Hikari glanced down, finding a cut near her elbow. Strangely enough, it didn't hurt. But the wound was oozing a viscous black liquid, which definitely wasn't blood. She frowned. "I don't know how I got this. It doesn't hurt, though, and I don't feel anything weird."
"Well, some poisons containing wolfsbane numb feelings, instead of augmenting them." Alina said, hearing the conversation through the open mindlink. "But that might not be it. Stay calm, though."
"It doesn't smell like anything," Hikari said. She poked at the black liquid. "And there's no hint of wolfsbane."
"You didn't touch it, did you?" Alina asked cautiously, while she navigated the streets of Japan for scents, especially weird ones that screamed supernatural. There were none.
"It's on me, how could I not have touched it?" Hikari defended herself.
"Like, 'didn't leave it alone' kind of touch, not 'come into contact' kind of touch. I'm coming back now." Alina said.
"I'm honestly just glad she hasn't attempted to taste it," Korū grumbled. The black stuff was dripping onto the floor now. "But that thing might not even be poison. Maybe it's just here to scare the shit outta everyone."
"Hikari, how much do you know about being a healer?" Alina asked.
"I am a healer," Hikari responded. "Like, a full-fledged healer. So whatever the other healers in my pack know, I know as well."
"Hmm, no offence, but I was under the impression that you were still in training…" Alina muttered. "So whatever is on your arm isn't something even the other healers in your pack know?"
"Nope." She studied the black stuff again. "We have a lot of knowledge about poison that kills, so either this is something new, or it's not fatal." She sounded unfazed at the fact that she might actually die.
"Great, I think. I'm here."
Linda opened the door for Alina, who immediately headed to the small table beside one of the sofas and pulled open its drawer, retrieving a first aid kit.
"I don't think human stuff would work for this." Liam said, eyeing the red cross printed on shiny white.
Alina scoffed, still more irritable than usual. "Please, I'm not that stupid."
She opened the box and pulled out the expandable shelf that could definitely not physically fit inside the box. There were rows upon rows of small bottles containing mysterious substances, topped off with the typical necessities of first aid that were sitting comfortably inside the box itself.
"Damn." Cayne said.
"Whoa." Kumori looked impressed.
Alina smirked slightly, before motioning for Hikari to sit on the nearest sofa. "No way cleaning it with cotton can make it worse, right?"
"It should be okay," Hikari said. She picked up a piece of cotton, dabbing the cut gently.
Korū narrowed his eyes at Alina. "I'm under the impression that something's wrong with you."
"I'm not the one with the suspicious black stuff dripping out of my arm."
"You've been acting weird. Apart from Richard, what the hell's going on in your head?"
"A shit ton of stuff," she said curtly.
Korū fell silent. "Well, damn, can't say I can't relate." He went to take a look at Hikari's arm, then flinched when he touched her. "You're fuckin' burning up!"
Hikari looked confused. "I feel okay, though?"
Alina grabbed at the cotton in Hikari's hand and gave it a sniff. "You're right, doesn't smell like anything." She muttered. She then grabbed a dropper from one of the bottles and dropped a few drops of the clear liquid onto the dirty cotton. Immediately, a pungent smell flooded the room.
"Oh fuck." Alina cursed. "It contains trace amounts of strychnine. Probably not fatal, based on the estimated concentration in this disgusting pus, but most likely very painful. I have absolutely no idea what's in whatever shit is in your bloodstream now, but it seems like something's delaying the effect. We need to get you back to your pack just in case there's something else that's fatal inside."
"Shit." Korū mindlinked Kaito, the Betas, and the Theta and told them what happened.
"What about Richard?" Hikari asked.
"Um… I don't know if you guys… um." Alina said indecisively, before taking a deep breath.
"You guys will not like this, but we're splitting up. Kumori, Cole and Liam can follow Hikari back. I'll report Richard to the Council as a missing person. They'll search for him. The rest of us will continue with the original plan. We'll see if we can get anything from the Fujihanas." She glanced around to gauge everyone's reactions, and was greeted by mostly frowns.
"The fuck?" Korū snarled. "I'm not gonna go on without Hikari."
"Korū-" Kumori started.
He turned on her. "What if you get attacked on the way home? What if there's actually something fatal in the damn poison and she actually dies?! What the hell am I gonna do?"
"What if whatever is happening to her is actually part of the curse and we are actually running on a tighter timeline than we thought?" Alina cut through impatiently. "We need at least one of you to come with us, and Kumori could probably handle the situation and explain it to the pack in a more civilised and clear way. The guys can make sure they don't die, because if they do die, I'll personally hunt them down and kill them with their own batons."
"But- Argh, damn it!" Korū spat. He rounded on Cole and Liam. "You better make sure she doesn't die. If something happens because you two were too fucking incompetent, I'll kill you, got that?"
"Yessir." They muttered, not in the mood to argue, especially with a stressed and deadly wolf.
Cayne snickered slightly and Linda coughed. Alina couldn't help herself despite the situation, though. She'd have to grasp at any chance she had to distract herself, or she would crack under the pressure.
"How obedient of you." She said, cracking a smile as the two future Alphas glared at her, ignoring the fact that Korū was threatening them with his half-unsheathed katana.
"Any other objections?" Linda asked.
"No." was the grumpy answer from Korū.
Kumori patted Korū's shoulder. "I'll take care of her." That did nothing to make him relax.
Everyone else shook their heads in negation.
"My uncle's here to bring you back." Korū reported.
"Here? Now?" Liam asked.
"Yeah, where else? America?" he responded sarcastically.
"No, that's just very fast." Liam said, annoyed at his aggressiveness, but understanding why. He was always like this when his sister had to go back to the hospital.
"Stay safe, guys." Linda said as the party made their way out of the apartment.
"Remember to report back regularly." Alina reminded them. "We'll do the same."
"I'll be okay," Hikari reassured Korū. "I survived a fall off a cliff into the sea, remember?"
"Tch, yeah, you coughed up a crap ton of seawater and didn't wake up for days. Very fucking reassuring."
"Hey, she's alive. She'll stay that way for a long time, especially if we succeed, so don't doubt them so much." Cayne said, praying that his head won't leave his body.
"I hope so. I seriously hope so. God." Seems like Cayne's words had a positive result. Somehow.
Hikari gave her brother a hug. He stood stunned for a couple seconds, then pulled away, muttering, "Don't freaking do that." Hikari grinned at him, then followed Kumori out the door, trailed by Kagami and Kage.
"Don't die." Cayne waved at Liam and Cole.
"Back at you." They said, then started jinxing each other as Kumori pushed them out the door.
As their voices faded, Linda said, "Well, I guess it's down to the three of us, a cat, and a crow."
Just then, a hawk flew through the open window.
"And one hawk." She added.