Page 42 of The Arcane God

Well, that was good to know, and settled one of her fears at least, but, if she were being perfectly honest, their ability to turn into other beings was not the thing that had caused her to want to flee with Turner. It was his description of what they’d done before that that made her stomach drop and fear settle over her like a smothering blanket. She’d had the same disquieting sense after they’d put the blood drops in the tea, and the way it had made her react…there was definitely something off about it. And while part of her almost did not want to know, and wanted to just run as far away from it as she could, she knew she needed to ask.

“And…the blood?” Ena asked cautiously. “Turner said he saw them drinking it. Is that…normal for them?”

“Yes,” Kaya explained, as if they were having a conversation about the best way to bake bread. “Drinking blood is what fuels the Change, and the stryx need it to live, just like you or I need food and water.”

They needed blood to live? Ena swallowed.

“And…what happens if they don’t drink blood?” she asked. “They die?”

“Eventually,” Kaya said. “But first, they sort of go…” She paused, as if searching for the proper word. “Insane.”

“Insane?” Ena asked, the hair on her arms prickling up. “How so?”

“Well, they crave the blood, just like you or I would crave food, but without regular access to animal blood, the cravings can get…out of hand.” Kaya met Ena’s eyes seriously, and there was a ghost of something in them, some sadness behind her words that begged for more explanation, as if she were speaking from experience. “Eventually, they start to go mad from the cravings—lashing out, hurting themselves, and…others.”

“They hurt others?” Ena asked, her stomach tightening as the memory of her hallucination in the shelter yesterday came back to her. She’d wanted the blood so desperately, she’d grabbed it from Max’s hand. But, of course, she hadn’t really…but she’d certainly wanted to. And if he’d resisted…would she have hurt him?

“Yes, but that only happens under the most extreme of circumstances,” Kaya explained. “Ordinarily, the stryx do not drink human blood. Its effects are too strong on the body, and cause hallucinations. There are only a few exceptions in which drinking human blood is allowed and…”

Ena’s focus drifted away from what Kaya was saying as her thoughts began to spiral.

Hallucinations…

They go mad…

She felt her heart rate increase and her breath shorten, and all of a sudden, she worried she’d trigger another panic attack. The thought that she might terrified her—it was the last thing she needed right now—so she forced herself to take a deep breath, then another, and another, and shut it all down. She needed to separate all emotions, all feelings, from this problem to survive, and get the answers she needed.

Because none of this was possible. How could it be possible?

And yet…too much of it made sense to ignore. It explained what was happening to her—what had been happening since they’d broken the bond and she realized she was pregnant.

She was craving blood. She wanted blood. She wanted to drink it—to pour it down her throat and feel it spreading throughout her stomach, smooth and warm. The metallic taste on her tongue, the thick feel in her mouth.

She’d never drunk blood before, but somehow, in this moment, she Knew that was exactly what she wanted to do. What she needed to do.

It had started with Ty’s blood, but now…it was changing, getting worse. When would it stop? But above all…why? Why was this happening to her?

“Ena, what is it?” Turner asked, noticing her sudden deep breathing and grasping her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t understand,” she said absently.

“Understand what?” Turner asked, confusion on his face.

“Why this is happening to me,” she answered, her voice unfeeling. She knew she sounded like a crazy person. Turner and Kaya had no idea what she was talking about, she knew that, but she was trying desperately to hold on to her control and not lose it. It was just a problem, she told herself—just a mystery to solve, like when she’d figured out the binding ritual, or when she was experimenting with a new potion.

“Why what is happening to you?” Turner asked, thoroughly confused.

“First the baby, and then Ty, and now…” She shook her head, trying to figure out something—anything—that made this make sense.

“Ena,” Turner said, starting to get agitated. “Please tell me what the fuck is going on.”

Ena looked up at him, noticing the distress on his face. “Turner, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, but I thought…I didn’t know…”

“Tell me what? Ena, you’re scaring me,” Turner said, gripping both her shoulders now.

“It’s me,” she said blankly. “Something is wrong with me. I thought it was just the pregnancy, but craving blood isn’t a normal pregnancy symptom. And then I thought maybe it was because the baby is half daemon, but…”

“You’re craving blood?” Kaya asked, her eyes wide in shock. “Since when?”