Descend (Awakened Fate Book 2) by Skye Malone Read Free Book Online

but his heart didn’t seem to be in it either. “Okay, well, I got stuff to take care of and, uh…” He made an uncomfortable noise as the leech was removed and another replaced it. “Right.”
    He swam from the room.
    “You’re doing well,” Kyne said to Chloe. “Just one more.”
    She gave a tense smile, her gaze anywhere but on the thing on her arm. “What are you going to do with these?”
    “This will let us test for the differences in the neiphiandine in your system,” Kyne told her. “Ordinarily, neiphiandine would not cause pain. It’s simply a transformation inhibitor, designed to keep dehaians who may be suffering from a serious illness from changing into unsupportable forms while underwater.”
    Her brow furrowed.
    “Human, dear,” he elaborated while Dion removed the leech and then placed another on her skin. “Or anything close to. Between a full transformation to survive in the depths and our human forms above water, there are numerous variations – several of which would be lethal down here. Neiphiandine pushes the body into the fullest extent of change and then inhibits the ability to alter shape back again, keeping a sick dehaian from harming themselves in their delirium while this far underwater. That said, however, a single dose would never last beyond a day. Two at the most.”
    “And this?”
    “Hopefully, it will wear off on its own as well, or we can find a treatment. We won’t be certain till we run some tests.”
    Dion removed the creature from her arm.
    “There we go,” Kyne said.
    He looked to me while Dion and Tiro placed the containers back in their bags. “We will let you know what we find.”
    “Thank you,” I said.
    They swam past me and left the room. By the door, the guards remained.
    Chloe didn’t turn around.
    “Could you guys wait outside?” I said to the guards.
    They hesitated and then disappeared out the door.
    Silence settled over the room.
    “Are you alright?” I asked her.
    She didn’t respond.
    I grimaced, feeling like an idiot. She’d been through who-knew-what in the past week, and that was before my oldest brother decided chaining her up with a magical blindfold and shackles was the bright idea of the day.
    Of course she wasn’t alright.
    “They’re really good at what they do,” I tried. “I’m sure they’ll find something to help you.”
    She nodded.
    “And I’m sorry about earlier,” I continued. “Ren and… just all that.”
    Her head turned, though she didn’t meet my eyes. “Not your fault.”
    “Still.”
    A moment passed.
    “So what happens now?” she asked softly.
    “You stay with us till we figure this out.”
    She looked back at me, and I could see the fear she was working to hide.
    “They’ll find a solution, Chloe. And in the meantime, we’ll–”
    “You told your dad I did strange things to the water?”
    I paused.
    “Zeke?”
    “Yeah,” I allowed.
    “What do I do?”
    My mouth tightened. She looked so worried, though she was obviously trying not to show it. I didn’t want to make things worse. “It’s nothing. It’s just, whenever you’re–”
    The fejeria rustled. I turned to see Ina poke her head into the room.
    “Hey there,” she called. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything? Niall said you might be busy.”
    Her grin made me want to scowl.
    “No,” I retorted. “Of course not. We were just talking.”
    “Oh,” Ina drawled, her eyes twinkling.
    I glared.
    “So is this her?” she continued as she pushed past the fejeria. “I mean,” Ina glanced to Chloe, “you.” She laughed at herself. “Sorry. Rude, yeah? What’s your name?”
    “Chloe, yes,” I supplied. I looked back at Chloe. “And this is my sister, Ina.”
    With a chuckle, Ina extended a hand. Chloe hesitated, and then shook it.
    “Nice to finally meet Zeke’s mystery girl.” Ina’s smile deepened as she looked Chloe up and down, not letting go of her hand. “You’re even prettier than he said.”
    Chloe blinked and