How long before Nox no longer had the strength to fight it? Since the Rakta had failed, it was only a matter of time before Nox became the very thing he feared.
The last few minutes proved how close he was.
“I should have never let Isaiah do that to you.” Luca rolled over, facing Nox. “I’m sorry I fail—”
Nox stopped Luca by brushing his lips over his mouth. “You didn’t fail at anything.”
“Yes, I did. I let him inject you and he overdosed you because he didn’t want me to leave.”
Nox dropped his gaze. “He was trying to protect his people.”
“Excuse me?” Luca pushed up on an elbow. “He poisoned you.”
“Because he knew.”
Isaiah’s mournful expression conveyed everything he didn’t have the time to say in that second between the needle piercing Nox’s skin and when he ran for Luca.
“What are you talking about?”
“The Anubis. It wasn’t suppressed. Isaiah gave it enough Rakta for it to figure out what his intentions were. It was biding its time, Luca.”
“Time for what?”
“To kill them.”
Luca twisted up his face. “It wanted to kill him because he lied.”
“Then why was it going to kill everyone else?” Once the Anubis reconnected, its intentions had scoured Nox’s mind with images of death.
“You’re wrong.”
“Look, I know you’re angry with him. But he was trying to do what he thought was best.”
“For me.” Luca said it like it hurt.
“Yeah.”
“Well, maybe I’m tired of everything being about me?” There were tears in Luca’s eyes when he lifted his chin. “If you really think the Anubis wants to take over, maybe it’s time to worry about you.”
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do about me.”
“I don’t agree. And if Dr. Dante thought you were a lost cause, he would have never let Seung show me how to save you.”
Either that or Dr. Dante was just too good of a man to give up on Nox.
Even when he should.
“This Seung, she’s Varu.”
“Yeah.”
“I also smell a Mah.”
“Craige.”
“Why would Varu work with Mah when they’re considered outcasts?”
“I don’t know. But they seemed pretty determined to help me save you.”