Tempting Darkness [17+] ✔

Chapter 30

       Blood... key...

       Blood was the key. My blood.

       Fuck.

       What is with this town and blood?!

       I sat back heavily on my heels and looked around for anything sharp enough that would pierce skin. I lost my fancy knife in all the commotion outside, and I was getting a really bad idea about the stone corner of the slab. It was the only idea I had. I sighed as I took my jacket off and rolled up my shirt's sleeve.

       I really fucking hoped this worked.

       I leaned far enough over the side of the stone so my forearm could touch the sharp corner. I pressed down as hard as I could and then ripped my skin down the edge. Pain shot through my veins and raced up my arm. "Ow!" I groaned and ripped my hand back to look at the damage. A breath of relief escaped my chest when I saw the thick line of blood start to pool out of the cut.

       Thank god. I did not want to have to do that again.

       I let the blood slip onto his bare chest, then his forehead and cheeks. I even placed a little on his lips—as gross as that was. I had no idea what the hell I was supposed to do, but I decided I bled enough on him and wrapped my jacket tightly around the cut like a bandage.

       "Alright, so blood is the key. I'm supposed to be the key, so there. I bled on you. Wake up now, please."

       Nothing.

       I gazed down at the red staining his tan skin and dripping onto his dark feathers. Nothing was happening.

       I tried to force back the aggravated tears that threatened to fall. Crying wouldn't help anything right now. I held my arm tightly to my chest and laid my head down against his chest, not even carrying about the blood my cheek was resting against.

       "I don't know what to do." I mumbled against him. "Please wake up. You can't be dead. I need you." I sniffled and pressed my face further into him. "I wish you would just tell me what to do." But he didn't, and I was out of ideas.

       I closed my eyes and didn't care about the tears wanting to fall anymore. I hated crying, it was weak, but I had a feeling for a while now that I wouldn't be leaving Deshua alive. I deserved to cry. That morning had just been a sick joke from fate. My last little glimpse of an escape, one where everything was still intact. Adriel was alive, Raf was real, and we were sailing free to somewhere new and safe. I should have just ignored the nagging.

       Now he's dead, Rafael doesn't exist, and I was going to die inside an ancient tomb—again.

       'Crack!' My eyes snapped open as the sound of rock splitting reverberated in my ears.

       What was that?

       There was nothing for a moment, until another 'crack' sounded throughout the crypt, and a bit of rock and dirt fell on my shoulder. I glanced up and could just make out a slit in the ceiling, a crack that was quickly growing. My heart hammered in my chest and I sat up as more cracks started to appear around the room.

       Fuck this wasn't good. Shorzin must have triggered something when he magic-collapsed the entrance. Now the whole fucking tomb was going to cave in and smother us to death. A large chunk of rock fell from the roof and crashed to the ground. Then another, and another, until I was afraid we would be squished next.

       I lurched forward and used my body as a shield to cover as much of demon Dri as I could. I knew he was immortal or whatever, but my first instinct was to protect the closest thing I had to Adriel. Besides, it's not like I was getting out of that alive.