Descendant (Secrets of the Makai) Read Online Free Page B

he know about the cave, the stolen dragon fang, and the island's weakened defenses?
    "You have a solid, trustworthy reputation," he said.
    "And you?" She tried to knee him in the groin, but the man pressed his hip against her so she couldn't move.
    "My reputation is irrelevant."
    "I meant your name." She eyed her knife on the table, willing it harder than ever to fly at the man's back. Or maybe a nice sharp chunk of glass from the floor. If only she could break the spell on Gram.
    The man loosened his hold. "All I want is the antidote."
    Tears came to her eyes and she fought harder to get free. "I can't forgive you for murdering plants I cared about. And now Gram and I are contaminated—"
    "You'll both survive, but an innocent boy about your age will die if you refuse."
    More horror sank in. "You used that poison on a person?"
    "Not I, but yes." Glass crunched under his feet as he released her from the wall.
    "Tell me why you poisoned my plants. They're irreplaceable."
    "I've given you all the time I can afford."
    Dorian rubbed her aching neck. "I don't have it figured out."
    "How much longer?"
    Dorian kept her mouth shut and glanced at the hiding spot for the sand.
    "I'm sure Gram would prefer you to live. And you her?"
    She gulped. "Nothing I have will regenerate damaged cells without…. What's the poison made of?"
    "I don't know. But you have an idea, I see it in your face." He walked to the shelves just above the hiding spot and searched.
    If only she hadn't stolen the sand in the first place. Dorian eyed Gram. What would she do under these circumstances?
    The man motioned her toward the spot with a sweep of his hand and took a step back. He'd pounce if she made any sudden moves. She carefully skirted the broken glass and knelt at the cabinet, then pulled out several jars before revealing the one that could save their lives.
    What if the sand didn't work? She had no reason to think it could.... The shimmers blurred faster, as if trying to hide from the sudden dose of daylight, though the sand itself didn't move.
    Before she could open it, the man clamped a hand on her wrist. She almost lost hold of the jar. "What is it?" he demanded.
    She didn't fully believe Gram's story about the dragons and bone dust. She shrugged. "I've never tried it for anything."
    "Why not?"
    Dorian opened the jar and put a pinch of the sparkling grains in the nearest test bowl. Needle-like leaves uncurled, buds that had never had a chance to flower opened to bright golden stars, lifting the bulk of the vine to the water's surface.
    The man picked up the jar of sand and spun the lid shut. "How much for a person and where can I find more?"
    "Gram first."
    "She'll wake when I leave. You have my word."
    "Your word means nothing without your name."
    One thing was certain, if this man didn't know where to find the sand, he wasn't the cave's thief. She could send him there for more, which would give Oliver the chance to stop him, but she'd risk the cave's existence becoming even more public. And Oliver would probably get killed.
    Besides that, no one knew she had the jar. How bad could it be if she let a tiny amount go? She had to give the man something. "The sand seems stronger in water. I don't know what it'll do to a person. Like I said, I've never used it before."
    Tears surfaced again as she thought of the mass slaughter. "Those plants were my friends."
    "Nothing was rare or endangered, or irreplaceable. A small price for a working test case."
    "Personal friendships can't be replaced. You could've brought the poison as a sample."
    "It was not containable. I won't push you for a location, but I will come back if I need more. Anything else I should know?"
    "The person might be better off dead, if damaged cells regenerate into…something mutated."
    "That vine doesn't look mutated."
    Looks could be deceiving. Dorian tuned out the unintelligible gibberish emanating from the bowl. "I hope you rot in Hell." She vowed to put the man there herself if he