saliva dripped down his chin.
“I think you’re going to have to imprint him soon or he’ll go out of control.” Kai didn’t look at the dragon priestess, but she could feel her sorrow at the situation and disapproval of the plan.
“Edward, the only reason that the rest of the Triang Council haven’t already ordered you dismembered is that I swore to protect you from them. They’ve given me one chance to save you.” Kai took up the Jian, “I can either swear you to my service or I can cut you to pieces myself.”
“What do you have to do to swear me to your service?” Edward sounded suspicious, “I would never hurt you and you know that. I don’t need to take an oath to be in your service.”
Zhao marched forward before Amira could stop him and stood just behind Kai, “Why do you need to be sworn to service? Do you know nothing about Ghouls?”
Edward thought for a moment, “nope... other than the fact that they eat human flesh that is. What’s your point, Detective?”
Zhao raked across his arm with his nails, blood welling up in the scratches. Edward jerked upward and toward him, shifting the gurney. His eyes shone with an unearthly red light and the saliva became toxin, a thin dribble of yellow liquid flowing over his chin.
“Must... Feed...” Edward groaned, yanking at the restraints.
Amira pulled Zhao back, covering his bleeding arm with a cloth, “Don’t be so stupid, Zhao. Kai, if you’re going to do this, get on with it, or I’ll kill him myself. You’re being cruel.”
Kai nodded and drew the Jian diagonally across her left forearm, then as the blood welled up from the deep cut, she held it over Edward’s face, “Drink my blood, eat my flesh and you become my servant forever, blood bonded to my service and sworn to absolute obedience to my word, loyal to me and only me.”
“That’s perfect” Wei Tian told her, “Once he’s fed, demonstrate your absolute control over him; he will do anything that you tell him to do.”
Edward strained upward toward her arm, “Must feed...”
She held it out of his reach, “Swear to my service, Edward.”
“For fuck’s sake, woman! I swear that I will obey your every word and whim, just let me feed!” he roared and pulled one hand free of the restraints.
Wei Tian nodded, and Kai closed her eyes as she dropped her arm to Edward’s mouth. He grabbed her with his free arm and bit deeply into the muscle. The pain as he bit paled into nothing beside the agony that the toxin created as it surged into her. It feels like fire running through my veins. She held on for as long as she could, but when her shoulder began to burn, she tried to shake him off.
“No... you’re the most delicious thing I have ever tasted, better than any steak or whisky or cake...” he moaned holding onto her arm, pulling her closer.
Amira surged forward and dragged Kai’s arm away from Edward’s mouth, “Enough.” She sprayed Kai’s arm with the same spray as before and then opened the green bottle with the red ribbon and poured it liberally over the ruined flesh, using her hands to rub it briskly into the wound.
Kai stared at her arm in fascination; the bone shone brightly through the torn muscle, the blood flow slowing as the veins and arteries regrew in front of her eyes. Once the muscle began to reknit and cover the bone, she looked away. The burning of the toxin faded until it was a faint heat beneath the skin.
Edward had dropped back onto the gurney. His eyes were closed, and a smile spread across his lips, his tongue flicking out to capture stray dribbles of blood.
“He looks like a cat that got a whole tin of tuna,” Zhao said, coming back to stand beside her.
“How did you feel after you fed for the first time after your Rebirthing?” Kai said.
Zhao nodded, “point taken. We’re going to have to handle this carefully, you know. How do we let him feed when he only eats humans?”
“I have a potion that he can take to be able to eat normal food, but he will have to eat human flesh once a month at full moon for it to work properly.” Amira said as she finished bandaging Kai’s arm, “There, it should be healed fairly quickly; don’t take the bandage off or wash it until the skin regrows.”
Edward opened his eyes and looked at them. The red lines had disappeared from his skin and apart from a slim red ring around his pupils, he looked completely normal, “Now what. Are you going to let me up or do I have to spend my life lying down, being fed?”
Zhao and Amira looked at Kai and she knew what they wanted her to do without asking. She took a deep breath and motioned for them to get back.
“How do you feel?” she asked him.
“I feel fine, Miss Riordan. I still feel hungry though. Any chance of getting a decent steak or something?” He really did seem to be completely normal.
“In a bit, I have to check something first. Stay still until I’ve finished, please.” She undid the straps, “Sit up carefully.”
Edward slid himself upright slowly.
“Now swing your legs round so that you are sitting facing me.”
He did so, “Okay, now what?”
“What do you feel when you look at me? Tell me the exact truth.”
“Nothing that I don’t normally feel; attraction tinged with disgust mostly.” He looked shocked.
“Why the disgust?”
“Because I am upset with myself; I’m gay and I shouldn’t be attracted to you.” His lower jaw dropped open.
Amira laughed, “That’s the demigod coming out in you, Kai. You attract everyone and they have to tell the truth when asked a direct question.”
Kai ignored her but tucked the information into the back of her mind for later, “Edward, get down and stand on one leg.”
He slid off the gurney and balanced on his left leg, “What is the point of this?”
“Stand on the other leg.”
He swapped to his right leg.
“Stand on your head.”
“Don’t be so daft, Miss Riordan. I’m not going to do that...” he said as he turned upside down with his head on the floor.
Zhao grinned, “I think you just did. Thank you for the demonstration, Kai.”
Edward groaned, “what’s happening?”
“The contract between you and the Jade Cat has been proven.” Amira said, “You will do anything that she tells you to do...”
“No! I will never be controlled like that!” He snapped back and he began to move back and forth, clearly trying to go back to standing on his feet.
“You have no choice, Edward,” the Dragon priestess said, all semblance of humour disappearing, “Her flesh and blood was your first meal as a Ghoul. Without her, you will die... permanently.”
Edward wriggled again, his eyes glowing red as his anger grew, “I am my own person, I will never be owned.”
Feeling sorry for him, Kai said, “You can stand up properly now, Edward.”
With a sigh of relief, he changed position, “Thank you.”
“So, what do I do now?” Kai asked, “Do I have to tell him what to do, every minute of the day?”
Edward gave her a terrified look.
“No, just give him a general order to carry on normally, and deal with other things as they crop up.” Amira said.
Kai thought for a moment then said, “Edward, you may continue with your life as you would normally. However, you will need to go to Mother’s for meals and you cannot leave the city limits without my permission.”
The relief on his face made Amira laugh, “I will send your medicine over to the office as soon as I get back to the Temple. You won’t be able to eat until you have it though.”
“I don’t feel hungry anyway.” Edward stretched.
“Zhao, I’d like one of the stronger shifters to keep an eye on him, just to keep anything from bothering him.” She said without looking at him.
“Is it safe for us to leave now Lady Amira?” Zhao said, moving past Kai to the door. “I’ll sort out someone who is subtler than normal, I think.”
“Yes. In fact, I think it would be best if we all got some rest. The next few days are probably going to be exhausting.” Amira said.
Zhao bowed to her and left the office, nodding his head to Kai as he did.
“May I go home then, Miss Riordan?” Edward asked.
Kai looked at Amira, who nodded, “Go ahead, Edward. I’ll see you in the office, tomorrow afternoon.”
“Ooh, a half day off. You are a wonderful boss.” He grinned at her.
The sight of his long, thin fangs made her pause. Maybe I should keep him here? For his safety as much as for anyone else’s. Then she mentally shook herself. Don’t be mean. This is Edward, remember. He should be fine. “I can be a real scrooge and make you come in at eight ay-em, if you prefer?”
He laughed and she knew that he’d taken her meaning, “Okay, Miss Riordan. I’ll see you at one sharp.” Then he left.
“Are you not going to have him watched, Kai?” Amira asked after the door shut, “I mean, you don’t know how he’s going to react to being changed.”
“I have to trust that he won’t do anything that he wouldn’t normally do, Amira,” Kai sighed, “I’ve spoken to Zhao about a protection detail for Edward, so now I just have to let him be.”
Amira looked uncertain, “Well, he’s your responsibility.”
“Yes, he is. He always has been, ever since I brought him into this business.” Kai yawned, “Oh excuse me. I need to get some sleep.”
There was a knock at the door and Zhao poked his head around it, “I’ve sent Edward home in one of our cars. The officer with him will stay until he’s relieved at sunrise.”
Kai nodded.
“The Temple Car has arrived as well, Lady Amira.” Zhao continued, “I have your car and driver ready to go as well, Kai.”
“I get my own car?” Kai blinked.
“Of course, you do. You’re an important person now, Kai.” Amira smiled, “Go get some sleep; your arm will heal faster that way.”