The hospital (2)

Erik reached for the items on the bedside table with a grimace.

Even that slight movement sent spasms of pain through his body.

June had placed the brain crystals and vials of blood there, cleaned and prepared to be absorbed.

Erik took a deep, steady breath through his teeth. With shaking hands, he picked up the first brain crystal—the Skraylash's.

Without pausing to think further, Erik tossed it into his mouth and swallowed hard.

[SKRAYLASH'S BRAIN CRYSTAL ACQUIRED. STARTING THE ANALYSIS.]

[ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]

[100 DNA POINTS ARE REQUIRED TO EXTRACT THE POWER. 500 TO GET IT WITHOUT INCURRING PAIN AND LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.]

[6659 DNA POINTS DETECTED. EXTRACTION IS NOT ADVISED; THE HOST HAS INCOMPATIBLE DNA.]

[EXTRACTION ABORTED]

The taste was beyond awful. His throat convulsed, trying to reject the vile thing, but he forced it down.

Grabbing the Hevadrin's brain crystal, he gagged it down as well.