“How about holy?”
Was that it? “I don’t believe in god, Phillips. And I most certainly did not think Koda was god.”
“You talk about him like a devout follower talking about a benevolent being.”
“He was benevolent, I’ll give you that, but not god.” Reese walked back over to the partition.
“The tissue samples the ichor was originally found in, where did they come from?”
“Tombs.”
“Pharos?”
Had they? It had been so long, and Echols hadn’t gone into extreme detail about where the traces had originated. “That would make the most sense.”
“Did the Book of Anubis give a name to the people the ichor wasfor?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but trace amounts were identified in the bodies found in the tomb.”
“That just tells you those were the people it was used on but were those the people it was for?”
In other words, had those traces come from individuals who were not meant to house it?
“I don’t know.” And that bothered Reese more than it should have.
“One more question, then I’ll leave you alone for a while.”
Some stiffness left her posture. “Do you think the feeling the betas radiated could have been as attractive as the one from their Alpha? Not to you, but others. That perhaps it wasn’t Koda the guards watched?”
Reese had never considered it, mostly because he’d never felt anything he wanted to get closer to. Other than a sense of strength, the betas hadn’t called to him. Not like Koda.
It was the expectant expression on her face that made Reese ask, “Is there a reason you think there was anything else to feel?”
“Get some rest. After you’re cleared, we can talk some more.” Phillips exited the isolation tent but Harrington stayed.
“Why do I get the feeling she knows something I don’t?”
“Probably because she does.” Harrington turned. “They’ll be in to take more blood in a little while.”
All Reese could do was nod.
Chapter Five
Nox wasn’t in the motel room when Luca woke up. It was past noon, but he’d stayed up late staring at the ceiling, listening to Nox breathe, and trying to process everything the man had told him.
About Koda.
About himself.
About the monsters.
Even in the daylight, it was still too much to think about. Luca opted on a shower, hoping to clear his head or escape the thoughts all together. After he had finished and dressed, he found a container of food on the bed he’d slept in.
Was Nox going to avoid him from now on?
After last night, Luca wasn’t sure if it was the right or wrong thing to do. Nox becoming a monster was ridiculous. Even if Luca had seen those things with his own eyes.
But Nox had been right about one thing: the very air around those creatures had seemed to bend. Like the space around Nox as he stalked Luca in the room. It was impossible. Just like everything else. Just like the past couple of weird, fucked-up days.