Tempered (Et Lapis Sanguis Book 1)

by Dawn Ibanez

  Elijah frowned at the thought of Edmund not being comfortable with his magic. His second was powerful in his own right. But they knew that the circumstances of his making left a large question mark over what he could and would be able to do. He looked at Augustina. She was tucking the gun she placed under her sister’s pillow into the waist of her own pants. He would have to get her a holster.

  Elijah crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you even know how to shoot?” he asked.

  She looked at him. Her dark eyebrow arched. He didn’t know if she was amused or insulted. “Why would you ask that?” Her tone gave nothing away.

  “I’m only see you use blades. Never a firearm.”

  The smile that crossed her face was amused. “You remember me saying that Mel can fight, but I’m better at it?” When he nodded, she continued. “We’re the opposite when it comes to guns. The only projectiles I’ve masters are throwing knives and stars. Mel’s mastered them all.”

  Elijah stepped back and watched Monica as she moved to the hospital bed and prepped her syringe. “After you give her the blood, how long will she remain unconscious?” he asked.

  Monica shook her head as she prepped the needle. “There are a handful of factors that I don’t know, so it wouldn’t be fair to give you a time frame.” She then looked at Augustina. “But I want you to know. This is her best chance to come out of this now. That being said, I don’t know how her system will react to his blood. Everything could be fine. Or she could develop some control over shadow magic the way Edmund does.”

  Augustina touched her sister’s hair once more. “Do it,” she ordered.

  Monica didn’t waste any time second guessing her. She went to the IV connected to Esmeralda’s hand and injected the blood into her system. Once she was done, she stepped back from the bed and turned to Elijah. “I’ll send a nurse in here to finish disconnecting her from the monitors. Then you can have her transported to wherever you’re taking her.”

  The machines all went silent. Elijah looked over Monica’s head and saw Augustina making efficient work of the various monitors connected to her sister. Elijah knew Monica would be furious, but he could only be impressed with her knowledge. “Augustina. A nurse was going to do that.”

  She glanced at him before returning to remove the various wires around the bed. “And now you don’t have to waste the manpower. Someone that actually needs help can get it.”

  A soft moan from her sister made Augustina freeze. “Mel?” she asked softly.

  Elijah stepped to the side and gestured for Monica to join him out in the hall. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said over his shoulder.

  She waved a hand and returned her focus to her sister. Elijah watched her for a moment. Her voice was soft as she doted attention on her sister. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have never guessed that Augustina would have been able to treat anyone in such a way.

  “Take care of them Elijah,” Monica said softly. When he looked at her, she gestured to the two women. “I don’t know how yet, but those two are going to be important to the future. Very important.”

  Elijah had that same feeling. And knowing Augustina had another destiny ahead of her, one that could potentially be without him, did nothing to lessen his craving for her. It made him want her even more. He reached forward and closed the hospital room door. When he turned to the hallway, members of his Glaive were watching him, waiting for their orders. He sighed as he pushed his hair back. Augustina and his feelings for her would need to wait. He had to be the Chevalier of the North.

  Chapter 11

  Gus stood next to Mel and gently held down her hands. “Melly?” Her grip on Mel’s hands tightened when green eyes snapped open in a blind haze. Gus pinned her sister to the bed during the first few moments of her waking. Mel had never been one for waking up in strange places. And if she had been left in this hospital alone, there was no telling what kind of damage she would have done to herself. “You’re okay, Mel,” she said.

  Mel blinked rapidly as she focused on her sister’s face. “Gus?” She stopped struggling and looked around the sterile room. “What happened?” she asked.

  Gus closed her eyes as she thought about everything she had gone through the past two nights. “We have to leave, and this was the only way to wake you up.”

  “Wake me up?” Mel moved to sit up and frowned when she saw part of the IV still connected to her hand. “What did you do?”

  Gus sat on the chair next to the bed and laid her forehead on the mattress. “You were in a coma. They didn’t know if you were going to pull out of it. But there was an attack on the hospital, and we have to get you out. This was the best course of action.” The tension that gathered in her body suddenly relaxed when Mel’s hand gently pulled on her hair.

  “The last thing I remember is being attacked in the meat market. I was stabbed and you were standing over me. I couldn’t hear you. But you were there.”

  Gus nodded. “I missed the fucker that did this to you.” She straightened and frowned when a gentle knock came to the door.

  A nurse came into the room holding a set of clothes for Mel. “Lord Elijah wanted me to have these delivered to you.”

  Gus stood and looked the nurse over. “That’s fine. Where is Lord Elijah?” she asked. She ignored the gasp that came from Mel. Her focus needed to stay on the brunette that held the small pile of clothes.

  “He needed to speak with some of his men.” She placed the clothes on the tray table that was between her and Mel’s bed.

  A small thud sounded in the room and Gus had the gun out and trained on the nurse in an instant.

  “Gus!”

  The nurse backed away from the bed with her hands up in the air. “I’m sorry. It was just the pudding. I swear.”

  Gus moved around the bed and frowned when she saw the small container of pudding on the floor. She lowered the gun and sighed. “Get out,” she said.

  The nurse nodded and quickly backed out of the room. Gus took the clothes from the small table and put them on the foot of Mel’s bed. Gus couldn’t tell what her sister was thinking. At times like these, Gus had never been able to read Mel’s emotions. Her own feelings ran high, and she was pretty sure Mel felt as if her world had been turned upside down. “You should get dressed.”

  Mel fingers curled into the blanket that covered her. “You should start explaining.”

  Gus rubbed the back of her next and blew out a breath of air. “Well, it looks like whoever attacked you isn’t working alone. They’ve been killing people all over the sector.”

  “But why?”

  Gus shrugged. “Not a clue. But it may be because of Mom.”

  Green eyes narrowed, and Gus knew she would have to tread carefully. For someone that never grew up around their mother, Mel had an almost unhealthy anger towards the woman. “What about her?”

  Gus sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t want to the get into a fight about their mother in the middle of a hospital. “There’s a lot that we have to talk about. This can wait until we’re safe.” She shook open the top she pulled off the pile. “We’ll get you to safely, and then I’ll explain everything.”

  Mel frowned as she took the shirt and put it on. She tossed the blankets off her body and moved to stand up. “Explain one thing, and I’ll stop all of my questions,” she said.

  Gus nodded. “What do you want to know?”

  “She said ‘Lord Elijah.’ And then you said it. Are we getting involved in something with the Chevalier?”

  Gus nodded. As much as she hated the thought of anyone knowing about their past, she couldn’t bring herself to regret telling Elijah anything. And she needed Mel to understand that. “You weren’t the only one attacked. Elijah had questions, and I answered them.”

  Mel’s eyes narrowed. “Elijah? Not Lord Elijah? Gus, what did you do?”

  “Nothing.” She looked at Mel and stopped. Mel angrily pulled on her borrowed clothes and ripped the IV out of her hand.
“Mel, stop.”

  She slammed the small needle on the bed. Angry green eyes looked at Gus. “What did he make you swear to?” she asked. “My safety? A full pardon for the stash in the meat market? My medical bills paid?”

  Gus rubbed the back of her neck and took a breath. “It’s complicated, okay?”

  Mel shook her head. She looked as if she had never seen Gus before. “No. It’s really not.” She walked over to her. “You forget I was there too. I won’t let you go back to being treated that way. Not even for me.” Tears filled her eyes. “Especially not for me.”

  Gus took Mel’s hand and squeezed them. “When we got out, you said that one captain made you feel like everything was going to be okay, right?” she asked. “That was how you got me to calm down. You said that you knew that he was kind, even if he was a vampire. And that he wouldn’t hurt us.” Gus closed her eyes and shook her head. “Elijah interrogated me. Figured out I was the one that beat that vampire.”

  “Oh Christ. Gus, we need to leave.”

  Gus grabbed the sides of Mel’s face and looked into her eyes. “He knows everything, and instead of trying to lock me in prison, we’re helping each other.”

  Mel’s lips curled up in a snarl. “At what cost?”

  “For Augustina’s assistance, I will grant her the right to execute the person at the head of this apparent snake,” Elijah’s voice said from the door. He walked into the room and bowed his head at Mel. “Esmeralda. It is nice to finally meet you.”

  Mel’s eyes traveled his form. Gus couldn’t tell what she was thinking. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Usually, she was the overprotective one ready to lash out at the world. Mel had spent more time than she should have trying to defend her choices or trying to convince Gus to see her side. Mel finished taking stock of him and bowed her head as well. “It is nice to meet you as well, Lord Elijah,” she said in a tight voice.

  He looked between both women before turning his focus on Mel. “I know you don’t want to trust me, especially with your pasts. But I can assure you, there is nothing being held over your sister’s head.”

  She didn’t look convinced as she turned to Gus. “Let’s get to where we need to. This way you can tell me why you think this has something to do with her.”

  Gus looked at Elijah and gave him a weak smile. “Is the car okay? I know Gabriel was taken to see Christine.”

  Elijah opened the door and gestured for both Vega women to leave before him. When she stepped out into the hall, Edmund stood leaning against the wall drinking from a bottle of apple juice. His coloring was off. Like he had been drained of all his energy. “You still look horrible,” Elijah said from behind her. “I’ll drive; you can ride in the back.”

  Edmund shook his head. “I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

  Gus frowned at the Captain before walking over to him. When she stood next to him, she folded her arms over her stomach. “Did this come from using so much of your magic?” she asked.

  His eyes narrowed at her. Almost like he didn’t know if he wanted to full trust her or not. “I just need to get my energy back up,” he said quietly. “But it looks bad on the Sector if the Chevalier is seen doing day to day things like driving around. Especially when his second is so weak that he cannot function either.”

  “This isn’t Europe,” Elijah hissed.

  “Give me the keys,” Gus said to Edmund. She held out her hand. “I’ll drive us all home, and since my sister is in the car, you know I won’t drive off a bridge.”

  “Not funny, Gus,” Mel said. She looked at Edmund and frowned. “Why do I feel like I know you?” she asked.

  Gus’s eyes widened. She hadn’t reached that part of her breakdown of things that happened. She looked at Mel in time to see her roll her eyes. “Mel?”

  “I’m not dumb,” she said. “You gave me vampire blood to heal my injuries. That’s why I feel like I can take on the world and be okay. I’m assuming it was this vampire’s blood because I feel like I know him.”

  Edmund smiled. “Yes. I was the one who donated the blood. It would have been either myself or Lord Elijah, but I spoke with Monica first.”

  Mel went to his side. “Then, I will thank you for your contribution to my health. And I will also say that if we have to go anywhere, I would feel better with my sister behind the wheel of the car.”

  Edmund snorted. “Was she a race car driver for De Leon too?” he asked.

  Mel smiled as she stepped closer to Edmund. Gus reached for her sister, but released her when Mel looked at her hand. “It’s okay Mel,” Gus said in a whisper.

  Mel’s eyes scanned the uniform Edmund wore. The saccharine smile she wore was more frightening than Gus could ever remember it. “Captain, I know I just told you that I am grateful for your blood, but let’s be clear on something.” Before anyone could move, Mel lunged forward and drew one of the guns on his hip. Her eyes were cold as she pointed it to his groin. “I will not tolerate anyone badmouthing my sister about that torture chamber.”

  Edmund kept his focus on Mel’s. “I will never speak of it again,” he said softly.

  She moved back and tucked the gun into the small of her back. “Make sure you don’t.” She looked around and saw the elevator doors opening. Her face blossomed into a real smile when Shawn stepped out into the floor.

  As Mel ran to their friend, Gus pulled out the gun she had tucked away. She handed it to Edmund. Her eyes glanced at Elijah. “If she hears you say something like that again, you’ll never see her coming. You know that, right?”

  Edmund frowned as he looked at the gun in his hand. “I barely saw her move.”

  Gus nodded. “Part of her training. Rule number two. Always be the first to draw.”

  “Rule two? What is rule one?” Elijah asked.

  She smiled as before moving to join her sister. “Run.”

  *****

  They returned to his home over an hour ago. Augustina took a shower, and Esmeralda had claimed a room near her sister’s. Shawn’s visit to the hospital had been cut short. He only showed up originally to give both women changes of clothes.

  Elijah frowned. He didn’t want to think about how he enjoyed seeing Augustina wearing his shirt. She was a complication he did not need, but he couldn’t deny the nearly magnetic pull between them.

  A soft knock on his office door made him turn around. Esmeralda stood in the doorway. Elijah stood and motioned for her to enter. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Gus and I really haven’t had a chance to talk, and I want some answers.” She stood in front of him. “Was she the one who told you about De Leon?”

  Elijah nodded as he reevaluated the relationship between the two sisters. “I don’t know exactly what was done to her or to you. But I know it wasn’t pleasant.” Esmeralda had the same deprecating laugh her sister did. “An understatement, I know. But I needed to know who I was dealing with.”

  “Did you call the South to verify our story?” she asked.

  He would not be ashamed of his precaution. “Yes. I spoke with Gideon. He and Liam were happy to hear you and your sister were here and found a semblance of peace.”

  Her shoulders fell slightly. “Gus doesn’t know that Shawn is related to Liam. She would have never let me work with him.”

  Elijah looked her over. “You wanted to give her a happy life.”

  She shrugged. “Given our history, can you honestly blame me?”

  He couldn’t. “Both you and Augustina are citizens of the North Sector. I will do everything I can to protect you from harm. If you want, I can declare that you both are under my direct protection. That would give you the freedom to do as you wish.”

  “That’s very kind of you. It’s more than I could ever ask that you do for either of us.” She sat in the armchair in front of his desk and folded her hands. Her green eyes were focused on him like a laser. “It makes me wonder what strings would be attached to that.”

  He went to his own chair and sat. “N
o strings. I told Augustina as much.”

  “Why are you calling her Augustina?”

  “It’s her name.”

  “Everyone calls her Gus.”

  A thought occurred to him. “Did De Leon call her by her full name?”

  Esmeralda shook her head. “No. He said that her name was too strong to be used in the pits.” She rested her chin on her hand as she continued to examine him. “He used the last part of her name.” Her gaze turned distant for a moment. She then shook her head. “But that doesn’t answer my question. Why are you using her full name?”

  “Because it suits her better than Gus.” Elijah leaned back in his chair and watched as she processed the information. He was going to have his hands full with both Vega women. Especially if he continued to pursue Augustina. Elijah cleared his throat. “That being said, your sister and I may… I mean, I would like it if….”

  Esmeralda stood and walked to the door. She closed the door and leaned her head against the thick wood. Her shoulders rose and fell with her breaths. After a moment, she turned to him. “Lord Elijah, are you asking my permission to date my sister?”

  The realization dawned on him. “It appears that I am.” He leaned back in his chair. “I have already told your sister I am not De Leon. My protection has been given. I would never think to rescind it because of a lovers’ spat.”

  Esmeralda walked over to the window and looked across the landscape. “Our entire lives, I wanted someone to come along and sweep her off her feet. Gus deserves the full fairy tale romance. The sad thing is, she’s too jaded to accept it.”

  She turned to him and Elijah saw the sad smile that crossed her face. “Gus would eat a white knight for lunch. I’ll hope that you can be the monster that treats her like the treasure she is.”

  Elijah nodded as she wiped her eyes. The heavy knock on his door was too quick to be Edmund. “Enter,” he said.