“What?” he asked when she seemed disinclined to speak.
She sighed. “Something has come up.”
He frowned. “What is it?”
“Mattheus said after he tripped the first fail-safe and was hit with a couple of blades, he felt a little sluggish. It didn’t last long. But he suspected the blades had been coated with something.”
“Like what? The sedative?”
“That would explain why you slept for nearly two days. But he wasn’t sure. So he pocketed some of the daggers and darts, and the researchers up on sublevel four have been examining them.”
“What did they find?”
“The darts contained the tranquilizer. The dosage varied, so we aren’t sure exactly how much you were hit with.”
“Not enough to be lethal.”
“No, thank goodness. A few of the blades were coated with it, too. But the thing that concerns me isn’t the sedative. They also found a poisonous substance on some of the blades. That shouldn’t have affected you. The virus is tough as nails when it comes to neutralizing chemicals. But since your ears are still bothering you, I’d like to do some blood work just in case.”
“Okay.” Cliff followed her to the infirmary.
Stuart and the other vampires were up and running on the treadmills. Across the room, Tessa, Jordan, Liora, and the other newly inducted Immortal Guardians sat at a long table covered with file folders and papers, no doubt reviewing the results of the many medical tests Melanie had performed… and finally acknowledging the lies Gershom had told them.
Cliff tensed when everyone looked up at his entrance. Guilt suffused him again when he looked at Liora, but he found no condemnation in her gaze. Jordan eyed him with a blank expression that rankled, but at least he wasn’t shouting at Cliff to stay the hell away.
“Hey, Cliff,” Miguel called from a treadmill. “I heard you saved the day the night of the big showdown.”
“Yeah,” another vamp said. “Mattheus said you were a real badass, getting the Immortal Guardians through all the fail-safes injury-free.”
“That’s so cool,” Stuart added, his eyes glowing as he struggled to block out the voices in his head. “I wish I could’ve been there.”
Cliff forced a smile. “It’d be cooler if I could remember it.” All he knew was what they told him, and he wasn’t sure he could trust that now. Not after they tried to make him forget he’d hurt Liora. But Mattheus wasn’t invested in Cliff the way Melanie and the others were. He had no emotional attachment to him at all, so he had no reason to lie about it.
“Hi, Cliff,” Tessa called, offering him a smile and a wave.
“Hi, Tessa. How’s it going?”
Her smile acquired a wry twist as she shrugged. “It’s going.”
He chuckled because he knew it was expected of him and followed Melanie over to the exam area.
It only took her a couple of minutes to draw the blood she needed for her tests.
“Do you need an infusion?” she asked as she labeled the vials. “Your blood volume looked good when they brought you in, so I didn’t give you any.”
“No.”
“Okay. Bastien will be here as soon as the sun sets if you’re ready to resume your hunts.”
“Sure. I’m going to go rest until he gets here.”
“Okay.”
Cliff waved to the guys and left the infirmary.
At the end of the hallway, Todd nodded to him.
Cliff nodded back, pretended to check the time on his watch, then ducked into his apartment. There he halted. Glancing down at the arm he wore the watch on, the same arm from which Melanie had drawn blood, he straightened it and stared.
Blood beaded at the bend of his elbow. He touched it, wiped it away to reveal a puncture wound that slowly forced out another crimson bead.
His heart began to pummel his ribs. That wound should have healed as soon as Melanie withdrew the needle. That’s why she hadn’t pressed a cotton ball to it and topped it off with a Band-Aid the way nurses used to when he was human.
He looked at his open door.
Reaching over, he slowly closed it, feeling the full weight of it in a way he hadn’t before.
The moment it latched, silence engulfed him.
Oh shit.
He couldn’t hear anything save his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. He might as well have been standing inside his soundproof bathroom. He couldn’t hear anything that took place outside his door. All the customary sounds that usually bombarded him—the chatter of the guards, the movements and conversations that took place in the labs and infirmary, the vampires razzing each other or working out or playing video games—had vanished the moment he closed the door. And even though his mind was refreshingly clear, he couldn’t hear anything that transpired on the floors above him.
Cliff looked at the doorway to his bedroom. Clenching his hands into fists, he jumped toward it… and didn’t even make it halfway there.
Anxiety rising, he sprinted forward… and reached it in about the same time Todd would.
Shit! He wasn’t feeling tired and sluggish because his body was fighting off the lingering effects of the sedative. He felt tired and sluggish because he was used to the strength, speed, and energy being a vampire constantly infused him with.
And he was no longer a vampire.
Cliff hadn’t slept for two days because he was sedated. He had slept for two days because whatever poison those blades had been coated with had been systematically killing off the virus that infected him. And if the poison had killed off the virus…
Panic filled him.
He had no functioning immune system and would die soon.
Emma.
He had to see Emma. As quickly as possible. He wanted to spend whatever time he had left with her. Wanted to remind her who he had been before the damned voices began bellowing in his ears and ramping up his aggression. Wanted his last moments with her not to be full of despair but full of the laughter, teasing, and tenderness he hadn’t been able to give her for so long.
He needed to see her. He had no idea how long someone could live without an immune system but thought he’d once heard Melanie say it could be as little as a day.
Striding into the bathroom, he stripped and took a shower. Had he not been so desperate to get to Emma as quickly as possible, he would’ve laughed at how long it took him. Usually he zipped through his showers with preternatural speed.
As soon as he dried off, he donned the usual T-shirt, cargo pants, and boots—all black.
Grabbing the new cell phone, he slipped it into a pocket just as the door to his apartment clunked and opened.
Bastien stood in the doorway. “Hey. How’re you feeling?”
Cliff strode toward him. “Good. Are you ready to go?”
Bastien’s eyebrows flew up. “Sure.”
They headed for the elevator.
“Hey, man,” Todd said. “Good to see you up and around.”
“Thanks.”
Bastien said nothing as they sequestered themselves in the elevator and rode it up to the ground floor. But Cliff could feel his steady gaze.
“You want to run or drive?” Bastien asked once they were outside.
“Drive.” He couldn’t run to Emma’s without the enhanced speed he’d lost.
“Okay.”
Cliff fidgeted in the seat as they drove away from network headquarters, waiting impatiently to reach the point at which the vampires could no longer hear them.
As per his usual habit, Bastien pulled over a few miles away.
“Could I skip hunting tonight and just go straight to Emma’s?” Cliff blurted.
Bastien studied him a moment. “How are the voices?”
“Quiet.”
“And the aggression?”
“Not a problem.”
After a moment, he nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“Would you give me a ride?”
Cliff usually ran it. “Yeah.”
Another pause. “Okay. You want me to pick you up, too?”
“Yeah.”
“What time?”
“Just before dawn.”
Bastien’s face lost all expression as he turned his gaze forward. “Sure. I’ll be there.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence.
When they were a couple of miles from Emma’s home, Cliff said, “Pull over for a minute, would you?”
Bastien swung off the road and brought the car to a halt.
“This will just take a sec.” Cliff thrust his door open and got out. Tall grasses swished against his calves as he strode into a field. Fortunately, a full moon hung above him, providing enough light for him to see without the enhanced vision he’d lost.
Halting several yards away, he drew the new cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Emma’s number.
“Hello?” she answered.
“It’s me.”
She sucked in a breath. “Cliff! Honey, are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” he told her, and it wasn’t totally a lie. His head hadn’t been this clear in years.
“Kate said you were injured…”
“I was. But my injuries have healed. I’m on my way over there now. Is that all right?”
“Yes! Of course it is! I can’t wait to see you.”
He strolled a few steps farther into the meadow. “Listen, the voices are quieter tonight. So I was wondering…”
“Yes?”
“Remember the night Aidan gave you the watch?”
“Yes,” she said, a hint of caution entering her voice.
He surveyed the pretty meadow. “Could we do that again? Could we have a date night? A nice romantic dinner and maybe some dancing after?”
She sniffed a little. And when she spoke again, it sounded as though she was fighting tears. “I’d love to have a date night, honey.”
“Great. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Pocketing the phone, he bent and began to gather a bouquet of wildflowers for her. Once he was satisfied with the size of it and the variety of colors it afforded, he returned to the car and sank into the passenger seat.
Bastien didn’t move when Cliff closed his door. He just kept staring through the front windshield.
A muscle flexed in his jaw.
“Bastien?”
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” he asked, voice grim.
Go to Emma’s without hunting first? “Yes.”
Without another word, he turned the key and completed the drive to Emma’s house. He kept the engine running once he pulled into her driveway.
Cliff exited the car and closed the door. “Thanks. I’ll see you before dawn.”
Nodding, Bastien backed out and drove away.
Cliff strode up the walk, his heart light. For tonight at least, he would achieve his greatest dream: he would come to Emma as a mortal man bereft of insanity.
The door opened before he reached it.
Emma stepped out onto the porch, wearing the colorful dress from their second night together and no shoes, just sparkling toenails he always thought adorable. “I heard a car.”
“Bastien dropped me off.” Shaking his head, he smiled as he walked toward her. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
Skipping down the steps, she jogged forward and threw herself into his arms.
Laughing, he caught her and swung her around as she hugged him tight. “This is exactly the greeting I was hoping for.” He pressed his lips to the soft skin of her neck where it met the gentle curve of her shoulder, loving her scent and the feel of her in his arms. Peace suffused him as he sighed in contentment. “I missed you.”
A chuckle escaped her, but it sounded forced. “It’s only been two days.”
Lowering her feet to the stone pathway, he drew back just enough to look down at her. “I always miss you when we’re apart.”
A tear spilled over her lashes as she stared up at him. “You’re really okay?”
Cupping her face in his free hand, he smoothed his thumb over her cheek and wiped away the moisture. “I haven’t felt this good in years.”
A tentative smile touched her lips. Then she rose onto her toes and touched her lips to his. “I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered.
“I know,” he said softly. “But I’m still here. And for once the voices are quiet. So…” He stepped back and proffered the flowers, happy to see he hadn’t inadvertently crushed them while swinging her around. “These are for you.”
Her face lit with a smile as she took them. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
He stole another kiss. “So are you.” Looping an arm around her shoulders, he guided her up the path. “Let’s go start our date night.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Emma wrapped her arm around Cliff’s waist and leaned into his side as they climbed the steps, crossed the porch, and headed inside, so happy to have him here with her. She hadn’t known what to expect. If he would be struggling the way he had been the last time they’d been together in Mr. Reordon’s boardroom. If she would even see him at all. But he looked good.
Reluctantly relinquishing her hold on him, she moved away and watched him close and lock the door.
No. He looked great.
Really great.
His manner had been tense, his body taut with carefully restrained aggression, for so long that she’d forgotten how freaking hot he used to look when he strolled toward her. Spellbound, she watched him approach, every movement deliciously fluid, his muscles loose and rippling beneath his clothing.
How long had it been since she’d seen him this way?
It made her heart pound as swiftly as if it were their first date.
His stomach growled.
She grinned.
His lips turned up in a wry smile as he rested a hand on his muscled abs. “Sorry. I think it’s been a couple of days since I ate.”
Emma lost her smile. “They wouldn’t let you eat?”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t eat. I fell asleep shortly after I got back to network headquarters and didn’t wake up until a couple of hours ago.”
“Kate said you were tranqed.”
His eyebrows rose. “Kate from Mr. Reordon’s office?”
“Yes.” Crossing to the kitchen, she breathed a sigh of relief when he stayed with her. She felt clingy as hell and didn’t want to let him out of her sight. “She thought I’d want to know you made it back safely.”
“That was kind of her.”
“I thought so, too.” She studied him. “Were you tranqed?”
He shrugged. “That’s what they tell me.”
Worry nibbled at her. “You don’t remember?”
“No. I don’t remember any of it.”
Did that mean he didn’t remember basically telling her goodbye or the determination she’d read in his eyes to end his existence?
Did that mean he intended to keep fighting?
Taking a vase down from a kitchen cabinet, she filled it with water and arranged the flowers in it. “Todd said everyone has been singing your praises. He said you impressed the hell out of them by safely guiding the immortals through all the booby traps and fail-safes.”
He nodded. And she loved seeing happiness light up his deep brown eyes again. “That’s what they’re saying. I worried at first that Bastien and Melanie might be bullshitting me to make me feel better, but…” He shrugged. “Mattheus—one of the immortals who went with us that night—said it was true. He said I got them all through injury-free.”
Not without great cost to himself, but Emma could see how much it meant to him that he’d done something truly heroic. “That’s wonderful, honey.” She couldn’t resist giving him another hug.
&nb
sp; His hands settled on her hips as he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers in a slow, sensual kiss.
Emma moved closer, leaning her body into his as she parted her lips. His tongue gave hers a teasing stroke, inciting a hum of approval.
His hands tightened, urging her even closer.
His stomach growled.
Both laughed.
Emma patted his chest. “Let’s get some food in you.”
The hours that followed reminded her of the early days of their relationship. Side by side, they worked together to whip up a quick meal of salad, pasta, and the baguettes Cynthia had brought when she’d visited earlier. While they did, they laughed and talked, exchanging quick kisses and affectionate caresses. By some unspoken mutual agreement, neither mentioned the battle, his condition, or his future. They simply enjoyed each other’s presence.
Emma set the coffee table with a white runner and candles. Then they sat cross-legged on the floor across from each other, knees brushing.
Emma told him Cynthia’s plan to spark the vampires’ curiosity about Todd’s prowess in bed. He laughed and shared some of the things the vampires teased Todd about.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled so much. And Cliff seemed wonderfully happy and carefree. Charming and funny. Every time a tiny voice inside wished he could always be thus, she pushed it back into the deepest recesses of her mind. Tonight she would forget everything else and enjoy this eye of the hurricane, this calm between storms. Tonight they were just an ordinary couple, completely enraptured with each other.
Once they finished dinner and cleared the dishes, they headed outside. Cliff arranged her speaker on the front porch and cycled through her phone’s playlists. Then Nat King Cole began to sing “Unforgettable.”
“Perfect,” she said. This whole night was unforgettable.
Smiling, Cliff took her hand. “Most Immortal Guardians like older music. And I’ve spent a lot of time around Bastien and Aidan, so I’ve really grown to appreciate it.”
She smiled. Her grandparents had sparked her own love of oldies.
Cliff led her down the steps and onto the grassy dance floor. There he issued her a gallant bow, then drew her into his arms.
Cliff's Descent Page 28