Damien remained silent for another beat, his expression giving nothing away. Then he conceded with a sigh. Because he knew better than anyone that once I made up my mind, I wouldn’t change it.
“All right,” he said. “We need to work quickly.” He turned without another word, his loyalty resolute.
I didn’t waste time thanking him or commenting further. I picked Willow up and adjusted her carefully in my arms. Her body temperature was rapidly decreasing, so I wrapped her in a blanket from the bed, then followed Damien into the living area, toward the foyer.
The sight of her breakfast on the counter gave me temporary pause. Her fork was lying at an angle that suggested she’d taken a few bites. “I want her plate checked for poison,” I said.
“Your blood would be able to cure poison,” he pointed out as he held open the door to the hallway. “But I’ll have it checked.”
I nodded, then passed through the threshold and led the way.
Damien called the elevator to take us to the ground floor. “We can’t afford for anyone to know what you’re about to do,” he said as we stepped inside. “If it gets back to Lilith, she’ll bring the council down on you, and while you may survive that, Willow will not.”
I dipped my chin again in agreement. “Call for a car.”
“Already done,” he replied, lifting his tablet. “I know a place in the city where no one will go looking.”
Of course he did. Damien had a lot more experience with this new world than I did. He’d been my only connection to society for the last one hundred years since my other lived in hiding as well.
Willow groaned in my arms, her eyelids fluttering closed. “Don’t you dare die on me, pet,” I told her.
“You’ll need to initiate the transfer in the car,” Damien said just before the doors opened.
I didn’t so much verbally agree as I did mentally. He was right. We didn’t have time to do this properly.
Several servants went to the floor in an immediate bow upon seeing us exit the elevator into the main lobby of the building. I ignored the receptionist who asked how she could help us, and immediately stepped out into the balmy humidity of San José.
No one asked any questions about the dying female in my arms. They probably assumed she was my late-evening snack.
Damien took the keys from the valet as soon as he exited the sedan. It was one of the many cars in Silvano’s garage, all of which were now mine. I didn’t bother to look at the make or model, just slid into the backseat with Willow on my lap and shut the door before the valet could reach it.
“Go” was all I said, not wasting time with the seat belt.
Damien practically floored it out of the lot, his penchant for driving quickly coming in handy right now.
Willow shivered, a soundless plea leaving her lips. “You’ll be okay,” I promised her.
She didn’t reply, but her eyes flickered a strange yellowish tint in the dark, similar to a lycan’s. I frowned at the startling change, then glanced out the window to take in the scene.
“It’s a full moon,” I said slowly.
“Yes,” Damien confirmed, not that it was necessary. Now that I’d realized our current phase, I could feel the energy humming in the air despite the nearest lycan clan being hundreds of miles away.
I took in Willow’s shivering form, the hairs dancing along her exposed neck, and that glimmer of yellow sheening in her irises.
Was this related to her captivity? She’d been in my care for roughly four weeks now, her initial escape taking place only a few nights after the last full moon.
Had the wolves done something to her? Something that had caused her current state of living in limbo? Because that was what this reminded me of—the limbo between life and death.
“Can you access her records from the breeding camp?” I wondered out loud. “Find out if they did anything specific to her?”
“Do you think it’s related to her current state?”
“I think it’s possible.”
He navigated onto one of the city’s highways—or I assumed it was one, with how fast we were going. “I’ll find out everything I can.”
“It would make sense,” I continued thoughtfully, not acknowledging his vow because I had every expectation that he would see it through. “She’s been unique from the moment I saw her. And her fighting skills are almost too good for a human.” I’d sparred with her