There is none.
My hand is still there.
I gasp, studying the lines of my palm, the length of my nails, rubbing my hands together again and again. It's mine, but it's not. It's missing the freckle that formed the summer of my tenth year. I stare down at the perfect skin and wonder about that freckle, about this hand that shouldn't be.
"It grew back," says Zorin. I hadn't noticed him, but he sits to my side, his eyes hazy. A tube runs from his wrist to mine. He's giving me blood. And it's taking a toll on him. All this information comes slowly.
I'm still in shock about my hand. "After Jax…" I'm about to say after Jax cut my throat, but I can’t. He didn't know I was Scarlett. He didn't mean to hurt me. "After Jax's execution, my throat healed, but I didn't expect to regenerate an entire limb."
Zorin smiles slightly. "As long as you're alive and have blood, you will heal."
I wonder how hard Nephilim are to kill. I already feel great. Zorin, however, looks worse than ever.
"How long was I out for?" I ask.
"Eleven hours."
I glance at the dark window, moonlight peaking through. "And you've been giving me blood the whole time?"
"My blood is the most effective."
I tighten the clasp on the tube and remove the needle from my wrist. Zorin moves to stop me, but I easily push him away. He sighs, slumping in his golden chair.
I pull the sheets off and stand, and I remember someone changed my clothes. I raise my eyebrow at Zorin. Perhaps he needed to check for wounds. But since I heal so well, perhaps he didn't. "Thank you for the dress."
"I wanted you to be comfortable," he says, grinning.
Part of me wants to smack him with my pillow. But a larger part of me is grateful.
I touch his hand, smiling. "Thank you, Zorin. You saved my life."
I expect him to smile in return, but he trembles. His eyes are hazy. "I wasn't sure I could fight him. I wasn’t…" He begins to mumble.
We're in his room, and I rummage through the dressers until I find what I'm looking for. I grab the Life Force and hand it to him. The can slips from his grasp. "Zorin? Zorin?"
He doesn't respond.
He's given too much blood. I pick up the can, shaking so much it takes me three tries to open it, and help Zorin drink. He sips slowly at first, then faster. His eyes become less clouded. I bring him two more cans, and he empties them in seconds. "Thank you, Scarlett."
I toss him another Life Force and sit on the bed with one of my own. "I wouldn't be here without you. I… was careless. I'm used to going up against Ragathon, but Varian is different. He thinks like no one I've ever met. He outmaneuvered me at every turn."
"Not at the end," says Zorin. "Hackers are still playing your video on the net."
"I got lucky. He could have killed me in an instant, but he didn't. He must have had to take me alive. I've… I've never seen anyone fight like him." I meet his eyes. "I've never seen anyone fight like you."
He frowns, but only for a moment. "I've had many teachers and a long time to study."
"I'm sorry I haven't been a better student," I say, twirling the can in my hands. "I will practice what you tell me. I will work harder."
Zorin clasps my shoulder. "You will learn to fight, and one day, maybe you will even beat Varian. But remember, it is your wits that will win this war." He eyes are dark.
"You're afraid of Varian, aren't you?"
He doesn't speak for a while. "It would be foolish not to be. But as long as we don't let fear stop us, we can still fight." He stands and walks toward the door. "When you're ready, we'll have a meeting downstairs. Your armor is in the chest." He points at a black and gold chest in the corner. "I had it cleaned."
I smile. "Thanks."
And then, something comes to me. There has only been one person to ever match Varian in combat. A Nephilim with a sword black as night.
"Nyx?"
Zorin pauses. "What about him?"
"I thought, maybe…"
He chuckles, opening the door. "Haven't you seen the play?" he asks softly. "Nyx is dead."
***
Dressed in my armor, I march downstairs. Trix notices me first. She jumps from her chair at the table and runs up and hugs me. "How you feeling, N?"
"I have a new hand," I say, waving it.
"Hey, we could all use some new parts from time to time, right?"
"Right." I hug her again and whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry for what happened."
She pushes me away, grinning. "Don't be. I know what I'm getting myself into. Besides, today was a victory."
Not for me. For me today was a lesson in limitations. But I try to look cheerful for the team. "What'd we win?"
Trix projects an image onto the wall with her eGlass. People riot down a street. Officers try to push them back. "After you played your video, riots like this broke out all around North America and Europe. Most of them have been put down now, but people aren't happy. You made a fool out of Varian."
"But the world knows I couldn't beat him."
"Nah. For all they know, this was our entire plan. Reveal Varian's corruption."
"Just got another confirmation," says TR, standing from his chair. He walks over to Zorin who's leaning against a wall. "Sons of Eden just agreed to the meeting. The video got their attention."