Baited~ Book 2

49

"Looks like you could use some help there." Roman tensed as he looked over through the tears in his eyes to see an old man standing there beside him. The man crouched down and glanced at the wound before sighing. "If you don't burn away the toxins that bite is going to kill you, Lad."

"I don't... h-have any fire." The man smiled as his eyes turned a blood red.

"It's lucky for you then that I do." The man's skin started to crack and burn like fiery salamander scales making Roman's eyes go wide in realization.

"You're a demon." The man nodded as he held his hand out summoning a royal red flame before narrowing his eyes. Roman frowned as forced himself up enough to sit up against the hell hound choking back the whimper of pain. His eyes met with wound before looking up to see the serious look in the demon's eyes and he sighed. "If you're going to burn it... please do so." Roman bit down on his wrist lightning crackling around him as this pain burst through him. The man placed his hand over the wound fire licking dangerously at Roman's leg as his blood boiled under its heat. Roman's skin blistered and blackened as the demon frowned watching all the blackened blood burn away until all that was left was red. Eventually, the bleeding stopped altogether as the man cauterized the wound. By that point, however Roman had passed out from the pain.

"Why don't I get you somewhere safe?" The man sighed softly as he carefully picked the prince up before blinking and setting the hell hounds carcass ablaze.

"VIRGIL!" Remus jumped up and ran over the moment Virgil screamed, catching him before he could fall and get hurt. The Dragon was crying out in pain as he clung to the demon unable to focus on anything but what he was feeling. "Virgil? Virgie, what's wrong? What's going on? VIRGIL!"

"It's Roman." Janus said quietly as he sat up and frowned over at his whimpering friend. "Something must have happened to your brother."

"Wait, what? What happened? Why is Virgil..." Janus only frowned more making Remus tense up in realization. "Did... Did Roman die?"

"I don't know. But whatever happened it was it's enough to cause that much pain through the link... I don't think Roman is ok." Remus crashed as they just held the dragon as tightly as they could. Janus could feel his mate's pain and sighed as he got up. "Bring him on to the bed, Ray." Remus didn't say a word. They just did as they were told and set Virgil carefully on the bed frowning as the dragon squirmed before going stock still, his breath wispy and damn near nonexistent. Janus's eyes flashed a bright blinding white as Virgil suddenly took a deep forceful breath, and he groaned in frustration. "I can't help Roman without being there but... I can at least keep Virgil breathing right."

"What happened to our brother?" Remus whined as they just stood there staring at the floor. Janus shook his head making Remus deflate even more.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I just don't know." Remus gave their mate a short curt nod before walking over and collapsing onto the couch just done with everything. "I'm sorry..."

"Ahh... You're up." Roman blinked the haze away as he groaned feeling this thrum in his head. The first thing he noticed was his leg felt very cold and numb. His face scrunched up as he forced his eyes to open completely only to find himself in this bed. There was this white paste on his leg where he had been bitten and his eyes narrowed in confusion. He tried to sit up but his body felt so weak he only managed to fall back against the pillow underneath him. "Be careful, Young One. Wouldn't want you getting hurt even more."

"Where... Where am I?" Roman's throat was hoarse and scratchy making his voice equally so. He placed his arm over his eyes trying to calm his throbbing head.

"You are in my home. I thought it safer for a human such as yourself instead of out there with the other creatures and demons." Roman frowned as he moved his arm away and just stared at the man who was currently at this desk like table thing with a mortar crushing something into a paste. "How's your leg feeling? I put some medicine on it but I didn't want to do too much since I'm not all that adept at caring for humans."

"Cold and numb." The man frowned before shrugging and returning to his work. "Also... I'm not entirely human."

"I know. I can sense your magic." Roman's eyes narrowed as the man gave him a small smile. "You're a druid. I've met a few in my lifetime. I also sense... something else." Roman cringed lightly pressing his palm into his temple and looking away. "Something more... Something I can't fix. I'm sorry."

 "Don't be. You aren't meant to. I chose it." The man nodded as he turned back to his work letting Roman just lay there staring up at the ceiling. "What are you doing?"

"I am making some ointment for your cuts." Roman's eyes narrowed as the man hummed a bit. "You have many and don't want you getting sick from any infections."

"I had a fight with a thorn bush... obviously I lost." Roman laughed as he shook his head a bit. "I was trying to run from the hell hound." Roman's eyes flash purple as he glanced over to see the man listening intently even as he worked. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This... The... Burning the toxins in the bite... the medicine... the ointment. Why help me?" The man stopped and sighed as he leaned against the table a bit in thought. "Who are you?"

"My name is Elvire." Roman tensed as the man slowly turned to face him holding the bowl tightly in his hand with a serious gaze. "I am helping you... because I can."

"But... you're a demon." Elvire just laughed as Roman shifted slightly on the bed. "Why are you helping me?"

"I'm a very wise very old demon, young one. When you've lived as long as I have... things... change. I saw a man in need of help, so I helped." Roman frowned as he shook his head a bit. Maybe it was just the effects of Virgil's absence but... he just couldn't trust him.

"Why would you help me?" The man smiled sadly as he walked over and slowly started to apply small patches of the ointment to every cut he saw. Roman glared at the man, eyes a bright purple as his magic surged around him. "Will you just answer the fucking question? Why would you a demon, help me, a human, live after killing a hell hound... another fucking demon bitch bastard?!"

"Because you weren't fighting it. You weren't hunting it. You were surviving. You protected yourself against it and frankly..." Elvire groaned as he paused a bit with a sad look. "I'm far too weak to worry about the consequences of saving the life of a human man." Roman's eyes went wide as the demon smiled sadly. "When your dying... you just don't care about dying... faster."

"What do you mean your dying? Demons can't die. They're immortal."

"Nearly immortal, young one." Roman's heart just dropped as the demons turned away and placed the bowl onto the table with a sigh. "I may have a human form... but that is from age and experience. I am incomplete... and I am fading fast. Without a host body, not many demons live long. I've lived millennia longer than I've ever should have. Then again... what else would you expect from a prince of demons."