CHAPTER 49: DON’T DIE.

A tight lump forms in my throat. Her words chill me down to the marrow of my bones. She looks so genuinely excited that I came. Didn’t she call me here? Isn’t that not how the bond is supposed to work? Or was she expecting me to resist?

Her gaze bores into mine. She keeps grinning.

"Someone’s going to die tonight". She whispers.

Her frosty breath chills my skin.

Who is going to die? Who is she talking about?

"I told you, my love. One foul move from you - and someone else suffers. You kept ignoring my warning. Now it’s time you paid a price".

I want to plead, but it gets stuck in my throat. My voice fades.

A tall and hulking figure stands in the adjoining room, peering at us through the huge man-sized hole in the wall.

Fang follows my gaze and sees the lurking figure.

"Aventri? What a surprise!"

She releases my hand and stands up gracefully, as if nothing happened to her.

He does not move from the door. He keeps watching like a silent owl.

I can feel his piercing gaze on me. I hope he does not interfere.

Fang crouches in front of me and lifts my chin up with her index finger. Her talons press into the skin of my jaw.

"Don’t forget our little deal, my love".

She releases my chin, strokes the side of my neck where the mark is, and walks away.

I watch her receding form with dread and caution. She walks with a certain grace - feline and sensuous.

My hands fall uselessly to my lap. I can finally breathe again, though it takes a while for my heart rate to return to normal.

If she has this much control over me, I don’t stand a chance against her.

She mentioned that someone is going to die this night. Is it Xian Xi? Please let it not be him.

Anyone else can die, I find myself thinking - to my utter horror.

I kneel there for a while, until my breathing slows to its normal pace.

Crawling over to where Xian Xi is, I touch his forehead. His skin is icy cold. Definitely not good.

Would a white lotus help his situation? I have limited knowledge on the use of white lotuses.

"System, can you analyze Xian Xi’s situation? Can a white lotus heal him?"

[Acess denied. Reason: Rank too low]

Being a member of the Diamond rank would have come in handy in moments like this.

I grasp his wrist.

His skin on his wrist is completely black. Five swollen slits are visible. I push the sleeve of his robe to his shoulders in order to examine the damage. The entire arm is dark with the poison. It has even extended to his chest region.

I gasp in shock. He does not have much time. I have to get him help.

I grab him by the elbows and start pulling him along the rubble-covered floor. Even the floor groans under his weight. I nearly fall backwards a couple of times.

By the time I reach the door of the chamber, I am sweating profusely and panting heavily. My hands are trembling.

I push the massive oak door open with my shoulder and drag him into the dark hallway.

I drag him along the hallway quietly, trying to suppress my grunts when I pull too hard.

I halt immediately when I hear voices. The voices are lowered to whispers, but I am able to make out a few of their sentences.

One of the voices belongs to Fang. Why did they choose to talk here? The other participant must be Aventri.

Something must be wrong for him to show up out of the blue.

I listen intently, hunched protectively over Xian Xi’s body.

"-there is a hole in your so-called impenetrable force field".

Fang’s voice is inaudible.

"That power surge was massive. I have never seen such power come from a human before. He must be eliminated".

I gulp. Eliminated?

Fang is speaking again, but her voice remains an indistinct murmur.

I resume my arduous task of dragging him to the common room. I keep glancing around me to see if anyone is following, or worse - watching me.

The hallway seems endless as I pull his body along. We finally reach the common room.

I can hear laughter, although it is muffled by the thick door.

I push the door open and pull him in. After being in the darkness, the light coming from the room is blinding. All laughter ceases. If it is possible, I think everyone stopped breathing.

I drag him to the center and lay him on the plushy rug.

Kross leans forward to touch his head. I look up at him worriedly.

Rames brings a lantern to Xian Xi’s side. He gasps when he sees the state of Xian Xi’s arm.

"He has been poisoned". He concludes, voicing my fears.

The finality in his voice makes my stomach sink. I ball my fists to suppress the dread overwhelming me.

He can’t die. Not yet.

"Is there anything that can be done?"

"We don’t know for sure. I am unfamiliar with this kind of poison." Rames says, his voice melancholy.

"Are you a healer?" I ask.

He nods briskly.

"How did he get poisoned?"

The answer to the question eludes me as well.

"He probably fought with the Demon Queen. He is probably responsible for the blackout".

Rames stiffens and his knuckles turn white at the mention of the Demon Queen. Another victim.

I look around the candle-lit room.

Everyone seems to mirror my feeling of despair.

"No one is familiar with this form of poison?"

"If it’s done by the Demon Queen, there’s probably no cure. She never does anything half-way". Jakota says.

His words weigh on me. No cure?

"Send for Fargo. He might know something". Kaven instructs Rames.

Rames dashes out of the room before I can ask who Fargo is.

I turn to Kaven. "Who is Fargo?"

"Fargo is Xian Xi’s mentor. He is a very accomplished man". He responds, hesitating briefly before adding the second part. I have met him. He had been drunk at the time.

Rames returns shortly, gripping a man whose eyes are barely open.

"Look at your student". Rames says and urges the man forward.

Recognition clouds Fargo’s features and bloodshot eyes widen.

"He’s as good as dead". He diagnoses. His eyebrows are drawn together tightly.

I shake my head.

"There has to be another way. Think!". I say, my voice breaking.

Fargo rolls his eyes as he thinks of a solution.

"The only thing that comes to mind is a transfer spell".

Hope blooms in my chest.

I nod for him to continue.

"It only allows for transfer of the poison from one person to another. It is a forbidden ritual. But, there’s no point, since we don’t have a host".

"We do". I say.

Sharp eyes meet mine.

"Who?"

"Me".