Chapter 61: She is Literally Dying

Jasper suddenly frowned, his bright blue eyes darting toward the darkness of the trees.

"All good things must come to an end, I suppose," Jasper sighed.

Blair didn’t even realize he was holding a piece of clothing until a dark coat was suddenly dropped over her head. She flailed for a second, confused, pulling the fabric down from her face.

Jasper offered her a wink. "I’ll see you around. More than two people is a crowd."

He took a step back. But before he turned away, he fixed her with a look that chilled her to the bone.

"Do not tell anyone what you saw tonight," Jasper said, a charming, picture-perfect smile spreading across his face. "I was never here. And I will know if you say something."

Blair hugged the coat tightly around her shivering shoulders. Of course he would know, she thought frantically. The academy would hunt a Ghoul Fish down instantly.

Jasper gave her a cheerful little wave and casually strolled away.

Blair stood alone in the pouring rain. The downpour was growing heavier by the second, washing the mud and blood across her feet. She looked to the left, staring into the dark woods, and then to the right. Also, dark woods.

She let out a shaky breath, wanting to rejoice that she was still breathing, but the relief felt incredibly hollow. For how long? she wondered grimly. Did all human students go through this many perils just to survive a semester?

Her legs felt like lead, but she forced herself to start trudging forward through the mud.

"So, this is where you are?"

Blair stopped dead. A figure stepped out of the heavy rain ahead of her, shielded beneath the canopy of a black umbrella.

Blair could hardly make out his silhouette in the downpour, but the sound of his cold, smooth voice was like finding a pool of fresh water in a scorching desert. She had never, ever been so happy to hear him speak.

"Professor," Blair gasped, taking one desperate step forward.

The rest of the sentence died on her lips. The last shred of adrenaline holding her upright left her. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed forward.

Jack dropped the umbrella; the freezing rain instantly soaked through his suit as he caught her before she hit the ground.

"You are a piece of work, aren’t you?" Jack murmured, looking down at her limp body. "Skipping detention twice."

He adjusted his grip on her, using his thumb to gently brush a wet, muddy strand of dark hair away from her face.

She was badly injured. Her heart was hammering a frantic rhythm against his arm, and her chest was rising and falling in rapid, shallow breaths. She had clearly been running just before.

On his way into the woods, Jack had crossed paths with Daemus. The frantic Wolf Prince had told him what had happened. Jack had fully expected to find a dead body out here.

How could she possibly have survived that poison? Jack’s mind raced.

He studied her face. There were dark circles bruising the skin under her eyes, and her complexion was far paler than usual. Surrounded by the darkness and the rain, she looked like a fragile porcelain doll... pretty, and...

"Did you find her?"

Daemus’s panicked voice ripped through the downpour, shattering the quiet moment.

Jack instantly dropped his hand from Blair’s face. He turned his head to look at Daemus, his expression snapping back into its usual, cold mask.

"She’s alive," Jack stated flatly.

Without another word, Jack shoved Blair’s unconscious body off his chest and into Daemus’s waiting arms.

Daemus caught her, his eyes wide with terror as he frantically checked her over. A shuddering wave of relief washed over him when he heard the steady, beating rhythm of her heart.

"She might have internal bleeding," Jack started, wiping the rain from his eyes. "The poison could also still be lingering in her system. You need to get her to a hospital right away."

"If that is the case, then I should take her."

A new voice cut through the darkness. Killian stepped forward. He was perfectly dry, walking at a leisurely pace while Rain’s human pet scurried beside him, holding a large umbrella over the Crown Prince’s head while letting himself get soaked in the downpour. The pet kept his eyes glued firmly to the ground, terrified to look up.

Daemus tightened his arms protectively around Blair, shooting Killian a glare. He blamed the Snake Prince entirely for the state Blair was currently in.

Killian’s purple eyes scanned Blair’s pale face. He was deeply intrigued by the impossible fact that she was still breathing, but he carefully masked his fascination behind a wall of cold arrogance.

"I wish to take charge of her care," Killian stated smoothly. "I can have her admitted to the Royal Crest Hospital immediately."

Daemus sneered. The Royal Crest was the most exclusive, state-of-the-art medical facility in the sector, strictly reserved for the beast royal family and those who held their crests.

"I don’t need your help," Daemus rejected him instantly. "I’ll take her to my home. My pack doctors will treat her."

"Your doctors use dirt and leaves," Killian rebutted, his voice dripping with condescension. "That is of no use to a human. If that is even what she is."

Jack, who had been standing quietly beside them staring at something in the distance, then turned his head to their conversation.

"What does that mean?" Daemus demanded, his silver eyes flashing.

"Do you not find it the slightest bit odd," Killian challenged, tilting his head, "that a human managed to survive after being bitten so severely by an Inland Taipan?"

Daemus rolled his eyes. "So what? She has a high tolerance for poison."

"You are wasting precious time."

Jack’s cold voice cut through the argument. "At this rate, you two will be the ones who kill her."

Without waiting for a response, Jack turned his back on the group and walked away, disappearing further into the dark, rain-swept woods.

Daemus adjusted Blair in his arms, turning to head toward the campus.

"Daemus," Killian called out.

"Goodbye, Killian."

Daemus didn’t stop.

"Your pride almost killed her the first time," Killian stated, his voice carrying over the sound of the rain. "Your pride will be the death of her this time for sure, if you do not let me help."

Daemus froze.

The words hit him like a physical blow to the chest. The memory of Blair stepping between him and Rain flashed in his mind. She had begged him to let it go, to just walk away, and his stupid alpha pride had forced him to pick a fight anyway.

Killian was right. This was all his fault.

Swallowing his massive ego, Daemus slowly turned back around. "Fine. We’ll go to your fancy hospital."

Killian took the umbrella out of the human pet’s trembling hands and held it over Blair’s unconscious form. The freezing rain instantly began to soak into Killian’s silk shirt and silver hair.

"The first step to keeping her alive," Killian noted dryly, water dripping from his jawline, "will be getting her out of the rain."

Daemus stared at the Crown Prince in bewilderment as they began to walk quickly down the path together. Killian Lexur hated getting dirty. He hated getting wet. He hated humans. Yet, he was currently soaking himself just to keep a human dry.

"Why do you care so much?" Daemus asked, his brows furrowed in suspicion.

Killian didn’t take his eyes off the path ahead. "She is my pet. What kind of master would I be if I didn’t care?"

Daemus scowled. "She isn’t your pet."

"Yes, she is," Killian replied smoothly.

"No, she isn’t," Daemus argued, his voice rising in irritation.

"Yes, she is."

"Bro, she is not."