Core by Teshelle Combs Read Free Book Online Page B

did die, it would be her fault. It would be because of her cowardice.
    “Just do what he says, Miriam,” Ava said.
    So Miriam placed her hand over Cale’s mouth. Ava lit the lighter again and pressed it to the poison. It recoiled, moving away from the flame as Ava chased it, slowly, carefully. It reminded her of the shadows at the feet of the creatures, but instead of letting the fear take over, Ava pictured Cale slicing through them, like they were pathetic, like they were nothing to be afraid of.
    Cale screamed into Miriam’s hand, squeezing the circulation out of the ladies’ legs while Ava worked. Finally, the poison was nothing but a pool of dark purple settled into the gash in his abdomen. Ava let the flame rest there until the poison hissed away completely. 
    Unbelievable.   The longer she left the flame on Cale’s skin once the poison was gone, the faster it healed, right before her eyes. His flesh knitted together until he relaxed, letting go of them, closing his eyes in relief. It was soothing to him. Like medicine. He breathed normally at last, and even his sweat began to dry up.
    “Ava?” It was Karma at the front door.
    “We’re upstairs,” Ava called.
    Karma was in her room remarkably fast, Rory right beside her with a weapon drawn, the same dark blade as Cale’s, five times as long as Ava’s pocket knife. Karma took in the situation, eyes covering the room in a slow, thorough sweep while Rory’s eyes darted from object to object. Karma walked to Cale’s side, touching the scar on his midsection. That was all that was left. A thick, white scar, like a smashed spider. Karma touched his forehead, a surprising lack of affection in her clinical hands. Then she studied Ava’s and Miriam’s faces to make sure they weren’t masking pain.
    Her tepid smile played at her mouth. “You did very well, Ava. You have our thanks.”
    Rory came over. “He’s alright?”
    “A little rest, and he’ll be himself by the morning.”
    Rory was all business– not the laughing, romping brother Ava had met at dinner. “Three at once,” he said. “Did they call you by name, Ava?”
    Ava couldn’t remember. “I don’t think I was listenin g to what they were saying. You–you know what they were?”
    “Sirens,” Rory said. He held up the necklaces they left behind. “I’ve never seen these before, Mom. Have you?”
    “I have not. I’ll have to do some research.” She examined them with a furrowed brow. “These are strange. Sirens don’t usually stray from tradition, and acrest is unlike them. And to have three wearing them all of a sudden.”
    “They looked like vampires,” Ava said, recalling the fangs that had threatened to close in on her. “I think one tried to bite me.”
    Rory nodded matter-of-factly. “Yep. Nightfolk, merfolk, werefolk. They’re all sirens. All scum.” He spit on the ground in disgust.
    “But… one of them sang to me. It was….” Terrifying. Haunting. Beautiful.
    “A siren’s tear did this,” Karma said, ignoring Ava. She ran her hand over Cale’s scar again. He was sleeping peacefully, taking deep, full breaths. “But I’ve never seen the poison spread so quickly. It usually takes days before it reaches a dragon’s core.”
    Dragons.   There it is again.  Sirens, nightfolk, dragons. Ava was dizzy, fighting nausea. It wasn’t real.  None of this stuff is real .
    “Put up a perimeter, Rory, then let’s get your brother home.”
    Rory nodded, then slid the blade he was carrying against his fingers. He didn’t even wince as he did it. He went to Ava’s windows and door and wiped his fingers across the windowsills and doorframe, leaving bright red blood along the clean, white wood.
    He lifted his brother up and put him over his shoulder like Cale didn’t weigh a thing. He wiped his hands along the banister and covered the entrance to the house on his way out. The lock on the front door was little more than splinters. Cale hadn’t thought about sparing