"Jaeger?" she whispered.
"Was just leaving," Celd said.
Jaeger doubled his fists in rage as alarm swept over Rhiannon’s face. He looked at Celd. "I am not leaving," he stated calmly. "You are."
Celd drew himself up, seeming to tower over Jaeger, though they were the same height. "I don’t think you understand, Jaeger," he said, his voice low and cold. "I have made a choice. You have nothing to say about it. Do I have to remind you of the Sovereign’s punishment for disobedience?"
Jaeger swallowed his fear. "I am aware of the Sovereign’s punishment. I’ll risk it."
Celd stared at him in open astonishment, then suddenly laughed. He waved one hand through the air, and Jaeger immediately doubled over as excruciating pain tore through him. Rhiannon cried aloud and came to her feet, still holding the blanket about her naked body.
"Leave him alone!" she screamed as Jaeger toppled to the ground.
"That’s a simple taste of what you’ll endure," Celd told Jaeger. "It’ll last for days, weeks even. Bit by bit, you’ll die, eaten away from the inside. Is she really worth that, Jaeger?"
Jaeger wanted to answer, to say yes, but the pain consumed him, leaving him unable to do more than moan. Rhiannon gripped his arm, addressing Celd.
"Leave him alone," she said again. "Whatever it is you seek of me, then take it. But leave him alone."
"No!" Jaeger managed, but before he could say more, Celd’s magic spell claimed him, transporting him away from the cave as easily as a dry leaf in a windstorm.
He landed with a jarring thud on the rocks, barely able to breathe, unable to even stand, still dazed from Celd’s web of magic. His gaze flew to the cave. It was only several hundred feet away, but it might as well have been several hundred leagues. Jaeger clawed at the ground, pulling himself forward, inch by inch, even as the night began to recede from the land. The sun touched the horizon, stretching long yellow fingers across the land, reaching for him. Tears stung his eyes. Tears of pain, despair and rage.
Celd would take Rhiannon, make her his, plant the embryo inside her. She would be lost to Jaeger forever, both in body and spirit. His heart spasmed with his grief, his soul with his loss. He couldn’t let this happen. He had to get to her, had to stop Celd.
The sun’s first rays reached him, seared into his exposed skin, left him gasping for breath. Still he pulled himself forward, ignoring the blisters erupting on his hands and face. A tiny dark hole opened in the ground before him, beckoning with its dark safety. Jaeger lifted his gaze once more to the cave, so far out of reach. Then, with a resigned sob, he used the last of his energy to transform into a snake and slithered into the hole to wait.
Chapter 11
* * *
Once in the hole, away from the sunlight, and with a smaller body, Jaeger felt renewed energy. He lay still for a moment to gather his strength, then began to follow the narrow tunnel he found. The farther he went, the darker and cooler it was, the better he felt. He moved quickly, his direction straight and true, heading for the cave, hoping this small crevice through which he crawled, would open into the cavern housing Rhiannon and Celd. What he would do once he got there, he didn’t know.
It was obvious he couldn’t fight Celd. The Vector was far too strong. At least, he had been. But what if he lost some of that strength by implanting the embryo? What if coupling with Rhiannon left him momentarily fatigued, as it so often did to Jaeger? Then again, Jaeger reminded himself, Celd wasn’t a halfbreed. He forced the stinging thought aside. Well, if he couldn’t best Celd in a battle, then he would…would kill Rhiannon. He would rather she died quickly at his hands than die a slow, agonizing death at Celd’s.
The tunnel sloped upward, and Jaeger shifted to a tiny mountain shrew to more easily grip the slippery ground beneath him. In moments, he emerged into the cave, but he saw no sign of Rhiannon, Celd or the fire. It took him a moment to orient himself, then he scampered away toward the mouth of the cave.
He heard them before he saw them. Celd’s moans of ecstasy and Rhiannon’s cries of pain left no doubt as to what was happening. Jaeger hurried forward, rage tearing through him, but what he saw upon emerging into the front of the cavern sent his anger to white-hot fury.
Celd was atop Rhiannon, holding her down with his magic while he made use of her body as if it were no more than an inanimate object. Jaeger could see the rage and determination on Rhiannon’s face as she tried to break free of the Vector’s magic by using her own. Jaeger knew what cost she would pay for her effort, and an idea suddenly formed in his mind.
Quickly, he shifted once again, this time to a small brown spider he prayed would be unnoticed. It took him only a moment to cover the distance between himself and Rhiannon. As he hoped, Celd was far too involved in his own pleasures to see him. Rhiannon, however, shifted her gaze, obviously drawn to Jaeger’s presence by the strange bond she shared with him.
He crawled forward, seeking shelter in her long tresses that were splayed out on the rock. It took him only a second to reach her skin. Without hesitation, he bit, taking in her iron-rich blood. At once, his energy soared, sending pulses of power racing through him. He backed away, giving himself enough distance to do what he knew he must.
The tiny spider body grew, elongated, sprouted clawed forearms, strong hind legs, powerful wings. His head reared upward, his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, his throat filled with flame and venom. Celd looked up, a gasp escaping him as he scrambled to his feet. For a second, sheer panic crossed his face. It was the second Jaeger needed.
He swept outward with one heavy, clawed arm, raking spiky nails across the Vector’s bare chest. Celd stared down as blood spurted from four long gashes. Jaeger didn’t wait for him to recover from his shock. He opened his mouth and sent out a stream of fire that swept Celd up in its embrace. The Vector staggered backward, throwing up one arm to shield his face. Jaeger sensed Celd’s magic snapping into place, protecting him from, if not exquisite pain, at least death.
With one swift motion, Jaeger snatched Rhiannon from the ground, along with her blanket and the pack, and tucked her safely into one bent arm, then spun and roared from the cave.
The sunlight hit him full in the face, sending agony ripping through his body. Still, he took to the air, his great wings beating the earth into a swirling mass of dirt and debris. Rhiannon’s cry echoed against the rocks as Jaeger turned to the mountaintops and the shadows they created with their peaks.
It took him only moments to descend into the gloom, away from the sun, but those moments took their toll. His dragon hide sizzled with blisters, his wings faltered in pain. Still, he flew on, moving as far away from Celd as he could. Finally, he knew he had to stop. He searched out a place he could land that would afford him the darkness he so desperately needed. Finding it at last, he sat down, gently lowering Rhiannon to the ground, then collapsed before her, returning to his Vector form.
Rhiannon grabbed at him and virtually dragged him into the first dark crevice she could find. He lay, shivering and moaning, both freezing cold and sweating from his numerous burns. Rhiannon touched him gently, tears streaming down her face. He reached up and took her hand in his.
"I’m sorry," he managed, before blackness claimed him.
He woke to the sounds of a crackling fire and the smell of mint. Rhiannon hovered over him, her gentle hands placing cooling gel on his burns. His head swam with dizziness, his gut with nausea, and he managed only a small smile before allowing darkness to claim him once more.
The pattern continued for several days. He would wake for brief moments, always to find Rhiannon there, tending to his injuries. Though he tried desperately to stay awake on those occasions, he found he could not, and would slip back into healing slumber.
Finally, on the fourth day, he was able to do more than merely smile at her. He reached out for her hand, surprised to find it cold and damp. His alarm only grew when he was able to clearly see her face. She was pale, fatigued, yet she gave him a welcoming smile.
It was only then that he became aware of the familiar scent.
"You’ve been using your magic," he murmured. "On me?"
"Some," she replied. "More to shield this place, us."
"From Celd?"
She nodded, a small tremor running through her. He pulled her toward him, and she obliged, lying down and pressing up against his chest. His guilt rose up like bile in the back of his throat.
"Rhiannon," he began softly, "I—"
She shushed him. "It’s not your fault," she interrupted.
"Yes, it is. I knew he was looking for you, that he wanted you. I thought I could keep you safe from him. I failed you."
She tipped her head back to look into his eyes. "You failed me? You risked your life for me. How is that failing me?"
"He never should have gotten close. He never should have been able to—" He broke off, his despair gripping him in a cold hand.
"He does not have what he thinks he has."
"He planted the embryo, Rhiannon. Through that, he can command you. I don’t know how to stop it, how to stop him."
She shuddered. "I don’t want to think about it right now. I want you to help me. I want to help you. It’s been too many days, Jaeger. I’m not feeling very well."
He knew what she asked, knew what they both needed, yet was reluctant to act upon it. He wasn’t sure how carrying the embryo would affect her, her blood, or him. Again, she seemed to know his thoughts. Tears filled her blue eyes, glittered there like sapphire jewels.
"You no longer want me," she murmured. "I can understand that, Jaeger."
"No," he said at once. "I do want you, Rhiannon. More than anything in the world. But I’m afraid. I’m afraid of doing anything that will show Celd where we are. If I bleed you, Celd may be able to sense it through his bond with the embryo. I don’t know much about this, I’m afraid. When I left the Lair years ago, I didn’t think to continue studies of my own kind. I’m afraid I am woefully ignorant of a lot of things."
"Then I am trapped." Rhiannon pushed away from him to sit up. "I must be bled, Jaeger, or I will die. If you bleeding me will call Celd here, then I will not risk that. I will go to Celd instead."
Jaeger gasped, gripping her arm. "No!"
"What choice do I have? I cannot keep the shields in place without using more magic. If I use more magic, I increase the iron in my blood. And if I do that, I—" She broke off with a sigh and buried her face in her hands. "I will die."
Jaeger pulled himself to a sitting position beside her. What she said was true, all of it. His gaze danced toward the mouth of the cave. He could see daylight far beyond. Celd couldn’t travel in the daylight. It gave Jaeger an idea. He touched Rhiannon’s cheek, and she raised her tear-stained face to him.
He tenderly brushed her tears aside, then leaned forward and kissed her lips. They were cool and dry. Her illness was too apparent, and too much for Jaeger to ignore. Without another word, he drew her into his arms to feed upon her blood. She melted into his embrace willingly, eagerly, holding to him even when he was finished.
"I love you, Jaeger," she whispered.
"I love you as well," he told her, stroking her hair. "And if we’re to keep that love together, we need to leave this place, now, before Celd is able to travel."
"Now?" She drew back to stare at him in confusion. "But it’s daylight outside. You can’t go back out there. Not into the sunshine."
"Then I’ll keep to the shadows," he told her. "But I’ll not let Celd have you." He glanced about for their provisions. "Come, let’s get things packed up here."
"Jaeger, I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself for me," Rhiannon stated firmly. "Not again."
"And I am not going to let you sacrifice yourself to Celd. Now, come on, help me pack up." He rose, heartily strengthened by her sweet-tasting blood. Whereas before it had seemed to fill only a need, now it seemed to do much more. It brought him renewed energy, cleared his thoughts, gave him a sense of wellness that he had never experienced before. He absently wondered if it was because of the embryo nestled in her womb.
He still didn’t know how he was going to keep Celd away from the child, or what he would do with the Vector’s baby once it was born. But he had some time to think about it. Not the full nine months he might have with a human child, but, still, he had five months to plan.
He extended his hand to Rhiannon, helping her to her feet. She wore a look of grim resignation.
"Jaeger, how? How can you go out there?"
"It’ll be all right. You’ll see. Celd told me that as I adjusted to this…this new…" He paused, unsure what to call it, then went on. "Anyway, he told me that I would eventually be able to go back out into the daylight."
"But, then, why can’t he?"
"I’m hoping his promotion to one of the Chosen will affect him, just as my… Growth is affecting me."
She smiled at his term. "Growth?"
He flushed. "My ‘entry into manhood,’ as you called it."
Rhiannon’s eyebrows knotted together, and she took hold of his arm. "You had never lain with a woman before me?"
Jaeger’s flush deepened, and he swallowed the lump suddenly forming in his throat. "No." His voice came out in a choked whisper, and he looked away. He was startled by her soft kiss upon his cheek. He dared to look into the blue depths of her eyes, astounded by the love he saw there. Holding the pack with one hand, he pulled her close with the other.
He wanted to make love again, to show her how much he wanted her, needed her, loved her. His desires were made obvious by his body’s youthful reaction to her closeness.
She giggled, though she didn’t try to pull away from his embrace. "And shall we use up all of the daylight here?"
He sighed, brought back to cold reality. "No. We can’t. We need to keep moving. We need to find someplace safe." Though where that would be, he didn’t know. He took her by the hand and led her from the cave.
Chapter 12
* * *
Jaeger stared morosely into the small fire. He was running out of time. Already he could see a small rounding of Rhiannon’s belly. The child was growing. But—so fast? Had Jaeger missed something in Celd’s explanation? Had the embryo of the Chosen been magically altered to attain birth even before the usual five short months?
He lifted his gaze toward Rhiannon. She rested fitfully, rolled into the only blanket, lying on the cold stone of the dark caves that had become a backdrop to hers and Jaeger’s existence. By the Sovereign, how he wanted a decent inn, a soft bed, a scented bath in which to luxuriate. And decent food. He was sick of the game animals he brought down in his nightly hunting forays. And Rhiannon needed proper food—fruits, vegetables, milk. She was getting weaker by the day.
They had been walking the cold mountains for almost two weeks, seeing no sign of human life. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any sign of Celd, either. Still, Jaeger suspected the Vector didn’t need to exhaust himself with a search for Rhiannon. All he had to do was wait. His connection to the embryo would draw her to him, not the other way around. He could relax in the comfort and warmth of whatever inn he chose. Eventually, Rhiannon would go to him.
The thought burned in Jaeger’s gut, tore his heart to shreds. How could he stand to lose her? How could he turn her over to the likes of Celd? For that matter, to any man? But—how could he stop it? He had thought of going to the Sovereign, of begging for her, but he knew that would only get him the slow death he sought to avoid. No one questioned one of the Chosen.
He rose, walked to the mouth of the cave and peered out at the lightening lands. They spread before him in their wild beauty—vast fields of wildflowers tumbling down craggy mountain slopes, dotted here and there with stubborn patches of snow. How flowers could bloom in such inhospitable conditions was beyond him.
A quick movement in the grass caught his attention, and he trained his keen eyesight on it. A rabbit! Something he and Rhiannon had not feasted on for weeks, having been relegated to those rodents plentifu
l in this environment.
He shot a quick glance at Rhiannon, then a quicker one at the skies. If he was very accurate, he might be able to catch the rabbit before the sun rose. Without another thought, he shapechanged into a fox and loped down the hillside, keeping upwind of his prey.
The rabbit, however, was attentive. It stood on powerful hind legs, scanned the immediate area, then, without waiting to see what stalked it, ran. Jaeger went after in hot pursuit. The rabbit led him on a wild chase, careening through brush and flower, over jutting rocks and tangles of berry vines, at last disappearing into a thicket.
Jaeger skittered to a stop, tongue lolling, legs quivering. He peered into the thicket, then drew back. The rabbit was a doe, with young. Jaeger could see the fuzzy heads as she herded them back, away from the fox threatening their existence. Jaeger huffed out a tired breath, turned and walked away. He would not separate a mother from her young, no matter his hunger.
The first, feeble rays of morning sunshine caught him off-guard and a distance from the cave. He glanced up, then broke into a run, driving his exhausted body forward. A sudden shriek from overhead sent him belly-flat to the ground. His gaze shot to an enormous hawk sailing quietly over the wakening lands. Too tired to shapeshift, Jaeger pressed himself into the flowers and waited.
This was no ordinary hawk, of that he was sure, though he was just as sure it wasn’t Celd. A few more moments would tell. If the hawk beat a hasty retreat as the sun reached over the land, Jaeger would get his answer.
There was something familiar about the feel of the hawk, something Jaeger couldn’t quite decipher. His gaze drifted to the mouth of the cave, than back to the horizon. If he didn’t move soon, he would be caught in the morning sun. Though he was better acclimated to daylight, he knew he couldn’t withstand its full onslaught. Yet, if this hawk was indeed one of Celd’s minions he wasn’t going to lead it directly to Rhiannon, either. So, he waited.
A Gift Of Blood Page 8