by Janet Durbin
Joseph was about to follow her when Drayco returned. His color was better, except for the dark circles still present under his eyes. It shocked the fair-haired man to see the cut on his face scabbed over.
"The rain is stopping. We have to get away from here before the spiderbats escape their cage.” He stood where he was, observing the pair.
Shyanne brushed the moisture out of her eyes and went toward their horses. Joseph stayed where he was, watching as she went past him without even a glance in his direction. He opened his mouth to say something, but immediately shut it again before doing so. He faced Drayco, intent on forgetting about what had just happened, even though he knew he never would. The feel of Shyanne's soft lips was still fresh in his mind.
"Are there any horses left? I need one."
"They're over here."
Drayco returned the way he came. Joseph followed. As they disappeared around the corner of a ruined wall, he glanced back at his sister and saw her shoulders shaking as if she was sobbing. Her face was buried in the mane of her horse. Drayco said nothing while they walked into the horse enclosure.
Joseph's step faltered and a gasp escaped as he caught sight of the two dead horses lying near to the back wall, their necks ripped open. “I thought what she told me was outrageous. I see now it was the full truth. You do have to drink blood to survive, don't you?"
"What all were you told?"
Joseph repeated the earlier conversation. Drayco stared at the man with cold eyes. He had never told anyone what he must to do to survive, and wished Shyanne had used the same discretion.
When Joseph finished, he sighed. “I guess it was bound to come out sooner or later. I trust you will keep the information to yourself—for our sake and yours."
"Drayco, I would never tell anyone. I don't want to see either you ... or Shyanne ... get hurt."
The dark twin heard the hesitation when he mentioned his sister's name. He knew then that something had happened between the two of them while he was replenishing himself.
Returning his attention to the enclosure, he said, “Pick a horse. That's why we came here, isn't it?"
"Yes ... yes it is.” Joseph reached out to one of the remaining horses. It nibbled at his hand, searching for a treat. He grabbed the halter and led it out of the enclosure.
Shyanne's composure was back in place when they rounded the corner.
"What took you guys so long? I was getting worried.” She nodded her head in the direction of the main building, “The spiderbats are getting restless. Several poked their ugly faces out until they got wet."
"We're leaving now, little sis.” Drayco moved to Bravaro's side and threw himself into the saddle. He noticed the sideways glance she gave Joseph when he straightened up. The longing showed for only a moment, then was gone.
"I'll need a second to get this horse ready,” Joseph said. “Shyanne, can you hold the reins for me?"
Shyanne went to the front porch and hauled one of the saddles left by the mercenaries to Joseph instead of holding the reins like some handmaiden. During the handover, their hands brushed against each other. She pulled back suddenly, almost causing him to drop it, and quickly returned to Jack. She practically flew into the saddle to wait.
Joseph watched as she walked away. He sighed heavily before tossing the saddle onto the horse. While he worked, he noticed something odd about Drayco. The cut on the man's cheek was closed. A thin scar formed where, under an hour ago, an open slice had been. Joseph thought the limited light from the moon shining through the clouds was playing tricks on his eyes. When he looked again, he saw the same sight.
I wonder if by having to drink blood to stay alive, it has a fantastic healing effect on the body, as well.
He did not have time to think about it, though. Within minutes, the three of them were riding away from the place of terror and death in the same direction taken by the fleeing mercenaries.
The only things left alive to see them go were the spiderbats and a couple of horses.
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Chapter Twelve
It took the trio six long days to cross the vast open plains. In that time, they saw no other living being except for some birds flying high in the sky. A few glided lazily on the air currents while others accompanied the riders in shifts, as if giving them an escort. None flew close enough to replenish the dwindling food supplies. The big animals seen at the beginning of the journey had long since gone. It appeared as if the trio and the flying escorts above were the only living things left on the planet.
Very little conversation transpired throughout most of the travel. Drayco tried on several occasions to get his sister to talk. She refused to say more than a few words, which was just as well since he wasn't in the mood to talk either. Joseph chatted on those occasions he was spoken to, but he also remained silent.
Shyanne avoided the fair-haired man for most of the journey, keeping Drayco between them, or riding ahead. On those occasions where they were forced together, like when they camped for the night, she kept mostly to herself.
Drayco felt the steadily worsening effects of needing blood increase when the plains finally surrendered its hold on the world to the trees growing visible on the horizon. He had been feeling the weakness and ache for the last two days, but said nothing to the pair riding with him. They could not resolve the issue. Moreover, he had not wanted to weigh them down with any more worries than they already had.
"Finally!” Shyanne yelled when she sighted the trees. Her mood picked up substantially, as did Joseph's. Drayco wanted to share in their excitement. His body hurt too much to let him.
The waterskins hung limp from the saddles with only a few drops remaining. Because of the shortage, the horses had been rationed along with the people on them. Some kind of water must have been close because they picked up speed as the scent of the badly needed moisture reached their nostrils.
Joseph and Shyanne could barely keep their animals from breaking away. They grinned, winked at each other, and finally gave in, letting the animals run.
Drayco smiled as he watched the others bridge the gap between the open field and the trees ahead. With a slight prod, Bravaro leapt to follow. A few feet into the run, however, Drayco was hit with an intense pain in his abdominal region. It forced him to double over and grasp a handful of mane to stay in the saddle. Sweat broke out on his forehead; it ran into his eyes, causing them to sting, adding more insult to an already abused body. He grimaced as another wave more intense than the first hit him. This time, he wasn't able to stay in the saddle.
Bravaro was running at a brisk pace when Drayco's grip finally gave way. He fell sideways off the horse and hit the ground, hard. His right shoulder dislocated with the impact, and the back of his head bounced a couple of times while he rolled like a broken rag doll on the grassy plain. He vaguely noticed the new pains due to the other pain still holding him in a vice grip, refusing to give up its hold. When he finally stopped rolling, he was face down on the ground. His right shoulder was at an awkward angle and he couldn't catch his breath.
* * * *
Shyanne made it to the edge of the woods and pulled Jack around, halting his mad dash across the open area. A wide smile covered her face; it was the first one in many days. Joseph pulled his horse up beside her, laughing.
"You should see yourself. It's hilarious the way your hair is sticking out. It makes you look like a giant sunflower."
Shyanne laughed. “You should see yourself, mister.” Pushing her hair down, she glanced back to see how her brother fared. Her face changed in an instant. Where joy and pleasure had glowed over every inch of her, fear and dread replaced it.
"Drayco!"
She was looking over Joseph's shoulder in the direction they had just come. He turned in the saddle and saw Bravaro running their way, riderless. A dark patch lay sprawled on the ground in the distance, half buried by the waving sea of greens and yellows. His smile faded as quickly as hers had. Shyanne spurred Jack toward
her brother's still form. Joseph jerked his horse around and kicked it in the sides. At first, the animal fought, its thirst strong, but the will of the man on its back was stronger.
In seconds, they raced back to where Drayco lay.
Shyanne reached him first and leapt off her horse before it completely stopped. Joseph was right behind her. When he reached out to move the wounded man, she motioned for him not to. She had seen the odd angle of his shoulder. Instead, she brushed lightly against his face with her fingers. Drayco gave no indication that he knew they were there.
He's breathing. Oh dear God, thank you.
Beneath her fingers, his skin was so pale, almost as if he had no pigmentation left.
Why didn't I notice this before? Why didn't he say something about needing to drink?
Shyanne knew why. They could have done nothing about it.
"Drayco? Can you hear me?
"Ohhhh...” A moan escaped from the wounded man as he tried to rise up.
"Drayco, don't move. We need to see where you're injured.” She leaned closer to make sure he heard what she said. He must have, because he stopped. Guiding her hands gently over his body, she felt no other breaks. Sitting up, she looked at Joseph. “He has a bump on the back of his head. Other than that, his shoulder looks to be the only thing out of place. We need to put it back."
Joseph nodded his head. “I'll help where I can."
Shyanne met his eyes. She could see the love shining from within. The same longing ached inside of her, but she knew it would never work, not with the cruel hand dealt to her by the virus. She turned her attention back to her brother.
"Drayco, we need to put your shoulder back in place. It's been dislocated from the fall. Do you understand me?"
His eyes remained shut, though he managed to croak out one word. “Y ... yes..."
"Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"My head hurts ... and my gut feels like it has a hot poker sticking in it.” He barely got the statement out before the pain, which had brought him out of the saddle, hit again. He curled into a ball on his right side, retching, ignoring the injured shoulder completely.
"Drayco, I'm here with you, just hang on.” Joseph placed a hand on the dark man's side, preventing him from rolling back and forth and injuring himself further.
Watching her brother writhe in pain cut into Shyanne as sure as a knife would. She knew what had to be done to end his suffering, and hated it. A look at Joseph told her that he knew this too. With grim determination, she sat next to Drayco's left side and indicated for Joseph to do likewise on the right.
"Once I have him on his back, I want you to take the injured arm and pull it away from his body with all your might until you feel the shoulder slip back in place. I'll do my best to keep him from thrashing about.” He nodded his head and waited for the signal to begin.
"Drayco,” Shyanne spoke into his ear, “I need to lay you on your back. It's the only way we can fix your shoulder.” She tried to roll him onto his back, but a loud hiss of pain escaped from his lips, stopping her.
"Brother, keep your knees bent to take some of the pressure off your gut. We can't do this without your help.” She started to move him again. This time, she succeeded in rolling him onto his back.
Shyanne indicated for Joseph to pick up the dislocated right arm. He did so in a slow, easy manner, straightening it out as best he could during the move. The dark twin cried out. With his teeth clenched tight, he managed to stay on his back, and even help.
"Drayco, we're going to try to fix your shoulder now. I'm sorry for hurting you like this, but it's necessary. I love you, big brother."
She kissed him on his sweaty forehead, then wrapped her arms around his upper torso, firmly pinning his left arm between their bodies. Drayco tossed his head back and forth as the pain attacking his body worsened. He made no attempt to move away, even though every muscle on his body indicated he wanted to. She glanced up at Joseph and nodded for him to get the job done as quickly as possible. He grabbed the forearm with both hands and leaned back as far as he could go, pushing with his foot on the side of Drayco's chest.
With the first pull, the dark man tilted his head back and let out a blood-curdling scream. He started to struggle. Shyanne wasn't sure if she could hold him. Fortunately, before it became an issue, he passed out. Joseph slacked off for a second; she told him to continue. With renewed effort, he pulled until he felt the shoulder slip into place. The arm moved freely in all directions.
Sitting up, Shyanne said, “We have to secure the arm to his body so it can have time to heal. Let's try to get this finished before he wakes up."
Joseph placed the repaired arm across Drayco's chest and positioned himself above his head. By sliding his hands underneath and lifting, he shifted the dark man carefully into a sitting position. Drayco's head dropped onto his chest. The black hair fell to one side, revealing a large bump on the upper aspect of the neck. Further proof of the hard landing he had suffered.
Shyanne bandaged the arm in a sling and wrapped a rope around his chest to prevent both the sling and arm from moving freely. She inspected the welt and discovered it to be superficial only, not life threatening. The lack of blood, on the other hand, would be if was not resolved quickly. Joseph was lying Drayco back on the soft bed of grass when he roused. Shyanne went to her horse and returned with the little bit of water that remained.
"Drink this. I know it's not what you need. It will have to do until we can find what you do need.” She lifted his head and brought the skin to his lips, slowly pouring some water in his mouth so he didn't choke.
He tried to reach up with his right arm. A wince of pain shot across his face, reminding him of the foolishness of such a move. He reached up with his left arm instead. The hand shook badly and would have spilled the contents if Shyanne had not been holding the waterskin as well.
Drayco swallowed only a tiny amount before he indicated he'd had enough. “I can't take any more. It'll only set off the cramps again.” His voice was almost too soft to be heard. Closing his eyes, he laid his head back on the ground. “I already hurt enough as it is."
Joseph had heard enough. He leaped to his feet and declared, “I'm going to get you what you need, Drayco. It's the least I can do for causing this much trouble. If it hadn't been for me, you two would be fine right now."
Shyanne scrambled to her feet. “You have no idea how to bring back what he needs ... I do. I can't let you jeopardize my brother's life like that. I can't!” Her feet were shoulder width apart, and her arms straight at her sides. She had her hands clenched into tight balls. She looked like she was ready to take on someone four times her size. A glint of fire shone in her eyes.
Joseph glared at the distraught woman. “I can do this, Shyanne. Believe me when I say I will do everything that I can to help your brother."
A groan escaped from Drayco as he struggled into a sitting position. Shyanne instantly dropped to his side. She tried to get him to lie back again.
"Drayco, you have to rest. You don't have much strength, and I won't have you wasting it needlessly."
He looked into her eyes. “Let him do this, little sis. As long as you tell him what he needs to know, I believe he can do it."
"But Drayco..."
"No, Shyanne. Tell him what he needs to do. It's been a long time since I let this curse given to me by the virus go this far. I still remember the pain and want you here with me. I don't have much longer."
Drayco started to fall over. Shyanne caught him and hugged him tight against her body. When she looked up at Joseph, tears welled in her eyes. She tried to hold them back; they rolled down her cheeks as he watched. His heart broke with each tear.
She gave Joseph detailed instructions about having to catch something and bring it back alive for her brother to drink from. If the creature died, it would be of no use. He took in all the information given to him like a sponge.
When she was finished, he said, “I have it. I'll be back before dark—
or sooner if I can."
Drayco reached up to the man standing a short distance away. For the moment, the pain had subsided. Joseph came over and knelt down. He grasped the outstretched hand with both his. It felt so cold.
"Thank you, Joseph. My life is in your hands. I trust you."
Those words, scarcely spoken above a whisper, hit Joseph harder than anything else in his life ever had. He barely knew Drayco and Shyanne, but it already felt like they were family. He knew the trouble he caused could never be forgotten, or forgiven, but he could attempt to make amends now.
"I will not fail you. I will return as soon as I possibly can.” He rose to his feet and walked toward the horses grazing a little way off. Shyanne stood and followed.
"Take Bravaro. He knows you and is a sturdy beast. I would offer Jack, but he's still too temperamental.” Shyanne was about to say something else when Joseph leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.
As they separated, he said, “Take care of Drayco until I get back.” He leaped into the saddle and started toward the woods.
* * * *
Bravaro was just as fast as he remembered. The horse reacted instantly to knee pressures, and turned on a dime when indicated. Joseph guided him to a path that became visible once they drew close to the vast forest. He dared not look back when he entered for fear his heart would break at having to leave Shyanne. He sighed with the remembrance of her lips on his and wished the feeling could go on.
His thoughts were suddenly brought back to the present when a small, low hanging branch hit him on the face, almost knocking him off the horse.
"Whoa! Bravaro, you silly beast, watch where you're going,” he quipped as he rubbed where the branch had hit. The horse never faltered in its forward motion, ignoring the man on its back.
"I guess that's what I get for daydreaming, huh guy?” He leaned over and gave the broad neck a pat. “Back to business. We have to trap something fast."