Beth paced the room while May prodded, and poked Vlad. She had Ice move him, from one position to another. Beth saw thermometers, a plexor, and stethoscope and so far nothing from Vlad. Beth watched as she removed a long and thick needle. It was too bulky, at least twice the width of a normal one. "May you can't use that."
"I have to draw blood Beth, he is a vampire and their skin it too tough for normal needles, I'm sorry."
Beth went to the other side of the bed and held his hand, he didn’t move at all. When she had finished, May made notes before securing the blood vials.
"As far as I can see he is alive but very weak, I need to take the samples and run some tests. I don’t know whether he can hear or not, but I am going to put up an intravenous drip. That way he can still be nourished by the blood, which will hopefully prevent Vlad weakening any further. You must be Albert can you give me details of anything unusual in the last week."
"I can do more than that; I have been making notes and detailing everything he has ingested over the last three weeks. Since this started."
"Excellent." Albert produced a notebook, and May poured over it. "If you ever want a change of career, I would take you in a heartbeat. These are detailed and legible, thank you."
"If you can make him better, I would be most grateful." Beth could hear the hitch in Albert's voice.
They went off to the other side of the room to confer further. Ice left via the wall, to take Darius to his room. When May had finished with Albert, she declared the need to stay and monitor Vlad. In a word, Beth was pleased for the company. Imogen discreetly brought them in their cases containing their clothes, and any medical supplies May would need.
"Talia has not sensed you as of yet May, if she knocks at the door please secrete yourself in the wall." May nodded as she continued adding more notes.
In the morning May made plans to go to her lab, where she would start analysing the samples she had taken. Apparently she wanted old blood, as well as fresh blood to test the accuracy. When she returned she would bring some high protein blood back with her. Beth sat by the bed never moving, May took the adjoining room but other than her half hourly checks she left them alone.
Imogen and Shaun had left to supervise Talia on her nightly jaunt, she hadn’t liked the news that Darius had been appointed to care for Vlad business interests, whilst she supposedly entertained Vlad. Talia wouldn’t be happy in a few hours when Philippe turned up to visit Vlad, and was made comfortable in one of the guest rooms. Hopefully they would create enough of a distraction to stop Talia asking too many questions.
If not plan B involved moving Vlad to Silvers land, that way Talia would just think he had gone away on business trip, or a raunchy visit to Beth. Nicky, Ben's brother was talking to his mother-in-law, who was a high witch as well as Vlads friend. They were hoping that she could do some sort of illusion spell, so that Talia would see Vlad leave the house for a business trip.
As the night ended her body ached, she climbed into the bed still clothed in a pair of training pants, and a pink t-shirt. Wrapping her body around his still form she closed her eyes, and dreamt of her sleeping vampire. She woke to the sound of movement initially excited to feel him move. Until she saw May moving him, and replenishing the blood in the bag.
"Shhh... go back to sleep Beth." Shaking her head, Beth rose.
"How is he?" May was concentrating and drawing more blood.
"I don’t know until I finish my examination."
"Will you stay with him while I shower and eat, please?" May nodded, and Beth slipped away.
As the water ran down her body, she leaned against the wall. Closing her eyes she willed the gods, to give HER the strength to get through this, right after she begged the gods to get HIM through this. Drying off she replaced her sweats with a long flowing skirt, and a short cropped white chiffon top. Leaving her feet bare she wandered into the kitchen, only to find a tired Albert with his head in his hands. Quietly she flipped the switch on the kettle, tying not to disturb him. As soon as she had made them both a cup of camomile tea, she nudged him.
"Oh Beth is he…"
"He is much the same, but you need to rest." Handing him the tea she pointed to the door. "Go home to Louisa."
"If anything…Will you…If you need anything."
She kissed him on the forehead. "Go home Albert, reassure Louisa that if anything changes I will call you immediately."
"Thank you Beth." She smiled gently at him, it amused her that when others were present, he called her mistress, when they were alone he used her name. She had once asked him the reason for this; he had replied that it was simple. This house had been built for Vlad and it had never had a mistress. Albert had not met a female that was capable, and strong enough to be mistress to Vlad, or the house, until her. Therefore, she deserved the respect of this position, if he gave it people would follow suit. But he also saw her as a good woman, with whom he wanted to be friends, hence calling her by her name in private. Beth had hugged him when he had said this. She didn’t have as much confidence in her capabilities of being mistress of this house, or to Vlad, but she was touched by Albert's words. Making her way up the stairs, she was surprised to encounter a furious Talia. Plastering a lovely big smile on her face, Beth greeted her.
“Good morning Talia, I would have thought that you would have retired for the day. Aren’t you in the wrong wing?"
She saw Imogen discreetly behind Talia. "I am heading that way, I just thought I might have seen Vlad this morning considering no-one, but you saw him last night."
"Of course people saw him, Ice, Darius, Albert, and of course Philippe saw him. It was unfortunate that you were not here at the time. Anyway I must go; I am exhausted from last night. I also need to rest; Albert the darling is serving a candle lit dinner for two in our room tonight." Somehow this woman seemed to seep the warmth out of the air, the corridor seemed somewhat cooler every time the woman presented herself.
"Really aren’t you lucky, I am surprised that you two aren’t bonded yet. Oh I forget that can only happen if you are truly meant to be bonded. Well, that and Vlad's constant refusal to ever bond."
"Of course he was reluctant, his biggest fear was to spend eternity saddled to the wrong person although maybe his thoughts are different now. Anyway I must go, goodnight. Oh and Talia, you were right, makeup actually does make you look much younger, in a transvestite sort of way." Beth hurried away, before her words dawned on Talia. She knew the moment they did; she heard the cursing before Imogen's calm voice, penetrated the words.
"Talia I suggest you head to your wing, Vlad would not be happy at all of this movement so early in his sleep."
"Movement, this place is like a goddamned hotel."
As Beth closed the door, she breathed a huge sigh of relief before seeing the look on May's face.
"Imogen's going to take me home; I need to test these samples immediately."
"May, what is it?" Her sister hugged her before whispering.
"I am so sorry; I think his condition is deteriorating. I just hope I am quick enough. I love you Bethie."
Her heart literally stopped, she had watched this strong, vibrant male from afar for years. She had been fifteen the first time she had seen them. There was this aura of masculinity that surrounded him, and made Beth a little breathless.
She had fallen in love with him at first sight. Oh she had been in relationships with other men, but he was always there in the background. He was the one she was preparing herself for. And now, now he was reduced to this empty husk, just lying there slipping away to nothing. She wasn’t going to lose him; she wasn’t going to let him leave her. Talia's words had triggered something in her, she couldn’t risk waiting for May. Thinking back to her conversation with Mary, Darius' wife she started making her plans.
C hapter 19
Searching the drawers it didn’t take her long to find a small yet exceptionally sharp dagger, crossing the room she slipped his hand from the covers. Lifting her hand, sh
e stopped when she heard a voice, one she hadn’t heard for ten years.
"My brave princess, all actions have consequences." She turned to see the ethereal figure of her father, tears pooled in her eyes making her vision hazy. Not hazy enough to stop her from throwing herself into his arms, crying as he held her. When she stopped blubbering, she stepped back to look at him, he sort of looked the same but different, stronger. His blond hair was the same, as were his eyes and facial features, but whereas her father used to be slender and willowy, he was now all brawn. With gold bands around his wrist, and wings, he looked regal. Good god, her father had enormous white wings, and a pair of brown leather pants. Her father in leather, her mom would never believe her.
"I missed you princess." She had always been a daddy's girl and even though he was no longer with them, she had always known that he was with her in some way.
"Not as much as I missed you." And she had missed him, so much so that the tears started again.
"Are you here to stay, please say that you are?" The sadness in her father's blue eyes told her that he wasn’t.
"I am sorry princess but no I am not, I shouldn’t really be here now."
"Then why are you? If you have come to say he is going to die, then you need to think again. I will find a way to make him live." The grit determination was evident in her voice and eyes.
"That is why I am here, I cannot influence your decision but princess for every action there is a consequence, very often many of them. The path you are set to take will cause you pain and anguish before you see any happiness. Your man doesn’t believe he will go to heaven, he believes he is destined for the pits of hell."
"Then I will join him there, he is the only man I have ever wanted. I love him daddy." She flicked her gaze back to Vlad, as pleased as she was to see her father; she knew time was of the essence.
"Don’t worry, time is sort of suspended. Beth, you are young yet; there will be lots of men for you to meet." Her father had moved her to the chair, in the corner of Vlad's room where he knelt before her. She touched his hair; it was longer than it used to be. She continued touching him, she just needed to see how real her father was.
"None as kind and thoughtful, none who makes me smile and tingle all at once, I can see no others in my future daddy. In my heart I know he is the one for me."
Beth hadn’t realised how strong her feelings for him were, not until she had said them out loud. With a sad smile her father nodded. "Then you will have to manage the consequences you will set in motion, including Ben."
This made Beth smile. "Do you hate him?" Ben was the opposite of her father; she had always wondered what he would think about the life Ben had opened up for them.
"Ben of course not, I envy him for all of the time he has had with my girls, all of the moments I have missed. I envy the way he can make your mother smile and laugh, in a way I couldn’t, but hate not at all. Hate is a strong emotion, one that takes its toll on the mind and soul. I am very grateful to Ben for taking such good care of my girls. And for giving them opportunities, I would have been unable to offer. I am immensely proud of you Beth; you have your mother's will and so much to offer the world. Don’t let any man or vampire chase you away, because he is scared."
Her father was proud of her; she had never seriously thought people were overly proud of her. She knew she was loved and adored but proud, she wasn’t a protector of the vulnerable like her mother, she wasn’t able to use her brain to avert danger and protect people like Ellie, she had no medical mind or a brain that allowed her to heal people like May, and Claire was the dependable one, the one who always knew what to say. Beth was good at being organised and looking terrific, that was about it hence the business degree.
"I know what you are thinking, and you are wrong; you are sweet, and kind, social, and entertaining. You have a huge heart, people are drawn to the goodness in you and in the future this will be of a huge benefit. Beth, people look to you to take care of them. Your beauty is only a very small part of a huge package of kindness, don’t ever forget that. The talents your mother and sisters have may be more prominent but let's be clear your gifts are no less powerful or important, you have the power within you to unite people."
With that he kissed her cheek and then forehead. "I have to go princess; can you give Ben a message for me? Tell him to go to the Underground Bar at two am on Saturday morning. It's really important; he needs to be there, no one else not even your mom."
She nodded, knowing that she would again feel the loss of him. "Oh princess, I love you and your sisters so much."
And with that he was gone. She was left alone, the pain of him going was hard yet she could also feel time running out for Vlad.
"Well here goes, I don’t know if this will work Vlad but I have nothing left to offer, but myself." With a deep breath she started moving, time was of the essence.
Kneeling on the edge of the bed, she lifted the dagger and opened her hand. Bringing it down across her palm she felt the blood trickling. Opening her eyes, she sucked in a breath before turning Vlad's palm over and repeating the move. Holding their palms together she uttered the scared words.
"With the blood of my hand, I give you my heart. With my heart, I give you my soul. When you live so shall I, when you die, I will follow. From this day forth, we are together as one." She knew from asking Mary that if they were true soul mates they would share their heart, their souls and their life's essence. If they were not meant to be the bond would not twine, and she would be out of ideas.
There was no other way to save him, well not any that Beth could do. Sitting there Beth waited. Only seconds had passed before she felt the exhaustion of the last few days, ease through her body. It hadn’t occurred to Beth to ask how long it took the bond to forge, she knew that physically she would feel warm, and linked to the person. But how did that work when said person was unconscious. Moving around the bed that now seemed overlarge, her steps were slow and heavy. She lay next to Vlad with her eyes struggling to remain open. Maybe she had been too late, maybe she tried the bonding too late, did this mean they were both dying?
Chapter 20
A noise was penetrating her subconscious, her body being propelled back and forth; wanting to remain with her dream she ignored it. When she was physically pulled up, it was too much. Opening her eyes she was surprised to see a frantic Albert, and a very agitated Ice.
"What's happening?" Consciousness was slowly coming back to her, her memories immediately forcing her back to reality.
"Oh mistress I am so relieved, for a minute I thought you had succumbed to the same fate as the Sir." Albert's words brought everything back.
Moving her body, the feeling of hope clutching at her chest lasted only moments, before the disappointment flooded through her body. She saw absolutely no change in Vlad. He hadn’t moved, his face and body still appeared empty. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath the pain of losing him, and the disappointment threatened to overcome her. Then heaviness and nausea threatened to overwhelm her. Covering her face with her hands, Beth wanted to lie back down close her eyes and sleep for eternity.
A sob wracked her body, the tears pooling in her eyes. "Why so sad Beth?" That voice, his voice.
Dropping her hands, she looked towards him relief swamping her body. She peered into those stony, grey eyes, eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. She couldn’t help it, needing to remain dignified was too much to ask. Flinging herself down over his torso she hugged him close.
"So happy to see me, um can I ask why we have all convened in my chambers?" His voice sounded confused.
Feeling Beth's warm body splayed across his chest, was Vlad's idea of heaven. He could smell the Vanilla of her shampoo, the blond locks cascading over his arm. He could feel her relief then her pain and sadness, the emotions that roused him in the first place. It was Ice, who provided him with an explanation of sorts.
"Nice to see you awake." As Ice continued to talk, Vlad became more and more concerned at t
he on goings over the last few days. What on earth had happened to him? He was a vampire, he didn’t suffer from sickness. And if this had truly happened what the hell had woken him up? Not that he was complaining.
Beth sat up, without her he felt a little colder and a little lonely, even though she was still near him. In fact, he was aware of exactly how Beth was feeling inside, how frightened she had been, and then relieved, and finally her pain. What the hell, it was almost like…. As clarity hit, he was momentarily lost for words, only momentarily. He faced her taking in the sheepish unsure look on her face.
"Beth what exactly did you do?" Beth was startled by the accusing, angry tone in his voice. Although she shouldn’t have been, she had known the exact moment when his confusion had cleared. She had felt it inside.
"I wasn’t sure what to do, I needed to....." She didn’t get the opportunity to get any more words out.
"Everyone leaves now!" As Vlad sat up she stood up from the bed, and moved to follow the others.
"NOT YOU BETH!" She stopped, but didn’t turn to face him. She watched as Ice turned back to Vlad, and then to her. She saw the respect in his eyes although she wasn’t certain that it was directed towards her.
"Vlad before you say anything, you need to understand……"
Ice didn’t finish the sentence before he was harshly dismissed. "I said leave, this does not concern you." But before he left Ice addressed Beth.
"I will remain outside; just shout if you need anything." With a hasty frown out of Vlad, Ice left.
"Would you like to explain why we are suddenly bonded?" He knew his tone was harsh and when he watched her shoulders drop before she answered, he felt remorseful for the feelings he had caused her. Unfortunately he was under a barrage of feelings, both his own and hers.
"I thought you were dying." Her voice was barely a whisper, he waited for more of an explanation, but none came. He thought about what she had said, why did she think bonding them would save him, he didn't ask the question he didn’t need to, she answered.
Two Halves of a A Vampires Soul (The Silver Series) Page 11