Sharpen the Blade (The V V Inn Book 6)

by C. J. Ellisson

  Within minutes, I arrive and quickly get his body wrapped in an emergency blanket and secured with tie-down straps. Once I nod to the others to load up, I give Diego the order to fire up the bird. Eric and Pat buckle in, sheer exhaustion adding years to their age, their faces hard-worn, dirty, and tired.

  Soon, the others pile in and we’re ready for liftoff. By mutual consent, we leave the door partly open for now, unwilling to trap ourselves in the tight confines of the cabin with the blood scent all over Drew. I settle back in my seat, closing my eyes for a moment. It’ll take us at least two hours to get back to the resort. Grateful to have found all of them alive and intact, I refuse to think about the worst for Drew and focus on the positive. We’re here, we’re alive, and for now that’s all that matters.

  The wind whooshes past my ears, a welcome white noise to the worries swirling around in my brain. I open my eyes and look across the cabin toward Jon. He looks tired and mentally spent, the poor guy. He’s put so much un-needed pressure on himself lately.

  Candy and he sit close to each other, side-by-side and holding hands. She’s a lovely looking young woman, long brown hair with a slight reddish cast to the color. She’s fair-skinned with warm brown eyes in a heart-shaped face and a slender figure.

  After a moment, Candy looks my way and stares fixedly at me, her face devoid of emotion and expression.

  Jon glances at her sideways, then looks over at me, his eyebrows going up. “Vivian, meet Candy.”

  I smile, excited to meet the woman who makes Jon happy. Sure, I’ll probably have to make her swear loyalty to me by the end of the day and exchange blood with her, but I’m still happy she’s with him nonetheless. Not having buckled in yet, I shift my weight forward and offer her my hand, eager to make her acquaintance.

  Without warning, she drops Jon’s hand and leaps across the distance between us, something shiny and thin in her hands. Two fists go around my head and pull together revealing what she held is a silver chain, which cuts into my flesh, searing and burning. Before I have a chance to react, her skin touches mine and instantly I leap into her mind—

  Images from the young woman’s past flash by, in an incoherent jumble. The first face I recognize is that of Persephone, smiling, tossing her head back and laughing, as she holds Candy’s hand. Flashes of murderous intent flood the forefront of the shifter’s mind, clouded over with Candy’s thoughts: confusion, conflicted feelings, all overlain by intense mental pain. But the pain is not hers, it originates from Persephone, who’s using it to control and manipulate her through multi-layered compulsions placed long ago.

  All of this happens in the blink of an eye as Candy tightens the silver chain against my flesh. Jon’s face transforms from smiling to horror as he screams “No!” from across the cabin and lunges forward to my defense.

  Tossing her head back and forth, she looks like she’s trying to fight the compulsion placed on her. The silver has cut through my flesh in the back and I feel it connecting with my spine, but still—I hesitate. I don’t want to kill her if I can avoid it.

  Candy stares into my eyes, her mind a wash of hatred. “You must die!”

  Jon stretches his arms out, possibly to grab his crazed lover, but in his agitation and distress he brings on the half-shift. His hands elongate, claws sprouting from the tips. He reaches for her, unaware of his physical change, and his claws plunge through her back, piercing her lungs and heart. He screams again, this time shock filling his voice, “No!”

  I reach up, grasping both sides of the thin, silver chain, forcing it apart. Candy sputters, slumping forward as blood bubbles from her mouth. Jon’s horrified face appears over her shoulder, terror and fright billowing off him in waves. “Help me!” His panic snaps his control and he unwillingly completes his half-shift, his hands plunging deeper into his lover until the tips of his fingers emerge through her chest.

  Eric unbuckles his seatbelt and lunges forward to clasp strong arms around Jon’s middle, pulling him back from Candy. As he does so, the claws disappear into her chest and slide out her back, the smell of fresh blood filling the air as her lover’s hands come away soaked in gore. Candy’s eyes seek mine, the glow of hatred failing as the spark of her life snuffs out.

  “Holy fucking hell!” Pat yells, scrambling to give Eric the support he needs in restraining their much stronger alpha in his larger wolfman form.

  Removing Jon shifted Candy, throwing her, without meaning to, into the half-opened helicopter door. Her weight, and the sudden movement from all of us in the cabin, shift the helicopter, tilting it, causing Diego to yell from the front, “What the hell is going on back there?!”

  Candy’s body hits the door, sliding it open, and falls out of the helicopter into the ravine below.

  Jon screams no over and over again. Pat and Eric physically hold him from leaping out of the helicopter after her. I unwind the chain from my neck and toss the offending blood-soaked silver across the cabin. My hands fly back to my wounds. The flow of blood has stopped, but not before running down my neck to soak my shirt. It all happened so fast I’m not sure what to do or say.

  Pat slides the door shut, and returns to sitting on Jon’s legs as Eric sits on his chest. In a moment, the alpha’s horrified screams die down while the wound in my neck seals.

  “Why? Why did she try and kill you?” He looks at me with tears streaming down his cheeks. “I don’t understand. What happened?” He’s blubbering and crying, snot and tears mixing on his confused face. “Oh my god, we have to go back. I hurt her bad.”

  Diego yells from the front, “Can someone tell me what’s going on? Is everyone okay?”

  “We’re fine, man,” Pat answers. “Just keep flying.”

  Jon thrashes on the floor. “No, no, no… we have to go back.”

  “Jon, I’m so sorry,” I say in a whisper, easing to sit up in my seat. “She was dead before she fell.”

  I slip out of my chair and crawl across the floor to Jon. I cradle his crazed face in my hands and kiss his forehead, slipping into his mind to soothe his raging beast. “I’m sorry, Jon. She was a plant. She was the vampire servant of Persephone. She must’ve sent her to Romeo’s pack months ago. Before we planned the big game hunt. That’s the only thing I can think of.”

  He’s calmer now, my presence helping him to shift back to his human form. Eric and Pat stay close to him, unwilling to leave their alpha when he’s in so much obvious pain. “So I was a pawn, the whole time? I don’t believe it. What she felt for me was real. We have to go back! What if she needs us? She could still be alive.”

  “Diego!” I shout, remembering I never had a chance to put my headset on. “Circle back. We need to see if we can find her.”

  The helicopter banks hard tossing us like ceramic dolls. Reminding us once again why you’re supposed to buckle up. “Let me out!” Jon screams again. Pat and Eric pile back on when he moves for the sliding door. “Dammit, get off me!”

  Reluctantly, Eric and Pat remove themselves from pinning their alpha to the floor. Jon pops up and scrambles to the window searching for her body in the ravine below.

  Diego circles the area we indicate once, then twice, and when we spot her lifeless body, he makes a note of the coordinates. She’s down a cliff face and we don’t have the equipment to recover her at this time. With sorrow, I make the hard choice to leave her body and tell Diego to continue home.

  Jon cries anew when we turn north.

  My heart aches for him. The betrayal so deep it hurts to breathe.

  “She could still be suffering. We have to help her.”

  “Jon, you hit her heart. I know you didn’t mean to, but I saw the light of life leave her eyes as you pulled your hands free. We can come back for her body later, we need to get Drew back to the inn safely.”

  Jon turns on me, rage distorting his features. “You. You did this. You didn’t want me with her. Everything you said before was a lie.”

  Shock hits me like a slap in the face. There’s only one way for
him to understand. Without asking, I project Candy’s memories to him, the ones I saw while she was choking me.

  His face crumples as a sob escapes. “Can’t be. It can’t be.”

  He huddles on the floor and I go to him, wrapping my arms around him, holding on tighter when he attempts to shake me off. I will not leave him in his time of need.

  Eric and Pat return to their seats, buckle up, and put on their headsets. They both nod at something the pilot must’ve said to them, and then make motions for Jon and me to buckle up as well. I refuse, telling them we’re fine where we are, and continue to hold him.

  Unwilling to look at me, Jon’s eyes remain unfocused, staring out the window, his body hunched in on itself, his shoulders slumping forward.

  What can I possibly say to ease his pain? He meant to help me, and in his agitation, he skewered Candy through the back. This horrible tragedy is going to haunt him for a very long time.

  We travel the rest of the way in silence, the return trip seeming much longer than our trip out. When we arrive, Jon is in a near catatonic state. Not speaking, refusing to move, and not looking at any of us.

  The moment the helicopter reaches our property, I telepathically connect with Rafe and share everything that happened. He’s there the second the door opens and lifts Jon into his arms. He transports him to a nearby SUV and climbs into the back with him, unwilling to leave him alone for a moment.

  I fill in Diego with the barest of what happened, assuring him nothing was his fault. As we speak, Eric and Pat carry Drew’s body on a makeshift gurney to another waiting vehicle. They’re taking him to Dr. Cook’s infirmary on the first floor of the apartment buildings.

  As I walk toward the vehicle with Jon, feeling beat up and sick, the back door flies open. Jon bolts out in his wolf form, stumbling at first until he picks up speed and heads in the direction of his cabin.

  His heartache and grief hit me like a physical pain, making me wish I could take it all away.

  Rafe climbs out after him, shaking his head. “Will you go after him, or shall I?”

  “I will. What he needs now is time. And a little space.”

  “Do you think he’d hurt himself? I don’t want to leave him alone for too long.”

  “I’m keeping mental tabs on him, the link is wide open between us whether he likes it or not. I can feel his grief and rage at himself—it’s all-consuming at the moment. But you’re right, I won’t leave him alone for long.” I reach up and wrap my arms around my husband. “He needs us both.”

  “Agreed.” He tightens his hold on me, the grief spilling from Jon to us both.

  “It was truly horrible.”

  “No one should ever have to discover a betrayal in such a way.”

  “And he wouldn’t have if an ancient hadn’t set their sights on killing me.”

  “Don’t start blaming yourself, Dria. Persephone did this. Not you.”

  I sigh and pull from his embrace. “I know. But that doesn’t make the pain any easier to bear.”

  Together, we make our way to the infirmary. I need to make sure Drew’s going to be okay. One death is more than our family can handle today.

  He’s still as a corpse and pale as a ghost when we walk in.

  Rafe grips my hand. “How’s he doing, Dr. Cook?”

  She looks up from the tubing leading to Drew’s arm. “Good.” She sees the look of dismay on my face and glances back at her patient’s prone form. “Don’t let his appearance fool you. He’s not at death’s door. He’s still asleep, but I’ve been able to get three more pints in him the old fashioned way—by IV.”

  A breath I didn’t know I was holding eases out, and the fist I’ve felt around my heart softens a little.

  I nod, strengthening my resolve. I need to do it now, whether I like it or not, before he wakes up. “Would you give us a moment with him?”

  “Not a problem.” She checks the level in his bag and nods to herself. “I’ll be next door if you need me.”

  She closes the door on her way out, leaving Rafe and I alone with Drew’s slumbering form.

  “Dria, are you up for this? We could always bind him in silver and wait.”

  The thought of strapping silver around his chest and limbs leaves me shuddering. The memories of my own torture too close.

  “No. I won’t do that to him. It’s best to check now and do what needs to be done.”

  I ease forward, dropping Rafe’s hand. While I treasure the support he lends me, theres no way I want him exposed to the chaos swirling around in a sun-poisoned vampire brain.

  Cautiously, I pick up Drew’s limp hand. He’s warmer than normal, more than likely due to the infusion of blood. Without further ado, I push my awareness through our physical connection, bracing myself for the horrors I saw earlier.

  Instead of blood lust and an animal-like need to hunt and kill, I see healthy brainwaves and patterns. No thoughts of death and destruction, or gutting his lover anymore… simply peace.

  My breath hitches and a sob escapes.

  Rafe steps close behind, careful not to touch me. “What is it? Is he better or worse?”

  A tear trickles down my cheek as I let go of Drew’s hand and turn to face my husband. “He’s going to be okay. We got him help in time.”

  Rafe reaches up and catches a tear on his thumb. “I’m glad to hear it.” His palm caresses my skin, leaving warmth in its wake. “Jon isn’t the only one on shaky emotional ground.” He pulls me into his arms, his strong chest pressing firmly to mine.

  The flood gates open and I cry, the first time I can remember doing so in decades. Long and deep, my shoulders hunching under the flood of emotions. As my breath hitches and my nose runs, Rafe holds me throughout, whispering soothing words and trailing a hand up and down my back in comfort.

  After a while, the pain lessens and the tears slow. “I—I don’t like caring about all these people,” I say, my voice raw with feeling. “I want it to be just you and I again. It’s easier with only the two of us.”

  Rafe hands me a tissue from a box on the counter and I blow my nose. “Easier isn’t always better.”

  “I can’t handle the loss.”

  He eases back and stares into my tear-filled eyes. “Yes, you can. Look at what loving them has brought you.”

  “Snot and tears? No thanks.”

  “Darling, listen to yourself. When was the last time you cared enough to cry? Loving them has helped return some of your humanity to you.”

  I stop, surprised by his comment. He’s right. Dammit. I pull away and scrub a hand over my face. “Great, my husband has a fetish for cryers. Good to know.”

  He steps closer, into my personal space, making it impossible to brush him off with humor. “You will not ignore this. It’s important. Face it. Own it. You care about our seethe. And in doing so, you’ve become a better person.”

  “Okay, fine.” I grab more tissues and dry my face as best I can. “I’m a better person. Isn’t that terrific.” After tossing the tissues in the garbage, I turn to him. “What next? Do I write them all letters detailing how important they are in my life? Seriously, hon. I can’t handle more.”

  “I’m sorry, but there’s still one more person who needs us.”

  The burning in my eyes begins again, and I curse my return of “humanity” as Rafe put it.

  “Jon,” he says. “We must see to Jon.”

  We leave and I send a text to the doctor explaining Drew’s mental situation. I didn’t want her to see me like this. I’d rather no one saw me at my weakest.

  Rafe’s mental energy reaches out to mine. Caring about others isn’t a weakness.

  “Can we talk about it later?” I ask. “I can’t handle more self-analyzation at the moment.”

  He nods and we travel the rest of the way in silence. Within minutes we’re pulling in front of Jon’s cabin. As we approach his front door, something feels off. Like he’s not inside.

  “Wait,” I say while coming to a halt. I extend my consc
iousness and discover he’s not in his home. I reach out, pushing myself further, determined to locate him wherever he is.

  I find him, his mental signature slightly altered while in his wolf form. “He’s with his dogs. In the kennel. They are all curled up in a big dog pile.”

  I turn back to the jeep and Rafe stops me. “Either you go in, or I will. But we’re not leaving him alone.”

  “Yes. You’re right. I just…”

  “You can handle this, Dria. He needs you. Now more than ever.”

  “It will hurt.”

  “I know. You are strong enough to handle the pain. I’m here. You’re not alone. More importantly, Jon needs to feel that, too.”

  It takes almost an hour of cajoling, and a little bit of begging on my part, before Jon will leave the kennel. When he does, we take him back to our place and stretch out on the big couch where we used to watch Rafe’s movie marathons together.

  He hasn’t changed back from a wolf yet, and that’s okay. Whatever he needs to deal with the pain is fine by me.

  I wrap my arms around his big furry body, snuggling myself along his back. “I’m here for you, Jon. Please don’t hate me for what’s happened.” Unbidden, the tears return to my eyes. “I love you.”

  Surprisingly, Rafe sits down near Jon’s head. Easing the large wolf skull onto his lap, he wraps a hand deeply into the fur at Jon’s neck. “I love you, too, you big furball.”

  Rafe’s mental voice touches my mind. Sleep, liebling. You need to rest.

  I stare at the dancing eternal flame set on the side table and wish I could hurl myself into its depths.

  Quiet your mind. Only then will you find peace.

  I wrap my delicate psyche in the warmth of his love and will myself to relax. We will overcome this. Together. There is no other choice.

  The next day, Asa’s tight voice projects through the call-button speaker on our living room phone. “Vivian? Do you have a minute? I need you to see something.”

  My entire body tenses at his tone. Good God, I need a freakin’ break. There’s only so much a powerful vampire can take in one week. “I’ll be down in a minute.”