MILO’S POV

I’m drinking wine with Nori’s blood in it, and every sip burns through my body like a forest fire through land ravaged by drought. I’ve taken a handful of gulps, and each builds on the one before it. The first wave of pain gripped me for a second and then passed, leaving no residual sensitivity behind. Now the pain lingers after each swallow, tingling as if I’m being scratched from the inside out.

It’s going to be a long night. I need something to keep my ...