Warrior

by Karen Lynch

  He sighed dramatically. “And I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with her, talking about the good old days. Maybe she’d give me a taste of that fine faerie blood. I hear there is nothing like it.”

  My jaw clenched, and I reached for the door handle.

  “Don’t.” Tristan laid a hand on my shoulder. “He’s trying to provoke you.”

  I dropped my hand and stared at the creature that used to be Nate Grey. It had his memories and his body, but it was nothing like the man. Prior to today, I’d never known anyone before they became a vampire. I’d never thought about the person they’d been, or how much of them was left after the demon took over their body. It was clear to me now that nothing of them remained.

  “What happened to you?” I asked him.

  He laughed coldly. “I should think that’s obvious.”

  “Yes, but I bet you want to tell us all about it.” If there was one thing I knew about vampires, it was how arrogant they were. They loved to talk about themselves. And the younger the vampire, the cockier they were.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he taunted. “I didn’t tell Tristan the ten times he asked me. Why would I tell you?”

  I shrugged. “I figured you’d enjoy telling us how you became strong and whole again.”

  “Like you care. You just want to know who she was.”

  “She?”

  His mouth closed, and he scowled at me.

  “A woman, huh? Bet she was beautiful too.”

  He remained silent.

  I wet my lips. “It’s kind of dry down here, isn’t it? You must be getting thirsty by now.”

  “I’m fine,” he lied as his eyes took on a hungry gleam.

  “We have a few pints of blood upstairs in the medical ward if you change your mind. I’m sure it’s not as good as blood fresh from the vein, but it’ll still taste pretty damn good going down.”

  He swallowed convulsively, his eyes dipping to my throat.

  I continued to taunt him. “I heard new vampires have to drink twice a day. When did you last have blood? Definitely over twelve hours ago. I have a feeling you’re going to get mighty parched in the next few hours.”

  The vampire said nothing.

  I looked at Tristan. “I think we’re done here.”

  “I want to see Sara,” Nate said.

  “I want my friend back,” I called over my shoulder. “Looks like neither of us will get what we want.”

  “I know her. She’ll want to see her uncle before…well, you know.”

  “You know nothing about her, vampire,” I said more calmly than I felt. “And you’re not her uncle.”

  “Maybe not, but I might be more inclined to talk to her. If she asks me nicely.”

  Tristan motioned for me to go back to the outer room.

  “That’s as much as I could get out of him last night, except for the fact that his maker was a female,” he said once we were out of earshot of the vampire. “He keeps asking to see Sara.”

  I crossed my arms. “That’s not going to happen. I won’t let that thing torment her for one second more than it already has.”

  “I don’t want that either, but he’s right about her. She’s going to want to see him before he dies.”

  I opened my mouth to object, but he spoke first. “You know Sara. No matter how much pain she’s in, she’s going to need to say good-bye to Nate. We can’t stop her from seeing him if she wants to.”

  My stomach twisted at the thought of her in the same room with the vampire, and the pain it would cause her. Khristu, hasn’t she been through enough?

  “She’s not going to see him without me,” I said in a tone that brooked no argument.

  “Or me,” he replied. He looked at the door to the cells. “I’m going to move him to one of the interrogation rooms. He’s a lot thirstier today, so I might get something out of him if I tempt him with blood.”

  His expression of distaste made it clear how he felt about working on the vampire again. Last night could not have been easy for him.

  “I’ll do it,” I said. I wanted to go back to Sara, but Jordan would stay with her. It was important that we find out what the vampire knew, and it wasn’t fair to put that on Tristan.

  “We’ll do it together,” he said gratefully. “I don’t know how long you could be alone with him before he goaded you into killing him.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  He opened the door again. “Let’s get this over with then.”

  * * *

  I stood on the front steps as the black Expedition pulled up with Niall behind the wheel. The front passenger door opened, and Roland jumped out. Peter climbed out of the back seat, and the two of them went to the rear to grab their large duffle bags.

  The SUV drove away, and the boys turned to me.

  “Welcome to Westhorne,” I said, walking down the steps. “Thanks for coming so soon.”

  “Thanks for calling us. We would have been here last night if we could.” Roland hefted his bag on his shoulder. “Where’s Sara?”

  “I think she’s walking her hounds.”

  When I’d gone back to her room earlier, I’d found a note from Jordan saying Sara had gone to the menagerie. I’d called there and Sahir told me she had taken Hugo and Woolf out. I didn’t worry that she’d go far. Plus, Tristan had doubled the patrols last night.

  Peter glanced around nervously. “Oh yeah, the hellhounds.”

  I smiled and pointed to the door. “You can wait in the main hall while I go find her.”

  Roland shivered. “Thanks. It’s bloody cold in Idaho.”

  I left them in the hall and started across the snow-covered lawn until movement near the river caught my eye. I headed toward the small figure strolling aimlessly along the bank, looking so pale and lost that my heart ached for her.

  She stopped and turned toward me as I drew near, and her sad eyes warmed as her mouth formed a ghost of a smile. I took her in my arms, letting my body warm her chilled one as we stood quietly for a long moment.

  I pulled back to look down at her. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m okay,” she lied bleakly.

  I took her cold hand and started back toward the main building. I hadn’t told her about her friends coming because she needed a happy surprise.

  “Come, I have something for you.”

  “What is it?” she asked with mild curiosity.

  I squeezed her hand. “I know nothing can take away your pain or undo what’s happened. But if you could have anything else right now, what would it be?”

  Without hesitation, she said, “I’d want –”

  “Sara!” shouted Roland as he tore around the corner of the building.

  “Roland!” A sob tore from her throat, and she threw herself at her friend who hugged her as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. As soon as Roland let her go, Peter wrapped her in a hug.

  “How did you guys get here?” she asked tearfully when Peter had set her on her feet again.

  Roland’s smile faded. “Nikolas called me last night and told me you needed us. He had a private jet pick us up in Portland this morning. He told us about Nate. I’m so sorry, Sara.”

  She pressed her lips together and nodded.

  “I’ll let you three catch up.” Seeing them together, I knew her friends were exactly what she needed now.

  Sara caught my hand as I turned to leave. “Thank you,” she said hoarsely as a tear escaped and ran down her face.

  I wiped the wetness away and gave her a tender smile. “I’ll be close if you need me.”

  I had to force myself to leave her, even though I knew she was in good hands. All afternoon, my thoughts returned to her, and I worried how she was doing. It had to be unbearable, knowing Nate was close by and waiting to hear when he was going to die. The sooner we took care of that, the better. After working on him for two hours, I was sure we’d gotten all we could from him. Keeping him alive was only prolonging Sara’s pa
in.

  That evening, I ate a quick meal in the dining hall, keenly aware of Sara’s absence. As soon as I finished, I headed for her room to check on her. No one answered my knock so I went to Roland’s room, which was right across the hall from hers.

  “Hey, what’s up?” he asked.

  “Is Sara with you?”

  “No. She was tired after dinner and went to lie down for a while.”

  I went back to Sara’s door and knocked again. When there was no answer, I opened the door and looked inside. The bed was rumpled, but there was no sign of her.

  Worry gnawed at me and I headed back downstairs. Maybe she’d gone to the menagerie again. She seemed to find comfort in being with the hellhounds.

  I reached the first floor, and nearly collided with Tristan in the main hall.

  “Nikolas,” he said in a rush, and his fearful expression set off alarm bells in my head. “Ben just called. Sara knocked him out and locked herself in with Nate.”

  I didn’t wait to hear what he said next. My heart pounded against my ribs as I sped down to the lower level. I burst into the outer room and found Ben sitting on the floor, still looking slightly dazed from the jolt Sara had given him.

  “She’s in there,” he said weakly, pointing at the door to the cells.

  I tried the door, but it was locked. “Where are the keys?”

  “She took them.” Ben rested his face in his hands. “What the hell did she do to me?”

  Tristan caught up to me, carrying the other set of keys. He unlocked the door, and the two of us ran to the cell at the end of the hallway.

  The cell door was locked, and inside the room, Sara stood a foot from the vampire that was still chained to the wall. The vampire’s cocky sneer had been replaced by a look of fear. I understood why when I saw blue sparks move through Sara’s hair.

  “Sara, no!” Tristan shouted. “Whatever you’re planning to do, you have to stop.”

  “I’m going to kill a vampire,” she replied thickly.

  Tristan gripped the bars in the window. “Listen to me, Sara; you don’t want to do this. Killing a vampire is one thing, but if you kill Nate, it will haunt you forever.”

  “He’s not Nate. He’s a monster,” she said as her hair began to float around her shoulders.

  “Yes, he is, but you will see only Nate’s face when you remember this,” Tristan told her. “Nate would not want that for you.”

  “I –”

  “Sara, open the door,” I said in a gentle but firm voice.

  Her hands began to glow in response. The vampire shrank away from her, his eyes wide with terror.

  She laid her hands on his chest, and he screamed.

  Grabbing the keys from Tristan, I fitted one into the lock. I had to stop her. No matter what she said, she would never come back from killing Nate.

  The door swung open and I moved toward Sara, only to be hit by a blast of power unlike anything I’d felt from her. I slammed into the wall by the door with enough force to make my ears ring.

  I opened my eyes and was nearly blinded by the brilliant white sphere that now encased Sara and the vampire.

  “Jesus Christ,” Tristan uttered as I got to my feet.

  “Sara.” I started toward her, and I made it two feet before I came up against a pulsing wall of energy that burned me the longer I pushed at it.

  Tristan grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me backward out of the room. “Nikolas, stop. You’re only hurting yourself.”

  I pulled out of his grasp. “She’s in there with a goddamn vampire. I have to get to her.”

  Turning back to the room, I tried to look at the ball of light, but it was like staring into the sun. I couldn’t see Sara or the vampire, and that scared the hell out of me. All I could do was stand here helplessly and imagine the worst.

  “Sara’s doing this, whatever it is,” Tristan said.

  No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sphere sent out another pulse that pushed us back several steps.

  Then it was gone, leaving Sara and the vampire lying motionless on the stone floor.

  Chapter 25

  Solmi, my Mori wailed.

  For one terrifying moment, I thought I’d lost her. It wasn’t until I sank to my knees beside her and pulled her into my arms that I realized the bond was still there.

  “Sara?” I called to her as I checked her pulse and breathing. Thank you, I prayed silently when I felt her warm breath against my face.

  I patted her cheek. “Sara, can you hear me?”

  Nothing, not even an eyelid flicker.

  I rose to my feet with her cradled in my arms. “I need to get her to the healers.”

  Tristan didn’t respond.

  I looked at him and found him staring at the vampire sprawled on the floor. The shock on Tristan’s face had me following his gaze to the vampire looking up at us with a confused expression that made him look almost human again. It took me several seconds to realize he was on the floor instead of chained to the wall and that his shackles were gone.

  “It can’t be,” Tristan breathed. “It’s not possible.”

  “What?” I asked harshly.

  “Look at him, Nikolas. Look at his eyes.”

  I stared down at the vampire, who turned his head until his green eyes, so much like Sara’s, met mine. I sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Nikolas?” he said weakly, struggling to sit up. “What happened?”

  “Nate?”

  He sat leaning against the wall and breathing hard from the effort. “I feel like I have the hangover from hell.”

  Tristan and I exchanged a look.

  “Nate, you don’t look well,” Tristan said slowly. “I’ll get you some blood.”

  “Blood?” A look of revulsion crossed Nate’s face, followed soon after by shock. He ran a hand over his mouth, feeling for the fangs he no longer had.

  “I-I’m not…that thing is gone… Please, tell me this is real.”

  “It’s real.” Tristan looked like he was still in shock. “What can you remember?”

  Nate rubbed his temples. “Bits and pieces. It’s coming back slowly. I remember talking to Sara. I think I was chained to the wall and…”

  He looked up at the girl in my arms and fear filled his eyes. “Sara! Oh, God. What did I do to her?”

  “I think whatever she did to you caused this.” I looked down at her unconscious form. “I’m going to take her to the healers. Tristan, are you okay here?”

  “Yes, although I’m not sure exactly what to do now.”

  I left him trying to figure out what to do about Nate and rushed to the medical ward. The healers on duty had me lay Sara on a table, and then they got to work examining her. I left the room just long enough for them to remove her clothing and dress her in a hospital gown.

  “What’s wrong with her?” I asked when I returned.

  “We’re not sure,” one of the healers replied. “All her vitals look good, and she doesn’t appear to have any physical injuries. Can you tell us how she came to be like this?”

  I shut the door. “Sara is half Fae.”

  The healers looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

  “It’s true.” I gave them a quick overview of her history. “Her magic affects demons as any Fae’s magic would. You heard about her uncle showing up yesterday as a vampire?”

  They nodded, looking incapable of speech.

  “Sara used her power on him, and it looks like he’s human again. And she ended up like this.”

  One of the healers crossed her arms and fixed me with a hard stare. “Is this some kind of prank?”

  “Do I look like I’m joking around?” I ground out. “You know as much as I do about what happened. Now help her.”

  “Her uncle really is human again?” the other healer asked.

  “We think so. Tristan’s with him now.”

  She shook her head in disbelief and waved a hand at Sara. “I don’t know much about Fae physiology, but if she used that
much magic and she’s only half Fae, she could be in shock. She does have a Mori, yes?”

  “Yes. We’re bonded.”

  “Ah.” Her eyes lit with understanding. “It’s possible then that her magic was too much for her Mori and she passed out because of it. We’ll observe her and hope she wakes up soon.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you can do for her?”

  “Nikolas, we’ve never had a patient like Sara before, and quite frankly, neither of us knows what to do beyond this point. Let’s give it a little time and see what happens.”

  We moved Sara to a bed so she’d be more comfortable. The healers left and I sat by the bed, holding her hand and watching for any sign she was coming around.

  Twenty minutes later, Tristan and Ben walked past the door, supporting Nate between them. They put him in one of the rooms, and soon I heard the healers’ exclamations as they saw what could be the world’s first ex-vampire. I still wasn’t sure I believed it myself, and I’d been there.

  I squeezed Sara’s hand. “You have some explaining to do when you wake up.”

  “How is she?” Tristan asked from the doorway.

  “She’s still out. They think she might be in some kind of shock.”

  He came over to stand at the foot of the bed. “I’m not surprised after what she did. Jesus, what did she do?”

  “So Nate is human again?” The words sounded surreal to my ears.

  “As far as I can tell. Silver doesn’t burn him, and he looked ill when we offered him blood. The healers are checking him now.”

  I gazed down at Sara’s still face. She looked so peaceful she could have been sleeping.

  “Is it safe to have him so close to Sara?”

  Tristan nodded. “We have a restraint on him as a precaution, and I’m leaving someone outside his door.”

  “How’s he dealing with all this?” I asked.

  Tristan exhaled loudly. “He’s in shock too. He keeps asking if this is real and if Sara is okay.”

  “She will be. She has to be,” I said roughly.

  “Didn’t she say healings made her tired? And you said she passed out after healing her werewolf friend. This could be her body’s way of recharging after using so much power.”