Siren's Mark

Chapter 52

𝔸𝕧𝕒

Zane attempts to stand, but barely makes a step before he's reeling in pain. His remaining wing flaps erratically and he collapses into a nearby chair.

I jump up and rush to his side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Talk to me," I say. "What's happening?"

"I don't know... fuck!" he groans. "It... fuck!"

"Do we need to heal him?" I ask Kami. Her usually unshakable demeanor is replaced by a frenzied panic.

"We haven't... the other wing... I'm not ready... I haven't set aside venom for him, I..." she stutters.

"Just kiss him, Kami," I say. "I don't care, I promise! Just help him!"

Kami nods and leans in to kiss him. Without warning, Zane sweeps an arm across and throws her backward across the room.

"No!" he shouts. "Don't fucking touch me!"

She manages to land on her feet in a crouching position, a bright flare of gold appearing in her eyes.

"What the fuck, Zane?" she asks.

"No one..." he says through labored breaths, "but Ava... kisses me."

"You're being ridiculous," I say to him, as Kami begrudgingly grabs a shot glass and fills it with venom. "I said I don't care. It's fine. You're in pain."

"Well I do care," he says. He grunts as he attempts to sit up further and Kami hands him the glass of venom and he downs it.

"Okay," he says. "That's definitely much grosser than the kissing."

"That's your own damn fault, Z," Kami says with an eye roll. "Feeling better?"

He turns around and his wound seals as he pulls his remaining wing back in.

"Fuck," he says. "Not really. Ahhh!"

He hisses in pain and lets out a spree of curse words, about half of which I've even heard before.

"Zane, talk to me," I say, holding his face in my hands. "What are you feeling? What's going on?

"It... fuck. It's like my nerves are on fire," he says.

"Where?" I ask.

"Everywhere—my skin, my muscles... fuck, I swear it's in my bones too."

Unfortunately, I know that feeling too well.

He tries to stand and staggers before dropping back into the chair.

"Can you not walk?" I ask.

"Bloody hell," he says. "I don't know... my vision is spinning and my head is throbbing. Is this what happens to humans when they get hung over?"

"Depends on the human," I say.

Personally, I feel like that all the time.

"Maybe it's a side effect," Kami asks.

Wait...

I feel like this all the time.

"Crap," I mumble under my breath.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asks, dropping to his knees to be closer to me.

"I think this might be my fault," I say.

He's feeling like shit because he's experiencing what I'm feeling. I should've known better. Kami practically said this would happen and I didn't listen.