Chapter 85: My blood, The cure
Andria’s POV
"What if it doesn’t work? We also need an alternative plan," Becca suggested.
I was trying to avoid Sir Kaelric, and here they are shipping me to him freely.
"Even though I feel it will work, I think we should also consider Becca’s suggestion," I added
"We’re going to try this first, or are you avoiding Sir Kaelric, because the moment I mentioned his face, I saw your facial reaction," Liara teased in a firm tone. "This will have to work, Aria. It just has to work, or we are doomed."
Becca leaned closer, her grin widening. "That makes me feel that something else transpired between you two today that you have refused to let us know, but that’s not what we are interested in now, is it?"
"I already told you, Becca, nothing happened besides he is our duel master, and you already know that I had a crush on him the moment he stepped into that hall. Not that anything happened between us."
"That’s more reason to think something happened between you two, but I get it now, nothing happened, it’s just that you are uncomfortable staying around him because you have a crush on him," Becca defended.
I stayed quiet for a while and then looked towards Liara, who was still holding the needle in her hand. " Go ahead, do what has to be done; the night isn’t getting any younger."
She moved forward and pierced the back of my palm, drawing blood from it, and to my greatest surprise, I was numb. Like a vampire, I was as good as dead.
I had to pretend it hurt because that’s what they expected, so I winced a little.
"Told ya, it ain’t going to hurt that much," Liara said, drawing the first needle out of my skin.
"But that’s just the beginning, you still have five more to fill, who knows if I would not pass out after the third one," I joked, and they burst out laughing.
Arlo got up from the sofa, stretching, with his usual dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine, I still don’t understand why Sir Kaelric felt like your blood could do the magic or is it because he gave you that potion, which makes your blood sacrifice worthy?"
I knew it would come to this, but it was good that he also thought the potion played a role in qualifying my blood. We can all blame the potion and not the actual reason.
Arlo plopped back into the seat and continued, "Let’s say we actually manage to sneak this blood into meals. What about the professors? Some of them are under her spell, too, right? How do we get to them? What if we got caught by one of the spellbound professors?"
"That’s why we split into pairs," Liara cut in. "Less noticeable. If one set is caught, the other still carries out the plan. Arlo, you are to head first to the professors’ and teachers’ cafeteria. I’ll have one, if not two of the Alpha successors sneak you in."
"Pairs, huh?" Arlo smirked. "Guess I call dibs on the prettiest partner, we would go together to the professor’s cafeteria, Liara and Aria can handle the students’ cafeteria" His eyes flicked toward Becca deliberately, and Becca shot him a glare sharp enough to cut.
Liara and I rolled our eyes in unison and burst laughing.
"Well, this is not a mate bonding activity, Arlo, so keep dreaming, clown." Becca teased him, and they started bantering and throwing pillows at each other.
Their banter didn’t reach me.
My mind was already racing ahead, picturing trays of food, pitchers of juice, the press of students in the cafeteria, their eyes glazed with Tracy’s spell.
I just hoped that this would work. This is not just for me but for the academy.
Liara’s voice grounded me. "Aria, we’ll need to fill at least ten syringes tonight and more if you can handle it, not six like you earlier stated."
Ten?, my mind somersaulted, how do I keep faking that I felt it till the tenth syringe without faking a pass out. Ok then again, I can easily blame the potion for the added strength ." I’ll try," I blurted.
"But I wanted to do this, Liara. How you managed to take it from me is what I don’t understand," Becca voiced out in a playful warning tone.
I felt the second prick, unlike the first one, but like the first one, it wasn’t painful; it felt more like a light massage on the skin.
The needle slid into the crook of my arm, and I forced myself to flinch. Liara steadied the syringe, her movements quick but careful, drawing the dark red liquid into the container.
"Another one down, eight remaining," Becca said, collecting the syringe from Liara and placing it on the small tray on the center table.
As if the counting could stop the pain, numb the feeling, or even hasten the process.
"Doing great," Liara murmured, bringing out another syringe from the first aid box.
Becca leaned against the table, watching with morbid fascination. "It’s weird, you know. Seeing your blood being drawn out like that without feeling nostalgia, normally, I could have fainted at the sight of blood, although your blood looks darker than I expected, which could be a result of the potion."
"Yeah, maybe," I said through clenched teeth. My blood was like that of the vampires because the potion not only cleansed but also brought that part of me to the surface.
I’m glad they all blamed the abnormalities on the potion. Although I doubted Arlo bought that.
Two syringes. Three. Four..six, and on the fifth one, Liara mistakenly pricked her finger.
The sight of her blood, No!.
It triggered a weird feeling in me, the room started spinning, and she suddenly looked like my next meal.
Bloodlust!
The room swayed, and sweat prickled at my temples. Arlo hovered nearby, uncharacteristically quiet, like even he knew better than to joke right now.
"You good?, Your face is turning pale again," Liara asked, her voice softer this time.
"I’m fine, just clean the blood on your finger, it’s making me nauseous, it’s ok that you are drawing a lot of blood from me, I don’t need to see yours too," I lied.
My lips were pale, my breathing shallow, but I wasn’t about to show them that part of me yet. Not when everything depended on me being strong.
She quickly cleaned her fingers, and I straightened myself. "You can continue. I feel better now."
Arlo looked at me suspiciously, and I looked back at him. He quickly brushed out the look from his face and adjusted himself.
Seven, eight, nine, ten, and it was finally over.
Becca capped the last syringe, then took all the other filled syringes together with it, sliding them into the box Liara presented to her. She closed the lid carefully and smiled at me. "Done."
"It’s over now," Liara concurred, relief flickering in her eyes.