Dayan closed the tiny pinpricks after taking enough blood for a ritual exchange. He shifted Corinne in his arms while he opened his shirt with one hand. "You will do this for us, my love," he commanded softly, gently, using a tone that banished her free will, that ensured she would do as he ordered. One fingernail lengthened into a sharp talon. Dayan opened his chest with a swift slash and pressed Corinne to him. "Drink, Corinne. I offer my life for your life. I offer my life for the life of our child."
Corinne was rather horrified that her beautiful dream had taken such a twisted turn. She couldn't quite force her eyelashes to lift, so she couldn't really look around, she could only lie in Dayan's arm, swallowing the warm liquid. In her dream she could be analytical about it. None of it was real anyway. She was cradled in Dayan's arms, belonging to him; he had taken her blood first, then given her his as if he could make her strong and physically fit. It all made some kind of weird sense, what with vampire stalkers thinking she was a vampire anyway. What was particularly strange to her was the fact that she didn't seem to mind taking his blood.
Gregori moved toward the struggling heart, seeking to find ways to control the damage. Without the baby, Dayan could give Corinne the necessary blood to survive, but that choice wasn't available to them until the baby was born. Gregori watched the healing blood pour into Corinne's frail body. At once her starving organs soaked it up like a healing balm. As Darius's spirit stayed close, monitoring the baby, Gregori went to work on the stuttering heart, meticulously repairing the damaged valve, utilizing the blood flowing freely into his patient. It wasn't the same as treating an injury. This damage was caused by a disease that had been slowly, insidiously wearing away at her heart. In her favor was Dayan's powerful blood flowing into her, along with his iron will, his heart and soul, his total, unconditional love.
Darius hovered close to the baby, soothing her, offering her reassurance and encouragement. As the blood of an ancient flowed into her little body, the transformation began. Her hearing would be superior, her looks enhanced, her body stronger. Corinne could only benefit from the blood, but the baby wasn't wholly formed yet. Reshaping her organs was going to be dangerous to the child. When the baby became frightened, bewildered by the strange sensations, Darius flooded her with warmth and reached out to make a telepathic bond with her. He told her stories of their world, of the Carpathians in need, of how precious she was to their people, how important it was that she hang on and stay with her mother who loved her so very much.
The small amount of blood Corinne had drunk was now cycling through the child's body. Darius was merged with the baby and felt the rush like a fireball. 'Stop!' he ordered sharply.
Dayan immediately inserted his hand to gently stop Corinne from feeding. He whispered the order to her, watching her face anxiously. Corinne was astonished when a tall, blond stranger with golden eyes leaned over and casually closed the deep wound on Dayan's chest with his tongue. He kept one hand on Dayan's shoulder, a gesture that spoke volumes to Corinne.
"Are you Julian, Desari's lifemate?" she startled them all by asking.
The man bowed slightly from the waist, his golden eyes on her face. "I am indeed Julian, lifemate to Desari and brother kin to Dayan. I am pleased to meet you, Corinne. We had hoped and prayed that Dayan would find you."
"Are you real? Is all of this real?" She was looking at him because he looked much more approachable than the other males.
He smiled at her, his teeth very white, very straight. "Do you want it to be?"
Corinne tightened her hold on Dayan. He was her reality. In her body, the baby was moving almost violently. She pressed one hand over her stomach protectively. "She doesn't like this, Dayan. I think I'd better be dreaming."
Gregori and Dayan both glanced apprehensively at Darius. He was still merged wholly with the baby. His concentration seemed total. Dayan leaned close to Corinne. "I know Darius. His strength of will. There is no way he will allow our baby to slip away from us." He bit gently, insistently at her knuckles to keep her attention focused on him. "Tell me how you are feeling, honey. Your color is slightly better." He was still merged with her, helping to regulate her heart and lungs, terrified of allowing her to try it on her own. "How do you feel?"
Mostly she was afraid for her baby. She took a moment to breathe evenly and stop her panic before it became full-blown. She did feel better; it wasn't such a terrible struggle just to breathe. She still felt weak and tired and wanted to sleep. "Dayan – " She said his name very softly, looking around once more. She was still in an underground chamber and there were still people around her. "Am I awake? I can't seem to tell the difference anymore, and it's alarming."
"Right at this moment you are very much awake, Corinne. Some of my family are here with us," Dayan said with gentle reassurance.
She examined his chest. His shirt was immaculate, unbuttoned, but his chest muscles were smooth, without a single blemish. There was no wound where she had fed. No sign of blood. For some reason, that provided the solace she needed for peace of mind. She was clearly mixing up her bizarre dreams with reality. "Tell me where Lisa is."
"At the hospital with Cullen. Do you remember what happened?"
"There was a man in the rocks above Lisa. He had a gun. I tackled her and fought with him…" She trailed off, looking around at the strangers. She lowered her voice. "You know, in my rather weird way. Everything is jumbled after that. I remember falling and trying to protect the baby." She rubbed carefully at the bump and scrapes on her forehead.
Dayan winced. Already dark bruises were beginning to show against her pale skin. Gregori had been far too busy to heal Corinne's superficial wounds, but it bothered Dayan that she was the least bit uncomfortable. He could feel her headache, pounding and throbbing, although she didn't complain. Questions were going around and around in her mind. Dayan provided answers. "Cullen was shot, honey. He's alive, and Barack and Syndil are on their way to the hospital to aid him. They will see to it that he does not die. Syndil is well versed in healing and has special gifts. Cullen knows Barack and Syndil, and Lisa will not be afraid, because she knows they are members of our band. She will allow them into his room." He didn't add that Lisa's permission was of little consequence as they could walk unseen past any guard at any time. Barack and Syndil were Carpathians at full strength, able to control the minds of the humans around them if necessary.
"Was it bad?" There was a tremor in Corinne's voice, and Dayan gathered her closer to him protectively.
"Honey, there is no need to worry about Cullen. If he was in trouble I would know. I am telepathic, remember? Barack and Syndil can easily communicate with me. They would report instantly if they could not handle the situation, and they would request that either Darius or Gregori come to the hospital at once." Dayan indicated the man with the slashing silver eyes and the small, dark-haired woman. "Gregori and Savannah have traveled from New Orleans to be with us. We owe them much."
Corinne rubbed her forehead again. She was grateful for everyone's concern, but she wished they'd all go home. She was tired, and there were too many of them. She wanted to sleep, not entertain, and her baby was still kicking violently. None of the others seemed to notice that the one they called Darius seemed to be in a trance of sorts.
She closed her eyes and rested her head against Dayan's shoulder. "Thank you all," she murmured, as politely as a child, her voice drowsy and weak.
Dayan glanced apprehensively at Gregori, who nodded at him in reassurance. 'It is good if she sleeps, Dayan. I can take more time healing her, and Darius can work with the baby. She needs rest more than anything else. The repairs will not hold forever. This is temporary. I cannot give her a new heart. Help her to sleep.'
In the hospital Lisa sat with her head resting beside Cullen. She had cried until she was certain there were no more tears left. The doctors had told her Corinne was going to die. It was only a matter of time. They said they would leave the baby in her struggling body for as long as possible, but there
was little hope the baby would survive once born. Then they told her they had no idea if Cullen would live or die. It was a waiting game. He was in bad shape, and the bullet had torn through lung and tissue, destroying everything in its path. They didn't know how he was still hanging on. As if that weren't enough, there had been a terrible commotion coming from Corinne's room as hospital staff, security guards and finally the police milled about. Fifteen long minutes later, when Lisa expected to hear that Corinne had died, they told her Corinne was gone. Vanished into thin air.
There was no way Corinne could have walked out of the hospital, everyone agreed on that, and no one had been seen near her room. When the monitors had signaled heart failure, the nurse had rushed in, only to discover the patient was gone. Lisa was terrified the men who had tried to murder them had somehow taken Corinne.
It was her fault. She had gone to the photo shoot even though they'd all told her she was in danger. Corinne had flown across the park, tackling her, protecting her without a thought for her own weak heart and the consequences to her and the baby. They had tried to kill me! Lisa tried to digest that information. Someone really wanted her dead. They had guns, and they would have shot her if Corinne and Cullen hadn't shown up to save her.
Lisa lifted her head to look at Cullen. He seemed so pale, and there were bandages everywhere. Lisa had lied and said she was his fiancée so she could stay with him. Once Corinne's disappearance had been confirmed, the hospital staff left Lisa strictly alone, posting guards at the door to Cullen's room. Obviously, no one knew what to say to her. Lisa didn't know what to do. John and Corinne had always handled the details of their lives.
She stuffed her hand into her mouth, biting hard to keep from screaming. She was responsible for this disaster. If she had listened, Corinne and the baby would still be safe. Cullen wouldn't be near death.
"But he will not die," a soft feminine voice said from behind her. "Do not be alarmed – I am Syndil and this is Barack."
Startled, Lisa spun around, nearly falling off the chair. She hadn't heard a thing, and the security guard hadn't escorted anyone into the room, yet two people were standing just inside the door. Her heart pounding in alarm, Lisa debated whether to scream for help. It took a moment before she recognized the names. Barack and Syndil from the Troubadour band. Dayan's friends.
"How did you get in here?" Lisa whispered. She didn't understand anything that was going on.
"Cullen has been our friend for a long time. He risked his life to warn us when we were in danger. We would never allow him to die," Barack told her. He smiled gently, looking directly into her eyes. "You must be Lisa, Corinne's sister. Dayan has told us much about you."
Lisa burst into a storm of fresh tears. "They've taken Corinne."
Syndil circled Lisa's shoulders comfortingly. "Corinne is fine, Lisa. She was dying here. Dayan could not allow such a thing. Gregori, one of our greatest healers, has come from New Orleans to help her. We are determined that Corinne and the baby will live." She squeezed Lisa's shoulders gently in reassurance and then glided the short distance to Cullen's side. At once her expression changed. "Barack, he is so pale. There is much damage." She touched Cullen's shoulder with gentle fingers. "It is difficult to see him this way."
"He will not be so for long," Barack answered confidently.
Lisa drew herself up to her full height. "Tell me about Corinne. Where is she? Dayan had no right to remove my sister from the hospital when she was so deathly ill. He had no right." For the first time in her life, Lisa was not going to hide from the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
Barack glanced back at her. "Lisa" – his voice was soft but compelling – "you know Dayan. You know that he loves Corinne and wants her to live. He needs her to live. He took her to the only people who have a chance of saving her. You wanted him to save her, remember?"
Lisa blinked rapidly. She found herself nodding, wondering why she was so upset. Of course Dayan would take care of Corinne. Anyone could tell he was crazy about her. She moved to stand beside the bed, reaching for Cullen's hand.
"Sit here near him and stay close while we work," Syndil invited softly. "No one will come in to disturb us."
"Corinne is really going to be all right? She's with Dayan?" Lisa sat in the chair because the relief was so tremendous that her rubbery legs threatened to give out.
"Gregori is reputed to be the best in the world." Syndil's voice was melodic, easy to listen to. "And yes, Lisa," she continued, "Dayan is with Corinne and will not leave her side."
"Where? I need to see her."
Barack reached down and caught her chin, tilting her head so she was forced to look up at him. "You will see her soon, Lisa. Right now, your place is with Cullen. He needs you here. You know Corinne is in the best of hands, but Cullen is alone. He needs care. As soon as he is able to travel, he must be taken to a safe house which Syndil and I will secure. You will care for him there until he can go with you to where Corinne and Dayan are. It is what you want, and you will rest easy over Corinne's health, trusting in Dayan to inform you of her progress. Dayan must stay with Corinne; it is where he belongs." Barack's voice was mesmerizing, hypnotic. Lisa felt as if she were falling forward into his dark eyes.
Barack made perfect sense to her. She had to stay with Cullen. She was responsible for his terrible wound, and there was no one else to take care of him. Dayan's place was definitely with Corinne.
"I am going to teach you a healing chant, Lisa," Syndil said softly. "It will help us to aid Cullen. The words are in an ancient language, and they are very beautiful. Listen to the pattern of our words and repeat them with Barack. You will hear my voice rising with yours, but I will concentrate on healing Cullen. I have some small talent in this area – certainly not like Gregori's, but I believe I can do some good. Please lend your voice to us." Syndil sounded very gentle, her tone so pure and pleasing to the ear that Lisa could have listened to her forever.
Barack took several candles from his backpack and lit them, filling the room with a soothing scent. Lisa leaned close to Cullen. it was peculiar, but she could hear Syndil's voice chanting softly in her head. She was certain Syndil wasn't speaking aloud, yet she heard the words clearly and began to follow along with them, at first to herself, then joining Barack when he began to chant aloud. Lisa followed his example, repeating the beautiful-sounding words over and over. It was difficult to get the accent just right, but Lisa was determined to try. She had a strange feeling that Syndil really could help Cullen.
Syndil closed her eyes, focusing totally on the human male lying so still on the bed. At first images arose. Cullen smiling at her. Walking in the forest with him, talking and laughing. Cullen guarding her and Desari when someone had kidnapped Darius's lifemate. Cullen. He was held in high regard by the entire band. He was under their protection. Syndil took a deep breath, let it out slowly and sent herself outside her own body and into the one lying so still and wounded.
The wound was terrible. The bullet had ricocheted through Cullen's body, causing tremendous damage. Syndil began the delicate work of repairing from the inside out. The doctors had done a miraculous job, but Cullen was in trouble. She took her time, wanting to be meticulous. Barack would direct the hospital staff away from the room while she worked. If any of the society made an attempt to enter the hospital to kill Cullen, Barack would know. She kept her entire attention focused on repairing Cullen's organs. It was painstakingly slow work.
Exhausted and swaying with weariness, she made her way out of Cullen's body and back into her own. Barack immediately caught her around the waist to support her. "I'm so proud of you, Syndil. You really came through for him."
'He needs blood, Barack. Despite all the aid I have given him, he is still in danger. Our blood will ensure his recovery.' Syndil was drooping with weariness.
'You need blood too.' Barack's words were a whispered invitation.
Lisa jumped up and all but pushed Syndil into the chair. "Is he going to live?" she asked, a
lmost ready to believe in a miracle. Barack and Syndil inspired confidence when she needed to hold on to hope desperately.
Syndil reached out and took her hand. "We will not give Cullen up to the other world just yet, Lisa. He deserves happiness, and it has been long since he has known such a thing. You care very much for him." She made it a statement.
Lisa nodded even as she hedged. "I just met him. But he's different. I really enjoy his company. And he was hurt trying to save me," she confessed in a little rush.
"He is not safe here, Lisa," Barack told her carefully. "You must realize that. The men who wanted to kill you and your sister want Cullen even more. The security guard placed at his door is very inexperienced. If Cullen remains here, the society will attempt to kill him. The security guard and Cullen and perhaps you will all die. Cullen has no other family. Our band is his family. We would like you to come with us to a place we know is safe. We must take Cullen there to safeguard him. We cannot be with him at all times, and he will need someone to help him while he heals."
Lisa's fingers curled into a fist. She didn't know what to do, whom to trust. Dayan had said much the same thing about Corinne, and he had been right. "This all started when we went into that bar," she accused recklessly.
Syndil looked directly at her. Her voice was gentle but very firm. "You know that is not true. Your brother was murdered by these same men. Just because you do not want something to be true, reality does not change. You must live in the real world, Lisa, not one of illusion. You are in danger, just as Cullen is. I will not force you to accompany us, but we are going to protect Cullen. I am asking you to trust us of your own free will."
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