by Carly Fall
As he stroked her hair and the side of her face, he knew that even though vomit that smelled like rotting flesh covered his leg and arm, there was no other place he’d rather be.
* * *
Three hours later, Tirvu lay quietly against him. Her whole body still quaked, but at least she hadn’t vomited in about a half-hour. Her breathing was steady, and he thought it might be a good time to get her bite cleaned up and then have her rest inside the tent.
He moved slowly so he wouldn’t wake her or give her reason to begin the heaving again, and laid her down on the forest floor. After what she’d been through, he imagined even the slightest movement felt like a high-grade rollercoaster.
Grabbing his pack, he found the first aid kit and was relieved that he’d remembered to bring it. He sat down next to her and dabbed some antiseptic on a cotton ball, then reached down and gently took her bitten hand in his.
He noticed the puncture marks at the wrist. They’d scabbed over but still remained red, purple, and angry. Her whole hand had swelled so much it reminded him of a baseball glove, her arm having also thickened. He worried he would injure her further if he tried to clean the bite, but it had to be done. If it became infected, she would only hurt worse.
Even though she was still unconscious, she groaned and tried to pull her hand away as he gently dabbed the area with the cotton.
“Got to do it, Tirvu,” he muttered, holding on so she couldn’t slip away. “You don’t want this infected.”
She acquiesced, and he was able to clean it and also bandage it without any further protest.
After putting away the kit, he tried to figure out how to get her into the tent. Dragging her was out of the question, so he bent down and lifted her into his arms. She was a big woman and heavy, but as his arm slipped under her full hips, he couldn’t fight the very visceral reaction his body had to her soft flesh.
Leaning down, he brought her into the tent and laid her out on the sleeping bag. She curled up in a fetal position, her hair falling down the side of her face.
He pushed it back, then sat down at her feet.
The tent was made for two people, but that didn’t mean there was a lot of room. He thought of it as a studio tent … one that would fit two people, but one would be much more comfortable.
He studied her pale skin, her dry lips, and all that white hair that lay in a trail on the pillow reminding him of clouds.
Eorricris.
Her voice rang as clearly in his head as if she had whispered it from her own lips.
“I’m here, Tirvu. I’m not going anywhere.”
He lay down beside her and zipped the sleeping bag up around them. He held her close, spooning her, and nestled his nose in her hair. It smelled of the forest, and he inhaled deeply. Could that be her natural smell, or was it because they were deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the scent was ‘stuck’ on her?
Eorricris.
“Shh, Tirvu. It’s okay. Just rest. I’ve got you.”
He contemplated the fact that he could hear her in his head, and it didn’t bother him. In fact, he liked it.
She was alive, communicating with him in her own special way, and he couldn’t help but grin. His muscles relaxed as he pulled her closer and closed his eyes.
Tirvu would be okay.
It was almost as if he listened to a radio that cut in and out as her voice swam through his head.
So sick. Fucking vampire.
“I know, honey,” he whispered, and couldn’t help but chuckle. Two days ago, if someone had told him he’d be holding a beautiful woman who could turn into a dragon talking about vampires, he’d have asked what they were smoking. Now, it had become his reality, and it seemed so natural.
Dying.
He didn’t like hearing that one bit. She needed to think positive thoughts “You aren’t dying. You make sure you stay alive. The wolves said this wouldn’t be any fun, but they also said you would survive.”
The pain.
He sighed, wishing she’d just fully sleep—all systems shut down—but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen. He tried to think of a way to have her concentrate on more pleasant things. He knew her realm was at war, so that probably wouldn’t cheer her up. Maybe if she could tell him about what her life was like before the war?
I … your father.
He furrowed his brow. Both his mother and father had died in a car accident two years ago, and that had been a catalyst for him to leave the Chicago area. It had taken him a year to deal with the grief and find the courage to leave. On a whim, he’d applied for the job at Richards Industries while looking at online job boards, not really thinking he’d even get an interview, but he had, and the rest was history.
So the fact that she was talking about his father didn’t make any sense to him.
“My dad died two years ago,” he whispered. “Why don’t you try to calm that mind of yours?”
No … Eorricris’ father. Yours.
More confused than ever, he shut his eyes and concentrated, hoping she’d eventually say enough that he’d understand. He had no recollection of a man who could turn into a dragon as a father.
Me … killed him.
His eyes flew open, but he remained silent, unsure how to respond. There was no grief for the man, nor did he feel any anger at her. Curiosity, however, ate at him.
She’d killed Eorricris’ father?
How, exactly, had that gone down?
Her words flowed through his head erratically, but no matter how hard he focused, he couldn’t piece them together and understand her story.
He clenched his jaw in frustration. It was obviously important for her to confess this to him, but perhaps it would be better to wait until she felt better.
“Tirvu, you’re breaking up. It’s like I’m listening to radio that’s not properly tuned, and I’m hearing every other word. I know you want to tell me what happened, but right now, you need to rest. We can talk about it when you’re up and around, okay?”
She went silent for a long time, and he relaxed again. She still trembled next to him as if she couldn’t get warm while he, on the other hand, had begun to sweat.
Just as he was about to drift off, her voice came to him again, this time crystal-clear.
He found out about us and tried to kill me.
The skin on his chest began to prickle, almost as if a cool breeze had blown over it. A strange sensation, especially since his chest was up against Tirvu’s back.
Her revelation left a lot of unanswered questions. He thought about what she’d said earlier, right before she’d left camp and tangled with the vampire.
It is the look you used to give me. I still enjoy it.
At that moment, his thoughts had been pretty salacious, and it must have been written all over his face. Even though he doubted her claim that he was Eorricris for a number of reasons, he couldn’t deny the attraction to her.
He gave in to a brief moment of insanity and allowed himself to believe that he was Eorricris. If that had been the case, he had a strong suspicion that they’d been lovers in his former life. Based on what she had just said, he wondered if theirs had been a forbidden romance of some sort? Forbidden enough for someone to try to kill her?
When she was better, he hoped she would want to talk and provide more details because the need to protect her from everyone and everything seemed to grow by the hour.
He recognized he was falling hard for Tirvu, and he also knew there was nothing he could do about it.
But what did that mean when she went back to her world and he went … where? He had no idea.
For now, he’d simply enjoy the moment, even if they both smelled like vomit and sweat. The rest? That would have to wait until later to get sorted.
13
Two days passed, and Tirvu didn’t wake. He knew she was alive, but he worried about her health and the time they were losing to collect the Moonstone.
She spent a lot of time moaning and groaning as
she thrashed about in the tent. It was difficult to watch her writhe around in so much pain, especially when he was completely helpless to do anything about it.
He had tried to give her some water on the second day, but that had come back up. Thankfully, he’d caught her in time to get her head outside the tent so she didn’t vomit all over the sleeping bag.
She continued to shiver, and would oftentimes sit up and begin talking in a language he didn’t understand. Other times, she’d scream and yell, and he’d look in to find her fists flying and her feet kicking as though she was fighting for her life. He worried that she’d change into a dragon and rip the tent—and possibly him—apart, but thankfully, it hadn’t happened. He imagined a hallucinating dragon would be a very dangerous species.
Currently, she rested quietly while he walked down to the creek to get some water. Thankfully, Harold’s gear had come with a small water filtration bottle that he’d been able to figure out how to work. At least, it seemed like it. He’d been drinking the water without getting sick, so either the stream was clean, or the bottle was effective. Either way, he was grateful.
As he bent down and filled the cylinder, he considered their predicament. He’d packed enough MREs for both him and Tirvu to last three days. Since she’d been out of commission, he’d been eating her share. The supply had dwindled, and he figured he could make it another two days. If Tirvu woke up ravenous, less. However, he still believed her to be a vegetarian.
When she did wake, how long would it be for her to gain enough strength to get up the mountain? And what about climbing down? She’d been so sick, it may take days for her to put one foot in front of the other. In that case, he’d either become very hungry, or he’d have to start hunting. Being a city boy, the thought made his stomach lurch. Hell, eating the MREs disgusted him, so killing an animal was as high up on his list of things he wanted right along with catching a good case of syphilis.
He wanted to help Tirvu recover the Moonstone, and he’d considered hiking the rest of the way to Devil’s Ridge many times. Two things always held him back. First, he wanted to be here to care for her. He didn’t fully trust the wolves. Second, he wouldn’t recognize the Moonstone if he tripped over it. Yes, he understood it was some type of rock, but they were in the mountains, and rocks were everywhere. Tirvu had never described it to him.
A smooth, round rock caught his eye in the creek, and he lifted it from the cool water. Light grey with speckles of black, it weighed about two pounds. Hell, for all he knew, this was it.
Tossing it back into the creek, he stood with a sigh. He turned to return to camp and a blueberry bush caught his eye. He walked over to it and grabbed a bunch. He’d bring them back and tell Tirvu about them. Maybe the scent of the fruit would rouse her from the state she’d fallen into. If not, he’d eat them.
The quarter mile passed quickly, and as he rounded the last bush, he found Tirvu sitting on the log with her elbows on her knees, her hands in her hair. She looked over to him, and he smiled. Her blue eyes flashed for a moment as if she was going to shift, but then she grinned.
He sighed and quickened his pace to get to her. He tried to think of another time he’d been so happy to see someone, and no such memory came to him.
She was alive and conscious.
“It’s good to see you among the living,” he said as he sat down to next to her. The urge to take her into his arms almost overwhelmed him, but he didn’t know how she’d feel about it. Instead, he kept his hands busy by eating the berries.
“I feel absolutely wretched,” she muttered. “I want to kill that vampire all over again.”
“I don’t blame you. You’ve been pretty sick.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, and then she asked, “How long was I unconscious?”
He heard the worry and fear in her voice, and guessed she was afraid she was stuck here and her world was going down in flames as she spoke.
“Two days. We still have time to find the Moonstone.”
She sighed and closed her eyes. “Excellent.”
“I think you should rest another day, Tirvu,” he offered. “Get some food and water in you and make sure it stays down. Your body has been through some rough stuff.”
He fully expected her to argue, but he arched his eyebrows as she answered.
“I believe you’re correct,” she replied as she stood. “I am terribly weak. However, I would like to bathe. I feel very dirty.”
Throwing up and sweating had that same effect on him, so he fully understood.
“Do you want to try to eat something first?” he asked, getting to his feet.
She shook her head as he met her gaze. “No, thank you. I would prefer to clean myself.”
“The creek is about a quarter mile away. It looks like it’s got a deeper area upstream just a bit where you can fully submerge yourself. Do you think you can make it that far?”
“I don’t have a choice. Right now, I want to rip off my own skin.”
That certainly wouldn’t be a pretty picture.
“Follow me.”
He kept his pace slow, yet steady, as the sound of the water rushing through the forest caught his ear. Tirvu had to stop a few times to rest, which was fine with him. He’d rather see her take her time than become sicker.
When they reached the tree-lined creek, she immediately waded in while he sat down on a rock. He glanced around as he searched for any paranormal creatures, but saw none. They appeared to be alone.
Tirvu vanished under the water, the sun’s rays making it seem as if diamonds danced on its surface.
He stared at the spot where she’d disappeared and wondered when he should bring up the things she’d revealed to him in her vampire venom stupor, or if he even should. Maybe she wouldn’t remember what she’d told him, like that she’d killed his father, or things she’d insinuated, like they had been lovers. Maybe he should just simply wait and see if she brought it up, but that would do nothing for his curiosity and leave his questions unanswered.
She’d been underwater for a long time, and he sighed as he furrowed his brow. Had she drowned or something?
As he stepped over to the shore, he stared into the water to try to see her, but the sun’s reflection made it impossible.
He bent down and unlaced his boots, then pulled them off with the intention of going into the water and grabbing her. Setting them aside, he removed his sweatshirt and grimaced at his body odor. He’d been so focused on caring for Tirvu, he hadn’t done much in the bathing department except a quick splash of water to his face.
Just as he’d unbuckled his jeans, Tirvu emerged with her back to him. He heard her gasp as he stared at her strong body and her white hair plastered to her back, kissing the area just above her buttocks. She glanced over her shoulder at him and grinned.
“I see you’ll be joining me,” she called.
He hadn’t planned on it until he’d thought she was drowning. “Nah, I’m good.”
A mountain stream in October would be chilly at best, and he preferred bathing in warm waters.
She turned around so she faced him, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her full breasts and the hardened pink tips of her nipples. He imagined placing his hands at her waist, just above the flare of her hips, and pulling her close to him, her soft curves meeting his hard planes.
“Come in, Eric. It feels amazing.”
She stretched her hand out to him, beckoning him. The small smile still curled her lips, and she reminded him of the sirens of the sea that captivated the sailors, then killed them. As he finished unbuttoning his pants, he knew he couldn’t say no to her.
However, did he go in naked, or in his boxers?
She obviously had no problem with nudity as she’d been running around like that for most of the time he’d known her. However, he wasn’t so sure he was comfortable showing off his goods—not yet, anyway. Especially in cold water—that would do nothing for his self-esteem.
He let his jeans drop to t
he ground, then stepped into the stream. The shock of the frigid liquid ran up his body. Gooseflesh moved quickly over his skin as he began to tremble, and he inhaled sharply.
“Why are you wearing clothing to bathe?” Tirvu asked as she skimmed her palms over the water.
Now, he felt like an idiot. He tried to come up with an answer besides the truth, but none emerged. Therefore, he stepped out of the creek and pulled off his boxers.
“I forgot to take them off.”
He waded back in, and this time, he walked quickly so she didn’t have a lot of time to study him.
Finally, he stood in waist-high water facing her, and he had to admit, the fresh liquid lapping at his skin did feel nice.
“I feel as though I’ve been renewed,” she said as she stared at him.
“That doesn’t mean we should take off up the mountain,” he said, hoping she’d still want to rest before continuing their search. “You need to eat and rest.”
“Oh, I agree,” she said.
They stood in silence for a moment as she gazed around the area, then she said, “I’ve been so busy worrying about the Moonstone, I haven’t taken the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of your land.”
The area was pretty. Tall, green trees sandwiched the river, and the birds sang above. However, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“I said a lot of things to you when I was under the vampire venom,” she said, still not meeting his gaze. “I assume you have questions for me.”
Well, she’d certainly wasted no time getting down to business.
“Yeah, I’ve got questions, but we can talk about it later.”
Finally, she looked at him. “I’d rather discuss it now.”
He took a deep breath and decided if she was going to be so forthright, then he would be, as well.
“You said you killed my father, Eorricris’ father.”
She nodded. “I had no choice.”
“I don’t remember him,” he said with a shrug. “But I’m curious as to why you did it.”
“He found out about us.”
His heart thundered in his chest. He had an idea of what she was about to say, but his face still flushed despite the cool waters.