by Lisa Kessler
He pulled a chair beside her. As he began to sit, he noticed another woman curled up on the recliner in the corner, asleep. She had similar features to Juliana with some gray in her hair. Her mother?
Colin took Juliana’s hand, lifting it to his lips. Can you hear me?
His pulse pounded in his ears as his heart sank.
“They’ve got her sedated.”
He snapped his attention toward the voice. Now that the woman was awake, there was no denying this was Juliana’s mother.
“You must be Colin.”
He nodded slowly, offering his hand. “Aye.”
She took his hand. “I’m Moira Duffy. Bartley tells me you saved my girl from the ocean.”
Bartley. He must’ve let her know Juliana was in the hospital when Colin stumbled into the farm just before daybreak.
He sat back down, taking Juliana’s hand. “I got her out of the water and here to the hospital, but I hope I wasn’t too late.”
Moira rubbed Juliana’s calf through the blankets. “My girl is made of tough Irish stock.” Her voice hitched, revealing her worry, but she kept her gentle smile firmly in place. “They say she’s got pneumonia in both lungs so best to keep her sleepin’ until the antibiotics do their work.”
“Has she been awake at all?”
“Not yet.” Her mother shook her head and wiped her nose. “But she will. I know it.”
He looked at Juliana’s sleeping face, praying he’d gotten to her soon enough.
Moira sat down again. Her gaze weighed on his shoulders, but he didn’t spare a glance. All his focus remained on Juliana.
“Were you two datin’? Bartley said you were her boyfriend.”
Colin almost smiled. He never imagined anyone would use that word to refer to him. Ever. He didn’t respond, just held Juliana’s hand.
Moira leaned forward in her chair. “Do ya love her?”
He met her gaze across the room with a nod. “With all my heart.”
Tears welled in her mother’s tired eyes. “Good. She deserves no less.”
The next two nights were the longest he could ever recall. Bartley came by, usually walking Moira to the cafeteria to make sure she ate. Colin half listened while Moira told stories about Juliana, but his attention was on his angel, wishing he heard her voice in his mind.
“Did she ever tell you about her dreams?”
He glanced up at Moira as she came into the room. “For the future?”
“No.” She sat down. “Of the future.”
He shook his head slowly. “Are you saying Juliana is psychic?”
Moira opened an envelope and pulled out a silver chain with a Celtic triquetra pendant.
Colin straightened. “Juliana’s necklace.”
She nodded, running her finger over the pendant as it rested in her palm. “It was my mother’s. She believed all the old stories about souls being connected, our lives like threads. After the bombing, Juliana crossed over for a few minutes.”
“She died?”
“Briefly.” Moira wiped a tear. “When they revived her, she couldn’t hear, but she came back with a gift from the other side. From her grandmother.”
“Your mother was psychic?”
“Not in the way most people think. Visions came to her in dreams, connections between people.” She held up the Celtic triangle. The light caught the three points. “She passed away the year before the bombing. She left this necklace to Juliana.”
“And you believe she sent Juliana back with her gift of prophecy?”
“I don’t believe, I know.” She crossed the room and placed the necklace in his hand. “I hope my mother has the power to send her back again.”
The door closed behind her, and Colin put the pendant in Juliana’s palm, closing her fingers around it. I miss you. He kissed her forehead. Take as many nights as you need. I will be right here waiting for you to find your way back to us.
He sat down and rested his forehead against her hand.
Colin?
Her voice was weak in his mind. He lifted his head, staring at her face. She didn’t move.
I’m here. He stroked his thumb over her knuckles. You had me worried.
Tell me what it’s like to fly.
His lips curved into a slight smile. You remember.
I’m running out of fight.
He sobered, threading his fingers with hers. The drugs are talking now. You are healing.
Not this time. She gave his hand a weak squeeze. I can’t find my way back.
No. His eyes welled with tears. I won’t let you go.
I don’t think you get a say in this. A smile colored her words somehow, and a dam of emotion broke inside of him. This wasn’t right. She had saved him, repaired his broken spirit. He’d flown for her. He couldn’t lose her now.
I should have told you everything. I thought I had more time. Please, angel, don’t go. Let me heal you.
How? her voice whispered into his mind.
I can give you my blood. Your body will be reborn immortal. He kissed her hand, praying she would agree. You will live only at night, and the blood of the living will sustain you.
A vampire.
No. He ground his teeth, struggling to remain calm. She had to make this decision. He could not make it for her. You would be a Night Walker, a protector of the mortal world. Your soul will connect with the animal spirit within you.
Can’t be real… Her tone was breathy, weak. Will I fly?
Hi kissed her forehead. I don’t know. We’ll discover that together. After you’re changed.
Will I be able to hear again?
Probably not. He clenched his fist, wishing there was some way he could grant her wish. You will be stronger, but my blood will not change who you are now. Pausing, he added, But you would be able to hear the thoughts of others around you. Not hearing in the same way you once did, but as you and I are talking now.
She didn’t answer. He held his breath.
The door opened behind him. Moira entered, a sob choking her throat. He turned. “What is it? What happened?”
She gulped in air. “Juliana’s not responding to the antibiotics. Her lungs are filling with fluid. They’re trying, but they told me she may not last the week.” Her dark eyes met his. Pain lined her features. “What have I done to deserve losing everyone I have ever loved? Am I cursed?”
He got up and embraced her, whispering into her hair. “The doctors are wrong. You will not lose her. She is fighting. I know she is.”
She wept on his shoulder while he watched Juliana’s ashen face.
There wasn’t much time left.
With Moira sleeping in the chair across the room, Colin watched the machines beeping around Juliana. Hypnotic balls of light bounced with each beat of her heart, tormenting him with the reality that soon the line would ultimately flatten.
He had to act. With only three hours until sunrise, time was running out. What if she succumbed during the day while he was unable to help her? Was he selfish enough to change her without her consent?
He raked his fingers through his hair. There was no good alternative. He glanced at the door and back at Juliana. He carefully lifted her oxygen mask and placed a tender kiss to her lips.
Juliana. I need to help you.
I’m so tired.
I know, love. You’ll never feel weak again. Let me heal you.
Not here.
His heart missed a beat. She hadn’t refused him.
At Sea Haven. I have a safe place. He just needed her to stay alive long enough for him to get her there.
Colin?
Yes?
Look at me. He glanced at her face, shocked to see her beautiful eyes open. I love you, too.
He grinned. She’d heard him the night he’d brought her to the hospital.
Her eyelids drifted closed again. Benedict?
Dead.
Good. She gave his hand a weak squeeze. I’m ready.
It took him a few minutes to mesmeriz
e her mother and find the attending doctor on duty, but they got Juliana’s discharge paperwork signed. He planted peace in Moira’s mind, the understanding that Juliana experienced a miraculous recovery and would visit her for dinner in two days.
Satisfied, he disconnected all the wires and tubes, wrapped her in the hospital blanket to keep her warm, and lifted her into his arms. Ready?
She didn’t answer. He was running out of time.
He rushed her back to Sea Haven. Claire answered the door in her robe, eyes widening when she recognized his companion. “Is it safe for her to be out of the hospital?”
“The doctors cannot help her.” He met Claire’s gaze. “I can.”
She pressed her lips together and opened the door to the basement. “Whatever you’re plannin’, I hope it works.”
“Me, too.”
Once he was settled below in his private chamber, he laid Juliana on his bed, stretching out beside her. Her breathing was fast, shallow, and her heart fluttered erratically. He kissed her forehead.
Juliana? Are you ready?
His voice was a whisper through the foggy veil between life and death. Exhaustion had her in its clutches, tightening the vise around her chest. Her body ached, cold, no longer a partner with her spirit but an enemy. It would be easy to give in, not to struggle for the next breath.
Juliana. I need you to fight. Just a little more, angel.
Angel. It brought back a warm memory. It felt like ages had passed since she’d lain naked in his arms, no pain, no fear. Only Colin.
I can’t find you.
She caught his scent, his hair tickling her skin as his lips caressed her neck. Suddenly, a sharp pain focused her, yanking her back from the fog to the present. The jolt of discomfort gave way to a pleasure she’d never known. Her entire body warmed, hungry for his touch.
And then Colin was with her. She saw him in her mind. He stood tall on the top of a pyramid in the jungle. Green like her home, but hot, so hot. There were others with him. His brothers. Three of them.
My home with the Mayan people. My people.
It’s beautiful.
I’ll take you there someday.
But I’m dying.
Another wave of ecstasy swelled, followed by his deep, throaty voice, growling with desire. Death will never steal you from me, angel.
Something wet dripped onto her lips, her tongue. A moment later, fire surged through her veins. Thirsty. He offered his wrist, blood dripping from a fresh cut. She pulled him closer, each swallow alleviating the exhaustion, the weakness.
Drink deeply, and be strong.
Parched, she took him into her body, his blood banishing the fluid from her lungs, returning her strength. She looked up at him as he withdrew his wrist. His wound healed before her eyes. She reached up to her throat to grasp her pendant and gasped.
Looking for this? The Celtic triangle dangled from his fingers.
Colin helped her fasten it in place. She glanced around his room. In spite of the dim lighting, she had no trouble seeing every detail.
Do you see well in the dark?
He nodded with a smile. It appears Benedict was right about one thing. There is magic in your veins. I have never heard of another human experiencing the heightened Night Walker senses until after their first rising. He brushed a kiss to her cheek, near her ear. If you reach out with your mind you should…
His words faded as she concentrated on the others in his house. The farm was awakening just before sunrise. Bartley’s always late for breakfast. Claire. And then a male voice she recognized. Come and get it, sheep. Hustle before Claire’s chewing my ass about breakfast being cold.
Tears brimmed in her eyes as laughter escaped her throat, a noise she didn’t censure. I hear them. Bartley and Claire. I can’t see their lips, but I hear their thoughts.
Colin smiled down at her. Enjoy it now. Soon it will be so loud I will need to teach you to shield your mind.
After all the years of silence, I love the noise. She pulled him down to her lips, kissing him tenderly. I love you.
I didn’t know what love meant until I met you. He stared into her eyes, his finger sliding along her jawline. I have existed for thousands of years, but you have finally taught me how to live. You gave me my wings when I thought I’d never fly again.
You gave me my voice. She ran her fingers down his scarred left arm. He didn’t flinch. She smiled, her eyelids growing heavy. All of a sudden, I’m exhausted.
Colin nodded. The sun is rising. When it sets, you have much to learn.
I’m a quick study.
He grinned. I have no doubt.
Juliana’s heart awoke as the sun set. She pulled in a breath that morphed into a moan as she found herself settling into a hot bath. She opened her eyes. Colin straightened, standing over her.
What a way to wake up. She wriggled her fingers in the water, enjoying her new Night Walker senses. Colin walked to the door, and she frowned. You’re not coming in with me?
Not yet. He glanced back at her. I have some cleaning up to do first.
Cleaning up?
You’re a Night Walker now. There was an Irish lilt to his voice. Playful. While ya rested yer body transformed. It’s a pisser of a process, but the end result is more than worth it.
With an accent like that no one would take ya for a foreigner.
His grin widened. I have lived here longer than any Irishmen on the island. I think I earned a little brogue, aye?
“Aye.” She had no idea what the tone of her voice was, but the sparkle in his eyes made it worth the effort.
Bollocks. I cannae get enough of you, angel. He came back over for one more kiss.
She watched him walk away, uninhibited in his nakedness. His chiseled, well-muscled nakedness. She pinched herself just to make sure she was really awake. Dipping under the water, she wet her hair and surfaced to find him standing in the doorway.
I thought you had to clean up.
Already did.
Her eyes widened. How?
Besides having clear vision in the dark and hearin’ thoughts, we can move faster than mortals can see. He raised a brow slightly. Especially when I’ve got incentive.
Incentive? She gnawed at her lower lip, enjoying the way he watched her mouth.
I have plans for you… He scooped her out of the tub so fast she gasped. He turned on the shower. But the tub is too small for my plans.
Oh really? She grinned as she kissed him slowly.
His tongue parted her lips, drawing a moan from her throat as she returned his caress. He carried her into the shower, lowering her feet to the ground, the hot water sluicing down her body. He stood behind her and shampooed her hair. His fingers massaged her scalp until she worried her knees might give out. His soapy hands reached around her, teasing her nipples into taut points before sliding down her abdomen.
She rested against his chest, enjoying his attention. He bent and brushed his lips against her shoulder. He turned her to face him while he rinsed out her hair.
When she opened her eyes, his smile softened as he ran a soapy finger over her pendant. I am so grateful to whatever or whoever wove our destinies together, that you were playing piano as I walked by the pub.
I had a dream the night before. I saw your face, and I wondered how our lives were connected. I’m sorry that I doubted you when Benedict told me he saw you with Muriel.
He shrugged. I should have told you everything, but I was too selfish, too afraid I would lose you. In the end, I almost did.
She ran her wet hand up his chest to rest over his heart. In my dreams I can still hear. The banshee called and I saw your face and Benedict’s. Our lives were entwined and death was coming, but I didn’t warn you. I didn’t realize Muriel would get pulled into the web.
None of this is your fault.
She nodded with a little shrug. Maybe all of it was destiny. I was given a glimpse but no chance to change it.
He bent his knees, sliding his hands down the b
acks of her thighs, lifting her so they were eye to eye. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rested her forehead to his. His voice warmed her from the inside out.
From this night on…no more secrets.
She nodded. No more secrets.
His lips fused to hers. She tangled her fingers in the back of his wet hair, moaning as the tip of his erection brushed her opening. She rocked her hips forward, and their bodies joined. Every thrust of his hips, every inch of him inside of her, sent her passion soaring.
Colin was her destiny. This moment, this love. His blood had silenced the banshee.
He broke the kiss, his lips trailing down her neck to her shoulder. Her head lulled to the side, opening for him. Teasing her flesh with his tongue, he whispered into her mind. You need to drink.
His voice, his command, his offer, all blended into a compulsion she couldn’t resist. Tilting her head down, she licked the water from his shoulder. The scent of his skin enticed her, and the sound of his pulse throbbing tempted her thirst to the surface. Her tongue slid along her teeth, shocked to discover fangs lengthening. Her new instincts already at work.
Drink from me, angel. All that I am is yours.
She bit. His blood awakened every cell in her body, her muscles clenching around him as his hips worked into her faster. She drank him in, welcoming his mind to join with hers through their blood connection. Her memories were his, and suddenly a sting became erotic pleasure as he fed on her, as well. She’d never felt so close to anyone, so intimate. They were one in every possible way.
She cried his name aloud as her orgasm swept through her. He held her tight, surrendering, and pulsed deep inside of her, making her tremble in his arms. His lips brushed her shoulder as he healed the bite. She continued to drink until her thirst was sated. Finally, she rested her head on his shoulder.
That was…intense.
He kissed her ear. Amazing.
She lifted her head. He had the sexiest grin on his face. She smiled up at him as he lowered her to the ground. Thank you for saving me.
Only fair… He raised her chin, kissing her tenderly. Because you most definitely saved me.
Colin glided through the night sky, keeping watch over the red fox running below. In the weeks since Juliana had become a Night Walker, his life had turned upside down. He no longer repressed his hawk. Juliana had helped him to see there was more to him than his loss. He couldn’t fly high into the sky or hunt like he once had, but he could still glide, enjoy the freedom of weightlessness, the wind in his face.