The first of the three days was normal. As normal as Blaire could get. Still captive, still Death’s Chosen. Oddly and gratefully enough, Death never offered to give her a tour. He stopped showing altogether.

“Where’s Death?” Blaire asked her maid, Pima, as she tried to convince Blaire to eat downstairs instead of her room.

Pima eyed Blaire suspiciously, but answered anyway. “He’s out on business. He should be gone for a few days.”

Blaire refused to relax. He may be gone, but he wasn’t the only person she wanted to avoid.

Coal had been on her mind since she left Arie. He plagued her thoughts, frustrating and terrifying her. She couldn’t trust Arie’s assurances that she would be safe. Death wasn’t here to protect her, and she scolded herself for even considering Death.

She only had herself in this world.

On the second day, Blaire began to feel it. At first, it was simply an itch that irritated her skin. Then the irritation drowning her bite slowly seeped through her flesh and into her veins. She couldn’t sit still, she couldn’t relax. She would be shocked with blistering heat only to be trapped in a snowstorm the next minute.

This wasn’t a typical flu or cold she had experienced in the past. This was something different. Something…something lethal.

Glais’s voice echoed as she looked in the mirror, disturbed by her reflection. Her black hair was thin and greasy, her eyes red with black circles beneath. Her skin was painfully dry as she bit her nails to nubs.

The was no distraction for her. No books, no papers to draw on, no television or radio. She was trapped in her body, in her mind. The very things that she was desperate to escape.

“Give her a shot,” Hannah ordered Pima, concern riddling her face.

“She won’t take it,” Pima returned tentatively.

“Then do it when she’s asleep!” Death’s wife hissed, surprising Blaire. Though she still knew little of the Ophidia family, Hannah seemed the kind to remain cool and collected.

“She doesn’t sleep!” Pima exclaimed, the evidence on Blaire’s pale, sunken face. “She won’t even touch her food.”

Blaire didn’t trust what was given to her. For all she knew, she would be eating or drinking sleep medicine.

Blaire crunched her knees against her chest, her hands gripping chunks of her gross hair. Was this what an addict felt like when deprived of their drug? She’d like to think it was different, but she doubted it.

She had grown dangerously desperate for relief. For a pierce in her neck, draining out the pain. To resist grabbing Hannah and begging for a bite, Blaire cut her tongue with her teeth.

Third day came and Blaire was close to insanity. So tired, so weak, she hardly had any resistance left in her. She was sure that if Hannah or any of the other snake demons bit her, she wouldn’t even care. Wouldn’t even notice. And that terrified her.

About an hour or so after Blaire had been abandoned in her room by Pima, certain she was alone, she bolted. Out of her room, down the hall, stairs, swerving through snakes. Blaire wanted to escape the temptation before it was too late.

Blaire curved around a wall and ran into the chest of someone. He grabbed her arms and pulled her to a steady position.

“Are you okay?” Asper asked, his hands still curled around her slim arms. His eyes were softened with concern, lips curled inwards.

Blaire felt like she was swelling. Her heart and her neck grew hot and demanding. Her eyes flickered down to Asper’s mouth.

Bite me.

Her desperate thought sept through her mouth and Asper took a step back.

Then he tensed, as if surprised by something else, and pushed her around the corner, one hand clinging to her wrist so she couldn’t escape.

“Aspeeeeeeeeeeeer!” a chilling voice sang, bringing fear into Blaire. The fear smothered most of her desire, though the ache on her neck remained.

“Russell,” Asper returned flatly, feigning indifference.

“Have you seen Blaire?”

The Chosen tensed and tried to slip out of Asper’s grip, but he held firm.

“Yes,” Asper answered and Blaire’s mouth dropped open. She wasn’t sure why she felt betrayed—she hadn’t trusted any of them and never planned to.

“I thought I saw you talking to her,” Russell said.

“She’s gone now.” Asper shrugged. “I asked what she was doing and she ran off.”

“She wants the bite. But you knew that.” Russell’s voice was louder as he came closer.

“She’s not ours to bite,” Asper reminded his brother, who laughed.

“I’m not worried about you,” Russell said, making Blaire’s brows crunch together in confusion.

Asper didn't reply and Russell stepped forward. “She’s behind you, isn’t she? You’re keeping her to yourself?”

“I’m being loyal to father,” Asper answered, not confirming nor denying the truth.

By now Blaire was using all her strength-which isn’t much-to yank free of Asper.

“He would know if you bit her,” Asper continued. “You know better than to go against him.”

“We can share! I’d share!”

“Russell,” Asper snapped sternly, as if lecturing a child.

“What is this?” His brother asked in disbelief. “She’s no one! Just a girl!”

“I said no!” Asper barked.

“Or what? You gonna tattle, Coal 2.0?” Russell sneered in a weaker tone. He was giving up…Blaire hoped.

Asper didn’t answer and Russell snorted.

“Fine. Later, then.” Russell raised his voice and added, “See you soon, Blaire!”

Blaire sunk to the floor, feeling dizzy and distressed.

Asper knelt beside her in a flash, the concern still evident on his face. “Let’s go get you a shot.”

“No,” Blaire protested.

“You need our venom,” Asper argued.

“No!”

“Please,” Asper whisper-begged.

“I just…need air. I can’t…please,” Blaire whimpered, and Asper swiftly scooped her into his arms and raced in the direction she was headed.

The afternoon air crashed against her as Asper took her out back.

Blaire shoved Asper, who reluctantly released her into the fog. She scrambled to her feet and started running from the house.

She felt weightless, delirious, unsure if the forest was near or far the more she ran.

“Blaire!” Asper appeared behind her like a shadow she couldn’t shake.

“Leave me alone!” she cried out.

How she made it to the forest, she’d never know. Maybe the violent power she felt inside her propelled her forward until she was at the crust of the forest where shade and cool air greeted her.

She fell to her knees and lent against a tree for support. Her gray eyes lazily turned to the direction of the mansion where Asper stood in the yard, pained with indecision.

Should he leave her like she wanted? Was that a good idea?

Blaire pleaded in her mind for him to go away. Now that she had relaxed, the desire for the bite returned at a full force, and she wouldn’t be able to resist Asper. Or anyone.

She was faintly aware of Asper turning and returning to his house, his head lowered in submission.

Scratching her neck, she closed her eyes and willed for sleep. For the first time in two nights, she’d be able to rest without worry of being poisoned.

A crack jolted her from the cusp of rest, and she looked up to see an intruder.

He stares at her indifferently. Unlike Asper, who cared for her being, Coal didn’t seem to care at all. Didn’t seem to mind that the reason for her agony was because of him, his bite, his existence.

“I’ll take you to my father.”

Her eyes widened in surprise and fear. He was back already?

“No!” she protested. “No, I don’t want to see him.”

“You need the bite,” Coal reminded and she glared. “It will just get worse.”

They stared at each other, waiting for the other person to surrender. Eventually, Coal was the one to break eye contact. With a shrug, he turned to leave her alone in agonizing misery.

“Wait!” she cried out.

Coal stopped but didn’t look at her.

“Please…” Blaire was close to tears, “…Please bite me.”

A few days ago she would have flinched at her words, would have smacked her back to sensibility. But she was lying on the ground like a dying dog, pleading for mercy, for someone to end the suffering. A very faint part of her hated the bite, but the bigger part of her knew when to surrender. If Coal walked away, Death would come. She knew it.

Coal looked at her with surprise and disbelief in his eyes. She wanted him to bite her? The one who had already bit her so mercilessly?

“No.” Coal shook his head. “You are my father’s Chosen, not mine-”

That’s right. I am his father’s Chosen.

A smug idea glowed inside Blaire.

“As your father’s Chosen, I order you to bite me.” 

He appeared confused, then angry. She was abusing her power, she knew, but Death assured her that his power was hers. Whatever she wanted, aside from escaping, she got.

She just never thought she would use the power for a bite.

“Bite me,” she repeated through clenched teeth.

Coal scowled and hesitated long enough Blaire almost screamed at him. But then he walked so annoyingly slow towards her.

He knelt before Blaire, his golden eyes gleaming with frustration. But there was desire too. Blaire could see it. He wanted to bite her as much as he didn't.

Coal slipped a hand in her hair, tilting her head slightly as he leaned forward.

Unlike last time, this is slow, predictable, and still unavoidable.

He pressed his cool lips against the side of her aching throat, soothing the pain slightly.

“Please,” she breathed.

Coal’s teeth pierced through the old bite wound, sinking deep. Compared to the pain she had been suffering these past days, the bite was barely noticeable.

Coal leaned inward with one hand holding her arm in a death grip. Blaire fell into him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Slowly, the ache inside her began to dissolve, replaced by something delicious. Blaire’s fingers slid down the back of his throat. She wanted to wrap her hands around and squeeze, lean forward and bite him as he bit her.

Coal growled at her touch and she wondered if he hated or liked it. She liked it. Loved it, even, and that was terrifying.

You’ll grow to like it. To want it.

Blaire hated that. Hated that they were right. Hated that she was like every other Chosen, longing for the bite.

Coal gripped her head and pressed even deeper, not letting go, not wanting to let go. They both knew that when he did, it would be over, and he’d never taste her again.