Black Blood

-B2- Chapter 56

Novak

I stared at the sleeping woman in my arms for hours before I could muster the strength to untangle myself and rise from the bed. Careful not to wake her, I covered Celeste with the blankets and tiptoed into the hallway.

A deep sigh escaped my lips.

What was supposed to be Elien's first enjoyable birthday had turned into Micca's death, a death that interests me less than I'll ever admit.

In search of fresh air, I stepped out of the cottage onto the porch. Leaning on the wooden railing with my forearms, I gazed at the dark forest.

The information Micca gave me before his death still hadn't fully sunk in. Celeste kissing another man hardly surprised me, and I wasn't sure if I could blame her. Black magic, a wicked life, and the slaughter of people weighed heavily on me, on her, and especially on us.

'How are you?' I looked up at Alisha, who was walking outside in her white robe.

'She's asleep,' I replied before turning my gaze back to the forest.

'And how about you?'

'Better than I thought.' Alisha joined me and looked in the same direction.

'His body is in the sea,' she reported without further explanation. I simply nodded.

'Is Elien okay?' Alisha nodded. 'Are you okay?' She nodded again.

There was silence for a while, with only the wind whispering past our ears. Both of us lost in the darkness, staring into the darkness ahead.

'I'm afraid Celeste won't make it.' I looked at Alisha in bewilderment, searching for an explanation. Slowly, she turned until she was facing me directly.

'Do you remember what Micca said about her back?' I nodded, even though I didn't entirely understand what he meant.

'How long has it been since you've seen her naked?'

'The night before Walmoet,' I said, realizing that was months ago.

Alisha turned further in my direction, her arms crossed.

'The black magic has struck her lifelines and is burning her from the inside out. It's spreading rapidly, and after the pyre, it struck her spine. In Micca's room, I found five vials of viante, two of which were empty.'

In total disbelief, I stared at the woman before me. I could kick myself for my inattention.

'How long have you known this?'

'Since Elien's first attack. I saw it when I tended to her. She didn't want me to say anything.'

I turned away from Alisha, put my head in my hands, and grasped my hair in total frustration.

How could I have been so stupid? That pain is unbearable; how did I not see it?

'She's using viante, you say?'

'Yes.'

'Powder or extract?'

'Extract.' I breathed a sigh of relief at that answer. Extract is less potent than powder, less deadly.

'Do you know how long?'

'I guess since the pyre.' I lifted my head from my hands and glanced briefly at Alisha before turning and heading into the house.

As I stormed into Micca's room, I tried to retrieve the long-buried memories. During my time with the wood elves, Viante was a commonly used painkiller. Back then, people believed it was beneficial, but later, it became highly addictive and fatal.

With the bottle in my hand, I swirled the liquid and instantly remembered the composition and dosage.

'Do you know it?' Alisha asked from the doorway. With a nod, I removed the cap from the bottle and smelled the sour liquid.

'Viante is deadly in a high dosage but barely effective in a too low one. The only problem is that the difference between the two can be as little as a milliliter. That's why people keep increasing the dosage until it goes wrong or take so many small doses that their bodies break down rapidly. Do you have a syringe?' Considering the amount that has been consumed in recent weeks, I'm sure Micca didn't know the correct measurement either.

'Nightstand,' Alisha replied. I opened the drawer and picked up one of the syringes, then inserted it into the bottle, drawing exactly seven and a half milliliters.

'How do you know the dosage?' I asked, looking at her as I tapped the glass.

'A calculation based on age, weight, and height. I'll explain it to you later.' With those words, I walked back to the bedroom, where Celeste was still sleeping.

'Cel,' I said softly, placing my hand on her shoulder. Her swollen, tear-filled eyes slowly opened, and she looked at me in confusion. Dazed, she glanced at the syringe in my hand.

'Turn on your stomach.' Slowly, reality and my knowledge seemed to sink in.

'Novak...'

'Turn on your stomach, and then we'll talk.' Although everything in her screamed not to follow my command, she did.

I placed the syringe next to her on the blankets before sitting on the edge of the bed and carefully undoing the strings of her dress. With her hands clutching the sheets, Celeste remained still.

I had no desire to further torment her by first removing the dress and then the chemise. I tore open the white chemise.

My breath caught at the sight of dozens of black veins running from the largest and thickest one on her spine across her entire back.

I remained silent, giving no reaction, as I picked up the syringe from the bed and inserted the needle into her lifeline without warning. A slow approach wouldn't work; it would only prolong the agony.

'Aaaah,' she moaned as the viante found its way through her spine, and she visibly relaxed.

I placed the empty syringe on the nightstand next to us before running my hands over her back, something that would normally cause intense pain. Now, her muscles visibly relaxed under the warmth.