now.
Annie could feel tears streaming down her face, but right now she just didn’t care. She felt the golden glow inside her chest increasing, flowing through her, reaching out for the answering glow within Beau’s heart.
Beneath her hand, she felt him stir. It was the faintest of movements, barely perceptible. But it was there.
Beau, please…! I love you!
Annie called out frantically to him within her heart. She knew it was true, even as she realized she’d never thought or spoken those words until this very moment.
She felt the glow within Beau’s chest growing stronger, the beat of his heart somehow audible to her, as if it was being transmitted through their bond.
Beau, she called out to him. Beau –!
The light within him flickered out.
Annie gasped, opening her eyes.
“What – what happened –”
“I don’t know.” Landon’s tone of voice was as grim as his face. “I got the bullet out, and applied a poultice to draw out the dragonsbane.” He shook his head, swallowing heavily. “But it might already have been too little too late…”
He trailed off, shaking his head, as Annie stared at him in horror.
“No – no, I don’t believe you,” she whispered.
I felt it – I felt his heartbeat getting stronger for a moment –
Frantically, Annie looked around her. There had to be someone here who could help Beau – all these mythical creatures, all this magic and strangeness, and not one of them could do something to help him?!
“Wait – what’s that?” Landon’s voice was sharp, jerking Annie out of her terrified haze.
She looked around her, trying to figure out what Landon was pointing at on the ground next to her.
Vaguely, she realized it was her poker winnings from earlier – she’d stuffed the bills into her purse messily, along with the vials of blood and green goo and long, curving claws that she didn’t really want to think about any more than she had to.
“It’s – I won them in a poker game,” she stuttered out, feeling absurd. She lifted up the delicate vials in her hand.
Why is Landon asking about these? she thought. It’s not important. We need to help Beau –
Landon reached forward, taking one of the vials from her hand and holding it up to the light.
“Is this griffin blood?”
Annie blinked. She could barely remember what she’d been told her mysterious winnings were. It seemed like an age ago now. But the words griffin’s blood rang a bell in her memory – the way the woman sitting next to her had told her that the other player had stormed off because –
“I think so,” Annie said quickly. “At least, that’s what I was told.”
Landon’s lips pressed into a long, thin line.
“Selling or trading griffin blood is illegal,” he said, voice low. “But this might be our only hope.”
Annie’s breath caught in her throat. She scarcely dared to believe that she’d heard Landon correctly.
“Griffins have healing powers,” Landon muttered, as he uncapped the vial. “Usually their blood is the main ingredient in a lot of healing powders and potions – or at least it was, until it became totally illegal to use it. I’m sure you can understand why.”
Annie shuddered. Even in her current panicked state, she could understand what Landon was telling her.
But – but he said it could heal Beau –
Vaguely, she recalled that Beau himself had told her that griffins had magical healing powers, back when he’d been explaining his own powers to her.
“Please,” she blurted out. “Please, if there’s any chance it could help Beau, I’ll be the one to take the blame for using it – it’s mine, after all, I won it, I don’t care what happens to me, as long as Beau –”
“Maybe it won’t come to that,” Landon said quietly. “For now, I just need you to do what you were doing before. Put your hand on his forehead, and focus on the bond. And here.” He passed her the uncapped vial. “It might work better if it’s administered by you. The mated bond can have… unexpected effects.”
Annie reached out, taking the vial with shaking fingers, careful not to spill a drop.
“What should I –?”
Landon grimaced. “I don’t know whether it’s the dragonsbane or if he’s depleted his life energy from using his powers. Maybe… maybe you should just have him drink it.”
Annie’s stomach rebelled at the idea of making Beau drink blood, but right now, she would have tried anything, including drinking the blood herself, if there was even the slightest chance of it saving