Eva, however, made a small choking noise. “Actually...” She looked at Ash. “You may have had a little.”
“Don’t say it,” her dad whispered.
“I haven’t.” Ash shook his head. “I would remember if I had.”
“Not if you were unconscious at the time,” Eva said weakly.
“What are you talking about?”
She spoke in a rush. “It was after the fight with Mist when you passed out. Bel let it slip that if you drank blood you’d heal faster, and then Raum came to burn your wound shut, and it was so awful that I convinced him to let me give you mine.”
Ash pinned Raum and Bel with a furious glare. “I’ll kill you both.”
“It’s not their fault,” she said quickly. “Raum tried to talk me out of it, but I insisted.”
Dan spoke in a flat voice. “You’re telling me you drank his blood. And he drank yours. Within a twenty-four hour period.”
She nodded.
Dan closed his eyes. “Then the binding is broken.”
That definitely explains it.
“Put it back,” Ash snapped. “Fix it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not!”
“Because it’s a once-per-lifetime kind of thing. It can’t be remade. I did it once, and that’s it. It’s a one-time deal.”
“Then do a different binding.”
“There is no other!”
“What does this mean?” Jacqui cut in. Her mom had been mostly silent this whole time, watching the exchange with wide eyes. She was probably in shock. Again, Eva knew the feeling. “Why is this so important?”
“Eva will spend her life being hunted,” Ash said. “Angels will try to kill her simply for existing.”
“Demons will try to manipulate her into thinking they care about her so they can use her as a blood source,” Dan growled. “And wouldn’t it besoconvenient for Asmodeus here to have a fresh supply of Nephilim blood available to him.”
“I would never use her that way.”
“Oh, yeah? What happens when your money runs out, and you can’t find any more blood? What happens when you have no other options?”
“Then I’d willingly give him my blood,” Eva said, and everyone stared at her. “I caught a glimpse of Hell on my way here, and it was awful. Ash and his brothers escaped because they wanted a new life, and if giving them my blood could help them, I’d be happy to make that sacrifice.” She looked at Ash. “Remember that talk we had about trust? This is one of those times. I’d be trusting you not to tell other demons what I am and to protect me from anyone who might come after me.”
“I’ll protect you regardless. But I’m not taking your blood. We’ll find another binding spell.” He growled at Dan. “He will fix this and make you safe again.”
“I’ve never heard of another binding spell.” Dan’s expression was haunted. “And I have to kill you because of what you know. There’s no alternative.”
A dark fury built inside Eva. It was the whisper, she realized, only it was no longer just a whisper. It roared like a river about to launch into an unstoppable waterfall, and she didn’t try to push it back. After so many years feeling hollow, she welcomed this new side of herself with open arms.
She was sick of telling Dan not to kill Asmodeus. He was hers.
“You will not touch him!”
Apparently, it was her turn to have a go at the whole super loud, preternatural shouting thing. The dark force built with heady strength, and she let it consume her. She felt powerful, limitless.
