Read Broken Heart 06 Come Hell or High Water for Free Online Page B

verra creative, but if they met a real werewolf or demon, they'd shit their pants. We survive because the humans dinnae believe we're real."
    "You think the Consortium keeps us caged because they're afraid we'll spill the beans?" I snorted a laugh. Pain lanced me. Ouch. "That's stupid."
    "Believe what you like, lass."
    Agony rolled over me, as sudden and awful as tripping and falling on a land mine. My body seized. Then I leaned over the side of the mattress and puked. Blood and black sludge splattered the pretty floral carpeting.
    Connor held my hair away from my face and made soothing noises. He took a wet cloth and wiped my face. I let him do it because I didn't have the energy to tell him to fuck off.
    I felt like I'd gotten onto a crazy merry-go-round. Everything was spinning, and it was getting unbearably hot. Uh-oh. Passing out was imminent.
    "You willna die."
    It was a promise I hoped he kept.
    I faded in and out. I felt like my insides had turned into ice even though sweat beaded my upper lip. My entire body quaked, caught in an endless cycle of hot and cold. My teeth clattered together. I felt like mean little elves were marching under my skin and tearing at me with tiny, sharp claws. God. I bet somewhere in parakind there were psycho elves who did that kind of shit. What bastards.
    At one point, a few minutes or years later, I swam through the murk of unconsciousness and opened my eyes. They felt tight and crusty.
    Hovering above me was a scaly green creature with black eyes. It wore a tattered gray robe with a hood drawn over its head.
    A yellowed claw traced my forehead.
    I yelped.
    "Ssshhh," said Connor. He popped into view on the other side of the lizard thing. "Nera is here to help."
    "My saliva produces an antitoxin," rasped a feminine voice. "Without it, you will not survive the night."
    "You want me to drink your spit?" I coughed. My gaze went to Connor. "Why not some Freon or battery acid?"
    I didn't know who the lizard lady was, or why Connor could find her, but not someone in Broken Heart, or how I could possibly trust him. I guessed if he wanted to, he could just let me die. Then again, keeping me alive meant keeping himself alive. However, demons were true immortals. How could the vampire binding curse affect him?
    Ow. My head really hurt.
    Connor stroked my face with trembling fingers. "Stay strong, lass."
    "I'm dying?"
    The look in his eyes was pure fear. My useless heart dropped into my stomach and convulsed. "Okay," I whispered. "I'll do it."
    Nera cocked her head at Connor. "You agree to the bargain?"
    "What bargain?" I asked. My throat felt swollen and hot. Darkness crimped the edges of my vision, and I knew I was gonna pass out. Again. Stupid demon's poison.
    Nera's lipless mouth stretched into a mocking grin. "No demon helps another without a bargain. You know this, hunter."
    "You called a demon?" I accused Connor. "And you bartered?"
    " ' Tis the only way to save you, lass." He looked at Nera. "I agree."
    She picked up a chipped ceramic bowl. Connor held out his forearm and she slashed his flesh with her talon. He didn't even flinch. Black blood poured into the bowl. When it was half-full, she nodded, and Connor grabbed a cloth and pressed it against his wound.
    Nera made a disgusting hacking sound and a noxious liquid spewed from her mouth into the bowl. She mixed it all up with the same claw she'd used to hack Connor 's arm.
    When she lifted the bowl to my lips, I managed to drink.
    I craved the blood so much that getting the concoction down wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. The texture was like that of egg drop soup.
    "Excellent," said Nera. Her gaze flicked to Connor. "I will give you time to get her settled. Then you must come to me and fulfill the bargain."
    "Aye," said Connor.
    Nera rose and turned, gliding into the darkness.
    "C-c-cold." The chill leaked from my pores. It drove away the heat - all of it, until I felt like a Phoebe Popsicle.
    Connor crawled onto the bed with