Jaeger drew his arm away, letting his own wound heal, then watched as the hole created by the arrow closed, the skin and tissue regenerating. It amazed him how the blood of a Vector affected a human. It was almost as profound as the way the blood of a human affected a Vector.
The young man opened his eyes, blinking slowly as he gazed up at Jaeger. "Please," he managed, lifting one hand.
Annoyance raced through Jaeger. "I have just saved your life," he said. "You’ve no need to beg for mercy from me."
"No," the man rasped, gripping Jaeger’s arm with as much force as he could. "I…need…your help."
"And I have given it," Jaeger returned. "Your wound has healed. You will live. What more do you need?"
Tears sparked the young man’s blue eyes, reminding Jaeger of Rhiannon once again. Pain tore through his heart, and he made to pull away from the man.
"No," the man said again, his voice barely above a whisper. "I need to…be bled."
Jaeger started. "Bled?" he breathed.
"Please. Magic…it’s…too much…"
Jaeger understood at once. The man had used magic trying to escape his tormentors. Now, his blood was thick with iron. Iron that was killing him more rapidly than even the arrow wound had threatened to do. Jaeger frowned, looking at the amount of blood the man had already lost, wondering why it had not been enough.
The man’s tears spilled over, ran down the sides of his face, yet still he maintained his grip on Jaeger’s arm. "Please," he said again.
Jaeger complied.
* * *
The young man woke several hours later. He sat up with a cry of alarm, then sagged back to the ground once he registered his surroundings. Jaeger was surprised that he actually seemed relieved to find himself in a cold, gray cave with only a Vector for company.
"My thanks," the man murmured. "You risked a great deal to help me."
Jaeger shrugged. "Would you like some tea?"
The man peered over at him. "You drink tea?"
Jaeger couldn’t help but smile. "I like to vary my diet."
The man reddened. "I’m sorry. I—I didn’t—"
Jaeger interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "That’s all right. Come, have something to eat."
The man didn’t even try to rise. Instead, he simply scooted himself closer to the fire and the food. "That looks like rabbit."
"It is. Help yourself."
The man took a chunk of the meat, tasted it, then raised his eyebrows in surprise. Apparently, he didn’t believe Vectors were good for anything but taking blood.
"By the way," he said around a mouthful of meat, "my name is Vail."
"Jaeger." He paused. "You look like you might be clan."
"I am."
"Then your people are close by as well?"
Vail glanced at him, then shook his head. "No. Actually, I’m on my own."
"I see. And you are a witch?"
"Yes."
"What were you doing in the village? And using magic?"
Vail sagged. "I—I’m looking for my sister."
"Your sister?" Jaeger sat up straighter, his heart beginning to pound. "Her name?"
"Rhiannon." Vail’s shoulder’s sagged further, as if merely saying the name smothered him in grief.
Jaeger stared at him, astonished. "Rhiannon?" he whispered.
"Yes. She disappeared months ago. I guess continuing to search is—" He stopped suddenly, his mouth gaping, his gaze fixed on Jaeger. "Wait! You might know! She went looking for a Vector! She said she sensed the presence of one not far from our camp. But she never came back! Could you…would you even…?" He broke off again, his eyes pleading.
The words reminded Jaeger of the pain he had felt when Rhiannon had told him of her search. Of how she had tracked him—or Celd. A Vector to help her with her illness, a partnership, a business arrangement. It hurt as much now as it had then, despite Rhiannon’s claims of love for him. He took a sip of his tea and regarded Vail.
"I knew Rhiannon," he said softly.
"What?" The word barely escaped Vail’s lips. His face, already pale, went even more so. "Knew? Then she’s…you…"
Anger flitted through Jaeger at what the man was suggesting. "No, I did not kill her," he snapped. "I found her, badly beaten and bleeding from a self-inflicted wound. I helped her, Vail. I did not kill her."
Vail drew back from Jaeger’s anger. "My apologies," he mumbled. "I thank you for helping her. I knew no good could come of her going off on her own."
Jaeger paused a moment. "She had been raped by four men."
Vail went white, then passed one hand over his face.
When he said nothing more, Jaeger continued. "This does not upset you?"
Vail sighed. "What good will it do to condemn dead men?"
"Dead men?"
The young man nodded. "If any man dared to touch my sister in that way, he paid with his life. I know her."
The words brought Jaeger up short. He had never thought Rhiannon capable of killing. He wondered why she had not used her magic against the farmer who had attacked her. Perhaps carrying a child prevented it.
Vail shuddered. "She had such high hopes," he murmured.
"What do you mean?"
He looked up at Jaeger, his blue eyes shiny with tears. "My clan…all of us…we’re Bleeders. It’s something in our history, our families through time. We try to bleed ourselves, of course, but all too often it ends in death from infection or blood loss. We discovered there is something in a Vector’s bite that helps slow the formation of iron in our bodies. It’s as if the bite cleanses our blood, removing the iron like no simple bleeding can do. That’s why, even though I bled a great deal from my wound, I still had far too much iron in my body. I needed whatever it is a Vector has to offer. Rhiannon knew all of this. She came up with the idea that perhaps Vectors could help us. And we could help them in return. We could provide the blood they need to survive. Our payment would be life as well."
"She wanted to present your entire clan to the Vectors?"
Vail nodded, dropping his piece of meat back into the fire. "It sounded like an equitable partnership. Only, she never returned. I’ve been searching for her ever since. Please, Jaeger, if you know where she is, tell me. I only want to take her home."
Jaeger studied him for a long moment, then averted his gaze. "I wish I knew where she was, Vail. I wish I knew."
Chapter 17
* * *
Jaeger peered over Vail’s shoulder, carefully watching the water in the cup the young witch held. He saw nothing on the still surface but Vail’s reflection.
"Will this work?" he asked, not for the first time.
Vail sighed, shooting him a quick, irritated glance. "I told you, I don’t know. I’ll do my best. But if Rhiannon is in the Vector Lair, I might not be able to reach her at all."
Jaeger sighed and began to pace. Vail had agreed to attempt to scry for Rhiannon using his Wiccan magic. He had not been successful up to this point but was now hoping to draw on Jaeger’s magic to supplement his own. Jaeger hadn’t told the man that he now had Vector blood, and quite possibly Vector magic of his own.
"There!" Vail suddenly cried. "Look!"
Jaeger darted to his side and peered into the cup. A blurry image was beginning to form. "Is it her?" he whispered, half-afraid that his voice would cause the image to disappear.
Vail was quiet, directing more magic at the water. The image quieted, cleared; and Jaeger gasped.
Rhiannon!
"Where is she?" he breathed.
"She…she’s with child," Vail stammered. "Those men…the ones who raped her…they—"
"No!" Jaeger said at once. "No, it was not the men who raped her. Be assured of that."
"Then, who?"
Jaeger refused to answer. "Where is she?" he asked.
"I—I don’t know. Do you recognize anything?"
Jaeger peered closer. "It looks almost like a cave, like this one. But I don’t know why she would be t
here."
Vail was quiet, his brow furrowed in thought. "Let me see if I can back up a bit on the image. Maybe I can get a wider angle."
Jaeger nodded, though he would have preferred to get closer. He wanted to see Rhiannon up close, see if she was all right. He didn’t trust Celd, not in the slightest. Rhiannon was a feisty woman, with a strength Celd might find not only intimidating but challenging. It would not be above the Vector to beat Rhiannon into submission, to force her with ways other than magic to do his bidding. The mere thought of Celd laying a brutal hand on Rhiannon sent fury through Jaeger.
"It is a cave!" Vail cried, interrupting Jaeger’s thoughts. "But not in the Grottos. It looks like it’s somewhere near the ocean."
"The ocean?" Jaeger was truly astonished to hear that. Vectors tried to avoid the ocean—there was something about the salt water…he wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but he had been severely warned by both his mother and his father. He was to stay away from any source of dangerous water, but most definitely the ocean. He had always taken that warning to heart.
Now, here, apparently, was Celd, holed up in a cave right on the edge of the sea itself. It didn’t make sense. He nudged Vail.
"Is there any way to find out where she is? I mean, where along the ocean?"
"Well, I could draw back even further, maybe get a few landmarks, but I could also lose the vision altogether."
Jaeger hesitated. He desperately wanted to see Rhiannon closer, but he also wanted to find out her location. He supposed seeing how she was would be irrelevant if he couldn’t find her at all. He nodded. "Then back off. Let’s see if we can pinpoint the area."
Vail did as requested, but still nothing looked familiar to Jaeger. He scanned the landscape as it rolled past, taking note of anything that he might be able to use in his search. Finally, the vision wavered, then disappeared. Vail sat back with a heavy sigh.
"I’m sorry," he mumbled, rubbing at his temples.
Jaeger laid one hand on the young man’s shoulder. "You did well. For the first time, I have direction. We will find your sister, Vail. I promise you that."
"How?" Vail asked, looking up at him. "You can’t go outside in the daylight, can you?"
Jaeger hesitated. "I can, but not as a man. I can transform into any number of creatures."
Vail gave a small smile. "Yes, I noticed. What a wondrous power that must be. Would that I had such a gift. I could have escaped those men easily."
Jaeger regarded him thoughtfully. "But you did try. You used your magic."
Vail grimaced, the smile fading. "I did. But the magic I have is very weak. Not like Rhiannon’s. She has a true gift. Still, even she is at the beginning of a long journey of learning. It seems our lives are over before we really learn all that we are capable of." He sighed. "It’s too bad we couldn’t find a way to extend that life, to really learn our craft."
"And if you could? What would you do with your talent?"
Vail looked at him. "Help people, of course. We could be healers of the greatest kind. People wouldn’t have to die of disease and infection. We could stop that. We could stop people from falling victim to road bandits as well. We could enhance crops, so people would no longer starve, purify water so no one died of thirst. We could make the world a better place."
Jaeger thought a moment. "But, first, you would have to be accepted. It seems to me people fear those with such a gift, rather than embrace them."
"‘Tis true, sadly true. But, if we had more power, we could also protect ourselves against the results of such fear."
"But there is always the possibility such power would breed tyranny. Perhaps that is why people fear it."
It was Vail’s turn to ponder. He nodded slowly. "It’s a double-edged sword, isn’t it? How do Vectors deal with it? How do you keep from using your incredible powers to control everything and everyone?"
Jaeger gave a short laugh. "I can only speak for myself, Vail. I do not wish to control anyone. I have a hard enough time merely controlling myself."
Vail shot him a sidelong glance. "In what respect?"
Jaeger was quiet a moment. "I have never bled a human to the point of death, Vail. In fact, I had never tasted human blood at all until just months past." He caught the look on Vail’s face. "And, no, your sister was not the first, though, in some ways, it would ease my guilt if she had been. At least, she was looking to be bled."
"I sense no small amount of bitterness in that statement."
Irritation coursed through Jaeger. "Are you an empath as well?"
Vail hesitated. "Actually, I am."
The words startled Jaeger. He got to his feet, turning away from the young man. "What do you know of Vectors, Vail?"
"More than most. Both Rhiannon and I researched them before she left."
"Researched?" The word increased Jaeger’s ire. "Then I was studied, like some animal in the field?"
"No, but we both thought it was wise to know as much as possible before we made our proposal to the Vectors."
Jaeger whirled on him. "Proposal! I loved her, Vail! I love her still! Yet her interest in me seemingly was purely one of business. How do you think that makes me feel? Use your empathic abilities to read that!"
Vail was quiet a moment, then he, got up and moved to stand in front of Jaeger. "Have you made love with my sister?"
The question startled Jaeger from his anger. He felt color rush to his cheeks, though why he couldn’t say. "We…have been intimate, yes."
"Then there is your answer. Rhiannon has been with no man…that is, willingly. A rape she cannot be faulted for. If my sister lay with you, it was in love, not because of a business arrangement. Do not doubt that." He paused, as if unsure whether to voice his next thoughts. "And your love for her? How do you see that?"
Jaeger stared at him, clearly understanding the meaning. Darius had asked the same thing. His anger resurfaced. "Do you think I mistake lust for love?" he roared. "Yes, she was the first woman I lay with, but I believe I am capable of sorting out a physical need from an emotional one! If I were only seeking something physical, I could have it! With any number of people, any time I choose. I could make even you yearn for me, Vail. I could make you answer to me. I could make you satisfy the physical needs I have!"
He had drawn very close to the man in his ranting, and now reached out to grip Vail by the back of the neck. The man trembled, his gaze locked on Jaeger’s. The Vector felt the sexual tension arc between them, and he trembled as well. For just a split second, he thought he might act on that tension, take both the young man’s blood and his body. By force of will, he turned aside and stomped to the far side of the cave.
He heard Vail’s breath rush from him as the young man collapsed to the stone floor. For several moments, there was only silence, then Jaeger sighed.
"I’m sorry," he mumbled. "This is all still quite new to me. I have only just begun to experience this…lust that comes with the Growth. But trust me in this—I love your sister with my heart, not my loins." When Vail said nothing, Jaeger looked over at him.
The young man had a distant look on his face, a furrow on his brow, as if musing over something extremely interesting and confusing.
Jaeger frowned. "What is it? What’s wrong?"
Vail shook his head. "Nothing is wrong. I was… I was only thinking what a wonderful talent you have."
"Talent?" Jaeger shook his head, thoroughly confused.
Vail nodded as if in a daze. "The way you made me want you, ache for you. I would have given myself to you. Yet, I know my interest lies not in men, but in women. One in particular." A dreamy smile crossed his face. "Rachael," he breathed, as if he revered the name itself. "If I could make her ache so for me…"
Jaeger practically choked on his astonishment. He stared at Vail in open-mouthed wonder. He had used his Vector magic on the boy, almost coerced him into a sexual encounter, forced him to go against his own inclinations, and Vail was musing how to do the same thing to the woman of his dreams.<
br />
Vail abruptly lifted his gaze to Jaeger’s, only now realizing the Vector’s shock. The young man went red.
"Well, it’s that—I—you see, I—" He broke off with a shrug. "I’m twenty-two and yet a virgin. Still, that doesn’t mean that…well, that I don’t have…desires. It’s just that I only want to share those desires with Rachael. Now, if I could take just a little of what you just did, and…" He stopped, swallowed hard and averted his gaze.
Jaeger abruptly felt laughter swelling up inside him. He thought he had been imparting an explanation, a lesson in love over lust. Yet, Vail had assimilated it quite differently. A chuckle escaped Jaeger, much to Vail’s consternation.
Jaeger shook his head. "I guess I’m far older than I thought. At least mentally. At any rate, let’s get some rest. Later, we go look for Rhiannon."
Chapter 18
* * *
They left the caves at dawn, Jaeger in the form of the mountain cat. He had not yet explained to Vail that the changing was not of his own desires. He didn’t see that it mattered. He had told Vail that he would not be able to converse, and so they walked in silence for several hours, each lost in his own thoughts. Then Vail spoke.
"That arrow I took," he began, "it was a nasty wound."
Jaeger nodded his black head.
Vail continued. "You are a gifted healer. It feels as if there was never an injury there."
Jaeger drew a quick breath. He still hadn’t told Vail how he had healed the wound. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to. Fortunately, Vail changed the subject.
"Back there, when you did whatever it was you did—well, you said you loved my sister but not with your loins. Does that mean, then, that your taste is not for women?"
Jaeger shot a quick glance at him, nodded, then shook his head, further confusing the answer. Vail seemed to take it in stride.
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