Scarlet took Cora to the doctor's hut where she got her wounds treated and changed into clean clothes.
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The doctor was a small elderly lady. "I don't know what you were thinking trying to take on a whole pack of Tibicenas alone. I can't tell if you're brave or stupid," she said as she applied bandages to the bite on her shoulder.
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Scarlet let out a faint chuckle under her breath. She knelt on the floor next to a dog bed with a small St. Bernard puppy inside. "Come here, boy," she said.
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"Don't bother," the doctor said. "That damn dog doesn't listen to a word anyone says."
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To her surprise the dog got up and ran to Scarlet.
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"Now sit. Lie down. Roll over."
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The dog obeyed all of her commands.
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"Good boy!" Scarlet exclaimed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a treat and fed it to the dog.
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The doctor stood there with her jaw dropped. "I haven't taught him any tricks yet!"
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"Maybe he knows more than you think," Scarlet replied.
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"You've got some sort of gift," the doctor said as she finished taking care of Cora.
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Cora and Scarlet walked to the inn the where Scarlet was staying. Scarlet refused to say anything or make eye contact.
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The inside resembled a log cabin. The walls and floor were made out of hard wood. There was a dark red rug and three armchairs that surrounded a fireplace. The inn smelt like a mix of spruce wood and cinnamon. The whole place felt warm and inviting.
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Val, Zyler and Ray had stayed up waiting for her at the inn.
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"Thank God you're alive!" Val exclaimed.
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They escorted her to the nearest chair and she sat down.
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"How did you manage to take on an entire pack of Tibicenas and live to tell the tale?" Zyler asked.
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"I'm not entirely sure," Cora responded gesturing to Scarlet. "What did you do?"
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"I stopped you from doing something stupid," Scarlet responded. "You don't understand what's going on here."
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"Then explain it to me!" Cora said raising her voice.
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Scarlet reached into her pocket and pulled out a vile. It was almost empty. There was only one drop of red liquid in the bottom.
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"This was a Bloodshed Potion. Just one drop can drive anyone mad. Someone poured this into the Tibicenas water supply. I don't know who did this but I do know that this was sabotage."
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Cora knew exactly who did this but why did he do it? All she knew was he was looking for something. What could be worth all the trouble he's going through?
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"How do you know all this?" Val asked.
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"I have a rare connection with animals. I can feel what they feel and communicate with them to some extent but it doesn't work on fish or insects." Scarlet said. "I knew something was wrong when the Tibicenas started attacking people so I came here to investigate."
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Cora had heard of people with similar abilities Scarlet's mother being one of them. It was now that Cora realized how little she actually knew about Scarlet.
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"You're like a Disney princess! That's so cool!" Zyler exclaimed.
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Scarlet rolled her eyes. "I knew someone was going to show up and try to collect the reward without asking any questions and kill the Tibicenas thinking that they just randomly went crazy. When I saw you coming up the mountain I followed you to make sure that didn't happen," Scarlet continued. "I had made the antidote a few days prior but they wouldn't let me get close enough to inject it until I saved Cora on the bridge."
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"Why should I trust you?" Cora asked.
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"If I wanted you dead I would have let the Tibicenas eat you."
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"Does Dimitri know you're here?" Cora asked.
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"Dimitri doesn't know a lot of things,"
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"Bloodshed is one of the most complicated potions to create and it's illegal in every country in Europe. If it was sabotage, whoever's behind this must be an expert at potion making," Val said checking her notes.
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"Does it matter if it was sabotage or not? It's over. Scarlet gave them the antidote," Zyler said.
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"It's not over. That wasn't even half of the pack. The rest of them are in the den just waiting to attack." Scarlet said.
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"Then we need to attack first," Cora interjected.
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Zyler let out a yawn. "Can we do that tomorrow?"
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It was very late.
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Val started writing vigorously in her notebook. "I should have a plan by the morning,"
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"Goodnight," Scarlet said exiting the lobby and heading for her room.
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"If you guys don't need me I'm gonna go too," Zyler said.
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"Go ahead," Val said. "I'm gonna head to my room and work on our strategy."
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Cora began to leave when Ray gently grabbed her hand.
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"Can we talk for a moment?" he asked.
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"Sure,"
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Ray hadn't said a word since the bridge. The light from the fire illuminated his tan skin. As Cora came closer she could see tear stains on his face.
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"You shouldn't have risked your life for me," he said. "I'm not worth it."
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"What are you talking about? Of course you are!"
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"I'm a monster, Coraline. Everyone knows that! I don't know why but, for some reason you believed in me. You looked at me and saw something more than that. You're the first person I've ever considered to be my friend and if I lost you..." He choked up and couldn't manage to finish that sentence.
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Cora almost involuntarily wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. She rested her head on his chest. She could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
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He returned her embrace then pulled her even closer. They stood there in silence for several minutes. Cora felt so safe and warm in his arms and she never wanted to let go.
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Ray ran his fingers through her hair. "I don't deserve you," he whispered.
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"You say that you're a monster but since that night at the museum you've been nothing but kind to me. The Ray I know is a gentleman not a tyrant," Cora said.
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Ray let go of her and sat down in the closest chair and Cora sat down next to him.
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"Have you ever heard of the Revolution of Golden Crest?" he asked.
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She shook her head.
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"My subjects weren't pleased with how I was ruling Thessionia. I had heard that some people in a city called Golden Crest were planning to try to dethrone me. I underestimated them and it cost me my leg. I was only ten at the time. I let my rage cloud my judgment." Ray stared at the floor in shame.
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"What did you do?" Cora asked placing a hand on his shoulder.
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"I burned the city to the ground. There were no survivors."
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Cora didn't know how to process this information. She knew that the Blood King did horrible things but for some reason she had a hard time believing that Ray really killed that many people.
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"My mother stabbed herself through the heart when she saw what I had become." He said with tears dripping down his face. "I understand if you don't want anything to do with me,"
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"I'm mad at you for killing those people, but it's clear that you're not the same person you were then," Cora said.
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"You truly are one in a million, Coraline."
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Cora's eyes were getting heavy. It was impossible to hide her exhaustion.
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"You should get some rest," Ray said. Then kissed her hand.
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Cora was heading to her room when she saw a news report on the TV at the hotel bar.
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Prince Lyon Attacked on Route to Mt. Nevado.
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No one knew how how badly injured he was. Cora couldn't stop thinking about him on the walk to her room.
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She unlocked her door and entered the room.
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To her surprise a familiar shadow stood in the middle of the room. His yellow eyes ripped through her soul.
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"Cora Bowman, I think it's time that we have a little chat."
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