“You should’ve told me it was raining,” Kiki grumbled. “How far are we from the castle?”
“An hour jogging. Their scouts don’t start until about half a mile from the castle,” Rhyn answered. He watched Kiki set the briefcase down and open it. “What is it?”
“Another of Ully’s experiments. Hopefully it’s better than his demon skunk spray.”
Rhyn’s gaze went to Toby’s backpack. The cold rain felt good against his hot skin, and he stripped down to his T-shirt in the frigid weather to buffer the heat and magic growing within his body.
“This is supposed to incapacitate a demon,” Kiki said and loaded a handgun with a small dart. “I need to test it.”
“I’ll bring you a demon,” Rhyn said, turning.
A sting bit the arm opposite the one Katie had touched in his dream. He whirled and glared at Kiki, who waited expectantly.
“Tell me if it does something,” Kiki said.
Rhyn yanked the dart free and looked from it to the small welt forming on his arm. It matched the welt on his other arm. He gazed at his other arm for a long moment then strode to Toby’s bag. Snatching it, he unzipped it and dumped its contents onto the ground. Alongside Toby’s 3DS, a pair of clean underwear and socks, and gamers magazine was a small shaving bag. Rhyn opened it, surprised to find a syringe and two small bottles, one empty and one filled with wine-colored solution.
“What is it?” Kiki asked.
“That little shit.”
“Is this Toby’s?”
You need me if you want to survive. Toby had said before they left the Sanctuary. Rhyn unscrewed the lid of the full bottle, recognizing the scent of Katie’s blood at once. It made his body roar to life, and he realized just how hungry he was. He’d foregone food after her death, hoping to starve himself.
“Weird,” Kiki said and took it. “The other bottle’s empty. Did he inject himself?”
“No, he injected me,” Rhyn replied. “How did he know to do this?”
“I don’t know what this -“
Kiki’s voice stopped suddenly as blackness swept over Rhyn.