Afterlife

by Dannika Dark

  I took out my phone and made a call. “Viktor? I need to ask for a favor.”

  Chapter 28

  After calling Viktor, Blue sent a text message to Raven, letting her know she was going home. Graham might not have an antidote, and even if he did, he would probably destroy it. What would stop him? A conscience? Apparently he’d lost that a long time ago.

  The only place she wanted to be was home. If she was going to die, it wasn’t going to be on a street corner, surrounded by strangers.

  After explaining the situation, she expected Shepherd to show up in his Jeep. Instead, the black van appeared, Viktor behind the wheel. Both he and Shepherd rushed out the moment they saw her.

  “What can we do?” Viktor asked.

  Shepherd felt her pulse. “What are your symptoms? What did he give you?”

  “Do you want us to call a Relic?” Viktor asked.

  She held up her hand. “Hold on with the interrogation. I have chest discomfort—burning and pressure. It feels like bad indigestion. My head hurts, and my muscles are weak. Also, I can’t shift.”

  That shut Viktor right up. He covered his mouth with his hand and stroked his beard, looking to Shepherd to fix the situation.

  Shepherd didn’t exactly instill confidence. “You said it was poison?”

  “He said the toxin had a cumulative effect, so that’s how he could give smaller doses over a period of time. He tainted a stick of gum I chewed the other day, and tonight I got a large dose mixed in with mustard. I didn’t taste anything different.”

  “Did you try vomiting?”

  She shook her head.

  Shepherd opened his medical bag and took out a syringe and bottle. “This works really fast.”

  After he gave her a shot, Blue started feeling queasy. Not wanting to vomit on the street, she moved to get up. As if reading her mind, Matteo helped her stand and hustled her into an alleyway just seconds before she threw up her meal.

  It really didn’t get more humiliating than that.

  “Let’s get her into the van,” Viktor said as he hooked his arm around her waist. Her feet dragged beneath her, but Matteo and Viktor all but carried her to the back doors, where a small mattress awaited her.

  They lifted her in, and she crawled over the makeshift bed and collapsed. Viktor squeezed her ankle and held it long enough that she looked down and met eyes with him. Seeing his cautious gaze made her heart quicken. For a moment she thought he might say something, but instead, he gave her a curt nod and returned to the driver’s seat.

  “Feel better?” Shepherd stepped over her and set his bag down. “Still nauseous?”

  “No.”

  Matteo got in, shut the doors, and sat on one of the benches along the side.

  Shepherd knelt above her head and offered her a tiny shot glass. “Drink this.”

  “What is it?”

  “Activated carbon with a little juice. If there’s any poison left in your stomach, it’ll absorb it.”

  Blue gulped down the inky liquid and handed him the glass.

  “Try not to puke that up,” he said, no humor in his voice. “I brought a few extra things when you mentioned poison. I ain’t gonna lie to you, honey. Poison isn’t my area. Unless we know what he gave you, there’s not much even an expert can do. Did he tell you anything about it?”

  She shook her head. “We think it causes massive clotting and strokes. Wyatt’s ghost said that it wasn’t just his heart. He got a headache and had trouble breathing.”

  Shepherd put his rough hand on her forehead, his dark eyes softening. He was such a tough-looking guy with all his muscles and hardened features. Yet something about being a dad had brought out a compassion she’d never seen in him before. “That’s good. That’s something. When we get back, I’ll give you blood thinner, and we’ll go from there.”

  The ride didn’t take long, not the way Viktor was driving. Or maybe she had lost her sense of time. Graham had mentioned she had hours, and suddenly, every minute flew away from her like a sparrow. She gave Matteo an impassive smile. He stared down at her as if he were looking at a corpse, and she didn’t like it.

  She turned away, listening for the voices of her ancestors. Their spirits beckoned her, and never had she felt more detached. She was no longer tethered to the living world and yet was not part of the spirit world. The connection to her falcon was blocked, leaving her terrified. She clung to the memories of her sons, imagining what their final moments must have been like. Neither died with fear in their eyes, but had they felt any peace?

  “Maybe the lion should have killed me,” she muttered.

  Shepherd leaned over. “What?”

  “Maybe it was my time.” She looked back at Matteo. “Maybe you weren’t supposed to save me that night. Maybe we have to follow the order of things.”

  Matteo glanced at Shepherd. “She’s delirious.”

  Blue smiled. “So what if I am?” It gave her a lot to consider. If it angered the spirits to defy destiny, perhaps there was a reason for death. Maybe her sons were called to a greater purpose.

  The ride was quiet aside from Shepherd occasionally asking if she felt any different. It was nice to lie on the soft mattress, listening to the hum of the road beneath the tires. It kept her mind off the pain in her chest, and suddenly, she had to catch her breath every so often.

  When the van finally stopped, the back doors flew open. Blue sat up, and Shepherd helped her scoot out into Matteo’s arms.

  “I can walk,” she insisted as he cradled her close.

  “Balderdash. You can’t even lie convincingly. I can smell your pain, female.”

  “Pain is life.”

  Shepherd closed the van doors. “Bring her into the medical room. I’ll do what I can.”

  She handed him her phone. “Take this in case Raven calls.”

  Viktor appeared in her line of view. “Give her to me.”

  “I’ve got her,” Matteo said.

  Then Viktor did something unexpected. He drew in close and put his arms beneath her. “She is not yours—she is mine.”

  Blue tried to get down, but the next thing she knew, she was in Viktor’s tight embrace. It was then that she relinquished any notion of walking on her own. Resting her head against his shoulder, she could faintly smell his cologne mixed with an earthy scent. Maybe it was his natural smell. Blue stared at his facial hair, always so neatly trimmed except for the scruff on his chin. The silver stubble against his tan skin held her attention.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m always getting hurt lately. I don’t mean to cause all this trouble.”

  “Nyet. You are not problem,” he said, his broken words trailing off into Russian. She warmed to his soft and comforting tone, the texture of his voice reaching deep into her soul.

  Once inside, the smells changed from greenery to the lingering aroma of charred hamburgers. When they entered Shepherd’s medical room, she wrinkled her nose at the scent of alcohol and bleach. He kept the room as sterile as a hospital. While Shepherd cleaned something, Viktor set her on the metal table.

  “You really need a blanket or a pillow on this thing,” she said, trying to lighten the somber mood.

  Viktor put his hand on her forehead and stroked her hair back.

  Blue rolled toward Viktor when Shepherd approached her with a needle. “Don’t you have any pills?”

  “You swallowed active carbon, so they won’t take. This’ll work quicker. It’s a blood thinner to prevent clotting. Just don’t cut yourself. Let me see your arm.”

  “Do as he says,” Viktor said softly.

  “I’m not afraid of needles,” she explained. “I just don’t like the idea of medicine being forced into my body. The last one made me sick.”

  Shepherd flicked the syringe. “It was supposed to.”

  Blue coughed a few times and then let Shepherd give her the injection. After a light prick, he checked her blood pressure and clipped a plastic device on her fingertip.

  “How i
s she?” Christian asked from the doorway.

  Shepherd returned to the cabinets and opened them. “I’m working on it. Did you tell Switch to keep Hunter and the kids out?”

  “Aye. Claude’s helping with that. They won’t be disturbing you. How do you feel, lass?”

  Blue stared up at the ceiling. “Like I ate a really bad hot dog.”

  “Raven will find him,” Viktor assured her. “She will bring us the remedy.”

  Blue shut her eyes, unwilling to argue the glaring truth that Graham likely didn’t have a cure. Why would a Relic be walking around with both a poison and the antidote? He’d targeted those people with the intent to kill. At least it wasn’t a virus, but those poor children.

  An unexpected calm swept over her. This wasn’t nearly as painful as the lion attack. Yet going out by poison was the cruelest fate. There was no glory in it—no honor. This wasn’t a warrior’s death.

  Overcome with rage, Blue roared and swung her arms. The clip on her finger went flying and struck Christian in the chest before falling to the floor. She forced herself to sit up, unwilling to die on her back.

  Shepherd ignored her reaction and checked her pulse again.

  Viktor circled the table. “What can I do?”

  Blue clutched her chest, the pressure building. It felt like she had swallowed a large bite of something, and it was stuck halfway down. “He promised I had hours,” she said bitterly, realizing she was declining rapidly.

  Viktor leaned into view. “Can you shift? Try again.”

  Blue tried but didn’t want to waste her energy repeating the effort. “It’s not worth it. You know shifting won’t help with poison. Where did Matteo go?”

  Christian folded his arms. “The pussycat’s outside. He doesn’t belong in our house without an escort, and he sure as shite isn’t invited in here.”

  Viktor regarded her for a moment. “Do you want him? I can make exceptions.”

  Blue shook her head before falling back. Viktor caught her, and she rested gently against the table. “I don’t want to die in this room. It smells like a hospital or something. Don’t let me die in this room.”

  Viktor collected her in his arms. “We’ll be in the gathering room. See if Gem has found anything in her books.”

  Shepherd briskly marched out like a soldier taking orders. Viktor followed behind but parted ways with Shepherd in the foyer. The lanterns guided the way, and when they reached the dining room, all the candles on the chandelier had been snuffed out.

  “Bring a blanket,” Viktor said, but not to her.

  When they reached the gathering room, he placed her on the sofa and went to the fireplace. She watched him kneel before the massive hearth. It wasn’t cold enough for a fire, but it wasn’t unusual to find one burning in this room. Candles were insufficient to light up the large space, and they spent a lot of time in here talking, reading, and drinking. She thought about some of those memories and cherished them, realizing she’d taken so much for granted. Viktor had given her a second chance with Keystone in more than one way. This had become her home.

  She took a deep breath, and it felt as if her lungs might stop all on their own.

  Christian strolled in, wearing all black in true Vampire form. He placed a knitted throw over her feet and dipped into the shadows. As the wood in the fireplace snapped and hissed, she stared up at the ceiling, trying to recall her sons’ faces. Remembering moments helped, but she had forgotten the sound of their voices.

  “How is she?” Wyatt asked.

  Blue glanced up at Wyatt, who was standing behind Viktor’s leather chair.

  “She is strong,” Viktor answered. “There is hope. She made it through a gruesome attack that no one else would have survived. Blue is a warrior.”

  Blue blinked up at the impossibly tall ceiling. “I want to see my family.”

  Wyatt swaggered into view, that floppy hat barely hanging on, his Pac-Man shirt tucked halfway into his jeans. “Maybe we should call them.”

  “They’re dead,” she replied.

  He put his hands on his hips. “It doesn’t work that way when we die. The afterlife isn’t a family reunion.”

  “You said you didn’t know where they go.”

  “That’s true. But would you really want to sit in limbo with estranged family members you barely tolerated? No thanks. I have a feeling they go somewhere else, but that’s not for the living to know.”

  Tears stung her eyes at the idea she would never reunite with her sons, not even for a moment. Could the fates be so cruel?

  “Shut your gob,” Christian barked. “Can’t you see you’re upsetting the lass?”

  Shepherd jogged into the room, out of breath. “Gem can’t find anything. She’s still looking through a pile of books she separated from the rest.”

  Viktor turned. “And you called Raven?”

  “She got the fucker, but he doesn’t have an antidote. He tried to kill himself.”

  “Didn’t try hard enough,” Christian added.

  Blue had never imagined her death being such a burden on others. It made her want to go outside in the courtyard and die alone like an animal. Viktor left the room, and she stared into the fire for a long while, watching the flames take hold and grow larger. The flickering light became a reel that played out her life, and she reminisced over all the good parts.

  When the light went dark, she realized Niko had knelt in front of her. He said nothing, only looked down at her fading light and held her hand.

  “You were a good partner,” she said to him.

  He stroked the top of her hand. “You never treated me differently. You and I are a good match. I just wish I had been there. I might have been able to read his light—see his intentions.”

  “What’s done is done.”

  “I can’t find anything,” Gem complained, entering the room and looking around. “Nothing that makes sense.” She rushed up to the sofa and threw her arms around Blue, sobbing against her chest. “I’m so sorry. I looked and looked, but I couldn’t find anything. I just don’t have any books on poisons. I really tried.”

  Blue patted Gem on the back and then touched Niko’s arm. “Please, take her. She doesn’t need to be here.”

  In truth, Blue didn’t want to hear any wailing or crying. She didn’t want anything tethering her to this world, and hearing someone’s heartache made her spirit feel heavier.

  Niko hooked his arm around Gem and led her away. Blue took another deep breath, turning on her side as Viktor returned with a guitar in his hand. He dragged a short table in front of her, took a seat, and popped the guitar on his lap.

  “But I thought you played violin?” she whispered, knowing it was something he did privately—secretly.

  “I come from a musical family.” He swung his gaze up for a moment before choosing a slow melody.

  As he picked out the notes like a beautiful bouquet, she recognized the tune. She might have expected some old Russian song that was morose, but instead, Viktor played a slow version of “California Dreaming.” She smiled and watched as his fingers slid up and down the neck, pressing the strings and changing position. The song was timeless—haunting and reflective. Had anyone else been serenaded so beautifully by death?

  Halfway through the song, Blue should have felt herself slipping away. It would have been a perfect moment. But instead, she shot up and clutched her chest. Her heart was beating out of sync and squeezing tightly. The music abruptly stopped.

  Shepherd knelt. “Are you feeling worse?”

  Grimacing, she nodded. Her long hair curtained her face as her chin touched her chest.

  “What can you do?” Viktor hissed.

  Shepherd sighed. “Nothing. All I can do is give her something for the pain. My magic won’t take it all away. I don’t know what’s working through her, and even if I did, we can’t reverse it.”

  “That’s not entirely true,” Christian said from the fireplace. “There’s one other option. I’ve done it before, but I can
’t make any promises.” He looked over his shoulder and gave her a dark stare. “Vampire blood can flush out the poison.”

  Blue shook her head. She didn’t want Vampire magic running through her, dark magic she didn’t understand. It might change her, or worse, change her animal.

  “I can get an IV bag,” Shepherd suggested.

  Christian turned on his heel. “Over my rotting corpse. Aside from the offensive nature of drawing blood through a catheter, there’s no guarantee it’ll work that way. She’ll have to ingest it, and better if it’s fresh from the vein. Vampire blood loses potency in a glass.” He centered his gaze on her. “But she’ll have to decide on her own if she wants to live or die. That’s not for us to choose.”

  “I don’t want Vampire blood,” she snapped back. “I don’t want to be a Vampire.”

  “You won’t become a Vampire, lass. Of that I can assure you. There’s more involved in making a Vampire than drinking blood. That’s a fable for books and movies. This isn’t something I offer everyone, you know. You might have your opinions about our blood, but it’s sacred. It’s a privilege to receive the offer.”

  Viktor set down his guitar and sat next to her. “You must.”

  “I can’t.”

  Viktor cradled her neck in his hands. “I understand how you feel—Vampire blood is not natural. But I will ask this one thing of you because I cannot let you go.” He leaned in close to her ear, his voice just above a whisper. “What will I do without my Blue? Ya lyublyu tebya.”

  “I don’t understand you.” She pulled back to look him in the eyes, but he only looked away. The bend in his voice tugged at her heart. If she refused, would Viktor always see her as someone who gave up? Who failed him? She had a chance at seeing her sons again. Maybe not, but it was a slim chance. Blue felt like a pendulum swinging between here and there, somewhere and nowhere, darkness and light. She’d fought to live during the lion attack, despite the inevitable scarring. This was one fight she couldn’t win on her own. If there was any time she could slip out of this painful world, this was it.