Impulse (Mageri Series: Book 3)

by Dannika Dark

Over the past hour, something murky and cold had rolled through my body. It reminded me of when I didn’t level down and the power depleted.

  “Christian, I don’t feel good.”

  His voice grew closer as he knelt down “What’s wrong?”

  “Sick.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

  He lifted me up and went downstairs. His boot kicked against a door, making a shockingly loud sound.

  “Justus, rise and shine.” He kept moving and put me in the sheets of my bed.

  “What did I tell you about coming in here?” Justus scolded.

  “Silver needs a specialist; she’s not well.”

  “Logan said it would take time to wear off.”

  “I hear her breathing and heartbeat, and it’s all off. She’s not getting better, she’s worse than she was six hours ago. Do you know a good Relic? Then you better get one.”

  Chapter 35

  “Why didn’t anyone call a Relic as soon as this happened?”

  The woman’s voice was stern and authoritative. She came highly recommended by Remi, a close friend to Justus. He personally drove her to the house but was uncomfortable with staying and offered to pick her up when she was finished.

  Relics are mortals with a unique gift. They’re born with ancient knowledge inherited in their genes, passed down by their ancestors. In order to retain the knowledge and continue their line, Relics only marry another Relic. They date back as far as any Breed, perhaps further, which makes their knowledge invaluable. Most become healers of some kind, or scientists, but they were also consultants. I couldn’t imagine being a young child and simply knowing things I couldn’t explain.

  This woman sounded like she wanted to inflict pain among the men and heal later. She had a feminine voice with a sharp edge that reiterated her confidence. I liked her immediately.

  “We had it under control,” Justus replied defensively. “The Vampire drained the venom and I gave her some of my light. She’s been kept warm and had an appetite at the party.”

  “Do you often throw a celebratory party for a girl who just lost her sight and almost died?” she asked in agitation. “And yet, she’s still blind. Next time call a professional. I want everyone out of here while I examine her.”

  When the door closed, I could hear the soft hush of her legs rubbing together when she approached the bed. She was wearing a skirt. It’s funny how much we rely on vision when our other senses will make up for our shortcomings.

  “Silver, my name is Page La Croix. I’m one of Remi’s personal advisors, but I’m also a healer. Have you ever met him?”

  I nodded.

  “I’m only doing this as a favor because Remi is a dear friend of mine and as it turns out, your Ghuardian is close friend of his. Personally, I’m of the opinion that Creators should only be women, because only a man would think that having a party for an injured Mage is okay.”

  “He didn’t mean any harm.”

  “They never do,” she muttered privately. “I’m going to check your vitals and perform a physical examination. If you feel any discomfort, I want you to speak up right away.”

  Page pressed firmly all around my abdomen, checked inside my mouth and ears, squeezed my ankles, and even looked at my fingernails. The only sore place on my body was where Tarek had bitten me. She examined it closely. It was swollen and hot, yet the only thing Page noticed were three puncture holes and no discoloration.

  “It’ll scar,” she said. “I hope you know that. Mage light won’t work, nor will the healing saliva from a Chitah.” Something I’d already guessed, as I was sure that Logan would have tried if he knew it was possible.

  Legs from a chair tapped on the wood floor beside the bed. Page asked questions while I listened to the scribbling of a pen. “Tell me exactly how you feel.”

  “This morning I was all right. It started just before the party and I don’t know—my body just feels lethargic. By the end of the party I could barely move and I fell asleep on the couch.” I touched my eyes. “Maybe it’s just being in the dark.”

  “And now?”

  “There’s a cold ache deep in my bones. Also, my light feels like it’s leaking out of my body. My neck still hurts and the tips of my fingers are burning.”

  “No doubt from the energy leak. Silver, I’m going to be frank with you. Chitah bites don’t happen very often unless it’s with the intent to kill. One or two punctures—yes, we’ve seen that administered as a warning. Because their venom is deadly to a Mage, most never tangle with a Chitah. Other species don’t have the same reaction to the venom; it takes a specific hold with your kind. If they use all four of their canines, it kills. But three is just so rare. Three contains enough to kill a weak Mage, but you seem to be a tough cookie,” she said with a smile in her voice.

  “What’s wrong with me?”

  “The venom hasn’t left your body and it’s wreaking all kinds of havoc. If we do nothing, you’ll eventually weaken to a state of mortality. Do you understand what that means?”

  I shook my head.

  “Your light will go out. Your fingers are burning from the continual energy leakage. A Mage has natural light in their eyes—I’ve seen it sparkle, flicker, pulse—you name it. It explains the blindness. The venom is attacking your light everywhere, and you’re noticing it in the places where it’s the strongest.”

  I touched the tips of my fingers. “Could I die?”

  “Yes. I’m not going to lie to you. A patient should always know the truth about what’s happening to their body because they may have important decisions to make and they need to prepare. Your Ghuardian should have called a Relic as soon as this happened, but most men are stubborn and think they can fix things themselves. I’m going to try to heal you, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “My methods may be unorthodox, but it will always be your choice to deny the suggested treatment. Anytime you’re not on board with the plan, just chime in. Vampire, you can come in now. I also wish to speak with her Ghuardian.” Page never lifted her voice above a soft hum because she knew Christian could hear every syllable.

  “What can we do?” Justus sounded like a general looking for an order.

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t get your name?” Page said.

  “De Gradi. Anything you need, I am at your service.”

  Her bag snapped open and metal items clicked against the bedside table. I was acutely aware of everything happening and my nervous heart pounded against my chest.

  “Her condition is deteriorating; you boys had the right idea, just not the right method. Once we draw the venom out of her bones and into her blood, then we drain her. If we don’t expel every drop, it will redistribute and this will start all over again. Don’t look at me that way, Vampire. I need you for other reasons. I can’t have your blood tainted with the venom, so you won’t be drinking from her.”

  “Already did.”

  “When?” she asked. “Because unless it was within the past twelve hours, you know that it won’t make a difference.”

  “I can’t give her my blood, it’s—”

  “Suck up your egotistical pride about the glory of your pure blood. I’m quite aware of how revered a Vampire’s blood is. If it helps, I’ll throw down some rose petals at your feet during the ceremony. This is the only way. Are you a friend, or—”

  “I’m her guard.”

  “Ah,” she said victoriously. “Then you are duty bound to protect her life.”

  “What if she turns?”

  “Vampire, she won’t turn. She’s a Mage. Once a Mage, always a Mage. Isn’t that right, Mr. De Gradi?”

  Liquid poured, followed by the sound of stirring. Page sniffed lightly and slipped her cool fingers behind my neck.

  “Silver, I need you to sit up and drink this… all the way down. I won’t lie: It’s going to taste noxious and disgusting, but I’ve got a breath mint if you want it,” she offered. “Here.”

  The glass was cold and I dipped
my nose in. “Oh, that’s rank. Please tell me the glass isn’t full.”

  “Drink it, Learner,” Justus scolded. “Or else I will plug your nose and—”

  “Stifle it,” Page snapped. “I won’t have you making my patient uncomfortable, so if you don’t curb that tone, then I’m going to ask you to leave. If she wants to take two hours before she decides to drink this, then it’s her choice to do so. I’m here to help and give her the best care that I can. Are we done?”

  I’d never heard anyone order Justus around like that. When he didn’t argue back, that was my signal to drink before a world war broke out. I held my breath and gulped down whatever muck and madness it held. Like expected, it was rancid, but the glass was emptied to the last putrid drop.

  “Good girl, Silver.” She held my wrist and smoothed a hand over it. “I’m going to wrap a tight band around your arm. I need to find your vein, so you’ll feel a stick. Don’t worry, I always get it the first time.”

  I nodded and she prepped me—thumping and slapping the inside of my forearm. I flinched a few times and a needle slid in. Actually, it felt more like a nail.

  “Mr. De Gradi, I need you to bring a couple of large containers. I’m not sure how long this will take, but I’ll test her after a few hours. Get the biggest ones you can find so we don’t have to keep making trips. I’m sure you don’t want to recolor your flooring by accident.”

  “A few hours?” I exclaimed. “If you take all my blood, won’t I die?”

  “That’s what the Vampire is here for.”

  A sensation swept through my body—like flames charring my bones. I grimaced and threw my head back.

  “It’s starting to work; give me that container pot until the Mage returns. It’ll do,” she said.

  If I ever saw Tarek again, I was going to personally defang him.

  “We don’t have time, Vampire. Quit staring and get in the bed with her,” Page said.

  “Do you mind not calling me Vampire all the time? It’s beginning to rub me the wrong way.”

  Page’s heel tapped against the floor.

  “Christian, this is going to take a while. No, no, no. We can’t do it that way. She won’t get enough. I don’t want her falling unconscious because the intake needs to be continual due to the blood loss. Get in the damn bed. I’ve got a scalpel.”

  “Don’t threaten me, lass,” he murmured in a dark voice.

  “I was simply pointing out the obvious.” Page was the kind of woman I admired; she really knew how to shape these men up.

  The mattress depressed.

  “Absolutely not,” Justus barked. Hollow containers tumbled on the floor. “Get out of that bed, Christian.”

  Page assertively lowered her voice. “You’re either going to be supportive to your Learner or I’m going to tape your mouth shut. If you want this Mage healed, then you need to let go of those protective reins and let me do my job. Exactly what do you think is about to happen here? This is not a bordello, Mr. De Gradi. I don’t have time for this.” She sighed wearily.

  “Why not do a transfusion?” he asked in a tone that challenged her.

  “Time is of the essence and I don’t have the right equipment for that. We can’t take any chances in delaying this. I’m not certain that doing a full transfusion with the Vampire’s blood would work because it’ll mix too quickly with hers. The venom is working like soldiers, and if you throw his blood in there then they’ll attack the enemy, or work even faster to put out her light. Think of the ingestion as a sneak attack—soldiers infiltrating behind enemy lines. I need the slow absorption that’s unique to a Vampire.”

  Page punctured Christian’s neck and the first few draws of blood were awkward. I was afraid of throwing up, but it didn’t taste like blood at all. It was dark and sweet, like black liquorish and spicy red wine, except it went down like hard liquor and burned my stomach. It comforted me, and like a babe at the breast I sleepily pulled to him. My lips numbed from the sucking, and when his wound began to heal, he cut it again. Somehow, that magically tasty beverage had a way of working itself out of my stomach. I didn’t understand the science behind it—whether it was going straight to my veins or speeding up my body in producing more blood—all I knew is that the need for more would take hold again.

  Sometimes I would stop and rest, but as my blood was draining out of a tube at a controlled level, I went back to the vein when my body grew weak. Justus left the room, disgusted by the whole affair. Couldn’t say I blamed him. I thought I’d be spending my first birthday binging on alcohol, not O positive.

  “Page?”

  “Yes?”

  I wiped my mouth on the towel draped across the pillows. “Justus—you think he’s a prick, don’t you?”

  Her sigh was barely perceptible. “I’m a Relic and a professional healer. He’s overstepping his bounds when he interferes. I don’t like people telling me how to do my job when they don’t know a single thing about it. He’s an imperious jackass, and you have my sympathies.”

  “Yeah, he’s like that.”

  “I’m going to make some notes and do a little research, Silver. If you need anything, just yell.” When Page left the room, I made a small inquisitive sound. The kind you make when you’ve figured something out.

  “You noticed that too, huh?” Christian asked with an amused voice.

  “Hard not to. I’ve lived with Justus long enough that it caught my attention right away. It’s weird that he didn’t seem to notice.”

  “Perhaps he was too distracted by his old guard tucked beside his precious Learner.”

  “I could curl up with a teddy bear and he’d tear it a new stuffing.”

  A shiver skated across my skin.

  “Here, you need to start again,” he urged.

  “Why don’t you just put a straw in there, Mr. Juicebox?”

  “I don’t exactly like spending my evenings as a cocktail, so let’s get this over with, yeah?”

  “Where’s my cat?”

  “Clawing out Justus’s eyes, I hope.”

  “He would do that, too.” I chuckled.

  Christian coaxed my head to the wound and I drank.

  “You know, you aren’t so bad when your mouth is full.”

  “Do you say that to all the women?”

  “A filthy mouth doesn’t become a lady. You should learn to hold that tongue of yours.”

  “All you old immortals have a thing about how ladies should act. I can always have another Vampire delivered; I’m sure there’s a takeout service.”

  He pulled my head back down, “Shut up and feed before I have to cut my throat again.”

  After a minute, he groaned and I pulled away. “Is this hurting you? Maybe we should do it somewhere else.”

  “Where would you suggest, lass? Because I have a lovely vein in my groin area that you could suck on.” He gave a satisfied laugh.

  “So it’s okay for you to have a dirty mouth, but not a woman?” I flew on my back, staring into the dark void. “Maybe it’s working; my fingers aren’t burning anymore.”

  “She said there’s a good chance you’ll regain your sight, so do exactly as you’re told.”

  My mind raced. What if we never caught Nero? This could go on for infinity until he got what he wanted, so why didn’t I just give him the damn box? Would he leave me alone? Then there was Tarek. If he’d meant to kill me then he would have, but he wanted me to suffer. Even worse, he wanted Logan to watch. I closed my eyes. So very tired.

  Except Christian was shaking me. “Wake up! Fall asleep on me and I’ll shave your head. The blood loss is making you tired.”

  He tugged on my neck and I pressed my lips shut. I was cognizant of the consequences of refusing to drink, but my state of mind was akin to a fever and I wasn’t thinking rationally. Christian was too strong for me to resist and he shoved my face against his wet neck. What was the point? I would always question if Logan had settled for me; Tarek would forever play his games; Nero would stop at nothing,
and I could be permanently blind.

  Christian hooked his finger in my mouth and I bit down on it. He rolled his heavy body over mine and forced my jaws open. Blood trickled in my throat and I choked.

  “Just swallow it.”

  My body submitted and I commenced drinking. His warm breath was rapid against my shoulder and I heard a low groan. I snapped out of my blood frenzy to see what was wrong.

  “Is that hurting you?”

  “Jaysus wept, you really think this is hurting me? This sounds like a conversation between two teens in the back of a Chevrolet. Don’t ask daft questions if you don’t know about Vampires.”

  I wiped the back of my hand over my mouth. “How do you manage to follow me when I’m out?”

  He rolled off and the bed lightly bounced as he settled to my left. “I’ve got a motorcycle, but I can stay behind a good distance and track where you’re going with my eyes and ears. No need for the headlamp. On foot, I shadow walk.” He shifted to his side. “Can I just say that you riding that Ducati the other night seriously hurt my feelings? It was enough to make a grown man weep. You should learn how to properly ride.”

  “My options were limited and I wasn’t about to take the princess car out. Justus would kill me three times over.”

  “I failed you as a guard,” he bit out.

  “Do you think that I blame you for what happened? You were attacked.”

  “And that’s why I failed. I’ve been doing this job for years and I get taken out by a fucking pencil.”

  I belched and turned my head to my side. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I muttered.

  “Definitely not the effect I usually have on women.”

  The thought of what’d I’d been doing—drinking blood—coiled in my stomach. “No one’s perfect.”

  “This is not just a job; it’s an obligation and an honor to protect a life. I’m not leaving you unless Zeus himself throws a lightning bolt into my arse, sending me across three counties, or I’m discharged. You hear?”

  I not only understood him, but I was about to throw up on him.

  He gripped my shoulders and slung me over his lap. I vomited something thick and acidic—listening to it splatter on the floor. God, the floor. I wanted to curl up and die because my room probably looked like a slaughterhouse.