Blood and Sand

by Elizabeth Hunter

  Magic, she thought again. His touch was magic. He could explain it away with whatever science he chose, but he was magic. His love. His devotion. The fullness of who he was and all that they could be together washed over her as she focused on the feeling of his fingers tracing her skin. Magic.

  Voices joined the beeping.

  “Her lips moved. Did you see? I’m sure of it. Natalie?”

  She didn’t want to wake. She knew it was going to hurt more. Some instinct told her that wherever she was, it was safe. She didn’t want to mess that up. But the magic that coursed over her skin spread upward, teasing deeper into her mind.

  Wake up. You need to wake up.

  No. Waking up was going to hurt.

  Wake. Open your eyes.

  She didn’t hear the words, but the press of his influence pushed against her mind. There was a sense of urgency behind it.

  Wake. Wake. Wake.

  “You’re so bossy,” she croaked.

  With that, the floodgates seemed to break. Natalie forced her eyes open when she heard the relieved laughter around the room. Beatrice and Dez started talking, but she didn’t really listen. Carwyn was at the foot of her bed, grinning like a madman. Natalie forced her head to the left.

  There he was.

  She felt the corners of her mouth turn up when she saw him, her lips cracked a little as she smiled.

  “There you are,” he whispered through the cacophony of joyful chatter that had begun to fill the room. More voices joined in. Giovanni, Ben, even Tenzin’s low voice could be heard asking questions, laughing, trying to get her attention. But she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  He was sitting in a chair to her left. He wore a black T-shirt and his hair looked like he’d been running his hands through it for hours. It stuck out at odd angles, telling her he hadn’t looked in a mirror in a while. And his eyes were so tired. Baojia let out a long breath and squeezed her hand a little. Then he took another breath and brought his other hand up to his face, covering his eyes for a few moments before he shook his head and let out another shaky breath.

  She whispered, “Nothing but trouble, right?”

  He leaned forward, taking her hand in both of his and bending over, placing his forehead to her wrist and kissing the palm of her hand before he looked back up. What do you know? Vampires cried pink. He blinked his red-rimmed eyes at her and managed a small smile.

  “Nothing but trouble,” he whispered back.

  “Where am I? I had a really bad dream. I’m sorry.” The voices were beginning to irritate her, but she focused on the feel of his hand holding hers.

  “Why are you sorry? You’re alive. Don’t be sorry.”

  He couldn’t seem to stop touching her. He brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her cheek. He ran his hands over her arms and pressed another kiss to her forehead. The look in his eyes was fierce, almost desperate.

  “How do you feel? Are you in pain? What’s the last thing you remember?” Then he looked around the room. “Is the doctor on the way? Where’s the nurse?”

  Dez rushed to reassure him as the monitors went wild. He must have gotten too close to the equipment.

  “Chill, Baojia. You’re stressing her out. They’re coming right now.”

  Natalie tugged at the thing on her arm, but a nurse was suddenly tas suddehere, pushing her hands away.

  “What is all this?” she said. “I want to go home. Baojia, take me home.”

  “Not quite yet.” He brushed her hair back again, coaxing her head to the side so he could put her hair in a ponytail. “Let the nurse check you. You’re in the hospital in San Diego.”

  Dez said, “You scared us to death, Nat. They stopped the medication for the coma hours ago, and you were supposed to wake up and then you didn’t. They told us not to worry, but—”

  “I want to go home,” she rasped. “I want…” She didn’t know what she wanted. The nurse was poking at her and tugging on things. She hurt everywhere. And there were tubes and wires and beeping and too many people who were all happy, but she wanted to go home, and she wasn’t quite sure where home was, or where she was, or why she was even here.

  Baojia suddenly let go of her hand and stood up. “Okay, everyone out. It’s too much. Thank you all for being here, but you need to leave now.”

  The cacophony stopped in seconds. Natalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath as murmuring well-wishers fled the room.

  “Sorry, Natalie.”

  “We’ll wait outside.”

  “She smells very strange. It must be all the chemicals.” That had to be Tenzin.

  When all the voices were gone, she opened her eyes again and it was just her and Baojia with a nurse smiling and making notes on a chart.

  “The doctor will be here in just a second, hon,” she said. “Everything looks good, but he’ll want to examine you. I’m going to get you some water and something for your lips. Is there anything else you need right now?”

  Natalie realized she couldn’t move her legs. They felt heavy and hot. Her toes itched, but she couldn’t move them. “What’s wrong with my legs?” She started to panic and tried to sit up, but Baojia pushed her back.

  “You broke both your legs in the rockslide,” he said. “They’re in casts right now. But they’re going to be fine.”

  “Am I paralyzed?” Her heart was racing, and the monitors went crazy again. He took her hand and she immediately calmed down.

  “No,” he said in a steady voice. “There was no damage to your spine. You are not paralyzed.”

  He continued soothing her when the doctor came, holding her hand as the man outlined what her body had gone through. Three broken bones. Brain swelling. Trauma to her right side, accompanied by massive blood loss. She’d been in a medically induced coma for three days, and she’d be in the hospital recovering longer.

  Finally, she said, “I guess I’m pretty lucky to be alive.”

  The doctor smiled. “Very lucky. Quite frankly, you’re a miracle. If your friend hadn’t driven you to the hospital so fast…” He smiled. “It’s a good thing she broke some traffic laws.”

  Natalie frowned and looked at Baojia. He cleared his throat and glanced at the doctor before meeting her eyes.

  “Tenzin was with you and Carwyn on the hike, remember? She’s the one who brought you.”

  “Ah. Got it.” Natalie was a little disappointed. She didn’t even remember her first vampire-flight. “So my noggin is fine, and my side is repaired.” She stretched a little and groaned. “But that’s still gonna hurt for a while. I broke both my legs, but they’re clean breaks—”

  “And with proper physical therapy, you should be able to walk with no walk wi lasting problems. There will be pain while you’re healing and possibly afterward for some time. Luckily, we didn’t have to do surgery, but physical therapy will be very important.”

  She looked at Baojia. “I think I know a good physical therapist,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”

  Baojia finally gave her a real smile. “Yes, you will.”

  “There, there, theeeeeere…” Natalie threw her head back and groaned. “Oh, that feels amazing.”

  “Who knew chopsticks had so many uses?” Baojia smirked and leaned back, throwing his arm around her as she lay in the hospital bed. The blessed chopstick was placed on the side table for the next time the itching in her left cast became unbearable. They both turned their heads when they heard the faint tapping on the door.

  “Hey.” Kristy smiled when she walked in. “For a minute there, I thought I was interrupting something.”

  “The itching,” she said. “The rocks didn’t kill me, but the itching from these damn casts might.”

  She’d been in the hospital for almost two weeks. The doctors had been worried about her head for a while. Baojia had just smiled and said it was good someone was finally examining it. Natalie tried to be mad at him, but he was so happy she was alive it was hard to be irritated. Then they were worried because she had a fever an
d they thought the wound in her side had become infected. Baojia fussed because he couldn’t heal it completely while she was still being observed by the doctors and nurses. He might have used a bit of his blood to heal the worst of the surface injuries so she wouldn’t scar. Then he made a face when he tasted her and said he’d be grateful when she tasted right again.

  Vampires.

  Natalie couldn’t decide if vampires would make wonderful or horrible doctors. She was leaning toward horrible.

  But he was there every night. No one seemed to question why her husband—because that’s what they had told the hospital—only came when the sun went down. Dez or Kristy were there during most of each day. Natalie was grateful for all the caring company, but mostly she wanted to go somewhere that nurses didn’t wake her up every three hours.

  “Be grateful you itch,” Baojia said. “That means you’re alive and your nerves are in excellent health.”

  Kristy sat on the other side of the bed. “Is he always so logical?”

  Natalie nodded. “Yes. It’s a good thing he’s cute, too.”

  Baojia frowned and stood up. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I’m going to find something to drink.”

  “Hey, can you bring me back a soda?”

  He turned at the door. “Are you allowed to have soda?”

  Kristy looked over her shoulder. “She’s a big girl. Bring her a soda. But no caffeine.”

  Natalie shook her head. “You’re as bad as he is.”

  Baojia sighed. “No caffeine still leaves me with too many choices.”

  “Oooh,” Natalie said with a grin. “See if they have that blood orange.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I love that one.”

  He tried to stifle a smile as he left her room, but she heard him chuckle as he walked down the hall.

  Kristy turned back around and slumped in her seat. “So you’re really leaving?”

  She nodded. “Yep.”

  “And you’re really marrying a guy you met in a bar a few weeks ag few weeo?”

  “It’s been… almost two months.” It probably did sound crazy to someone who didn’t know the whole story.

  Kristy shook her head. “Part of that time you were unconscious.”

  “And he was there the whole time,” she said quietly. “I know… I know it probably seems crazy, but it’s not. We’re not. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  “Well…” Kristy looked over her shoulder again. “He’s totally nuts about you, that much is obvious. And I’m glad I know his real name now. Baojia is not that strange. Trust me, I knew a guy named Tam. And you know why he was named Tam? Because his real name had so many syllables you needed a weekend to say it…”

  She had to smile. She’d told Kristy as much as she could, but not everything. And to Natalie’s surprise, she felt okay about that. She’d come to realize that while knowledge was power, that power wasn’t always necessary for everyone to have. And if spreading the truth about vampires would hurt Baojia… Well, the public didn’t really need to know everything, did they? Besides, keeping secrets was part of her job, too. If it meant protecting a source, her lips were sealed. And if it meant protecting the vampire she loved?

  “You’re not telling me everything, Natalie,” Kristy said, narrowing her eyes. “I’m not dumb. Spill.”

  Spill the truth about immortal beings who lived in a shadow society? Spill the truth about a dangerous drug that seemed to be spreading, no matter what they did to combat it? Spill the truth about the girls who had died? The ones still in danger from ingesting Elixir? Would speaking the truth help or hurt more?

  “He saved my life, Kristy. That’s the truth. And I think… I think I might have saved his, too. In a way.” She grabbed her friend’s hand. “I love him like crazy, but there’s nothing crazy about it. He’s the best man I’ve ever known.”

  She saw Kristy’s eyes well up with unshed tears. “Where will you go? Why can’t you guys stay here? If you went and apologized to the Tribune, they might—”

  “I think we’re going north,” she said. “Not sure yet. We’re both kind of… unemployed right now. But we’re good. We’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She saw him coming down the hall, scanning the surroundings in that cautious way he had, carrying three sodas because he probably couldn’t decide which one she would like best. Constantly watching. Constantly guarding. Always aware. Her bodyguard. Her lover. And maybe… her eternity. She still didn’t know. But as he entered the room and bent down to kiss her cheek, she turned to Kristy and said, “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  “She wants to meet with both of us,” Baojia said again, wheeling her toward the downstairs living room in Giovanni and Beatrice’s house. They had been staying there, at Giovanni and Beatrice’s insistence, since she’d left the hospital. Caspar and Isadora—the whole household, in fact—had spent most of her recovery fussing over her and hovering. She loved it. She kind of hated it, too. “Katya didn’t say why she wanted to meet us together, but I’m assuming it’s to be polite. For a human, you have quite a high profile in our world now. You’re friends with Beatrice De Novo and Carwyn ap Bryn. Tenzin saved your life. According to rumors, I left my sire’s aegis so that we could be together. I’m sure she’s curious.”

  “She’s a really, really powerful vampire who rules Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.” She swatted at his hand in annoyance. “I’m an “I’unemployed writer. What on earth are we going to talk about?”

  “I don’t know. But you are also my mate and she has been in talks with Carwyn and Brigid about something for weeks now. Something to do with both of us, I suspect. So just be pleasant and try not to interrogate her if you get curious.”

  “I wouldn’t interrogate her!”

  He laughed. “Yes, you would.”

  “Questioning is not interrogating.”

  “So you say, my love.”

  “Don’t…” She held up a finger. He’d been doing that—calling her “my love” and something in Chinese she didn’t understand, which probably meant “my perpetual headache” or something equally endearing. It didn’t matter. When he said it in that low, sexy voice she melted every time. “Don’t call me ‘my love’ just so you can—What are you doing?”

  He had stopped a few feet down the hall from the living room, before kneeling in front of her and framing her face with his hands. “I’m proposing to you.”

  Despite her annoyance, she blushed. “W…what? Here?”

  “Yes.” He reached in his pocket.

  Her voice squeaked. “Now?”

  “Whatever happens in that room,” he said, pulling out a ring from his pocket, “I do not want anyone to question my commitment to you. You are not just a human under my aegis. Vampire or not, I consider you my mate. And I am asking you to be my wife. Officially.”

  They’d talked about it. Natalie had even assumed it, but seeing him down on one knee, ring in hand, made her fall in love with him all over again. This startling creature, this inhuman marvel, wanted her to spend the rest of her life with him. And more. She knew he wanted more, but he was patient. As different as they were, they were perfect together.

  “Yes,” she said simply. “Of course yes. I would be honored to be your wife.”

  She knew she’d said the right thing when his face lit with a joy she’d never seen from him, spilling out of his eyes, his smile. He lit up from within as he slid a simple solitaire over her finger. Not a diamond, a light blue stone. Blue, like the water he commanded.

  “It’s the color of your eyes,” he said quietly. “Is it—”

  “It’s perfect,” she said. “I love it.” She pulled his collar and kissed him, claiming his mouth, claiming everything he was for her own. Her body hummed in awareness of his. Weeks recuperating had led to one very frustrated Natalie. She didn’t want to go to a meeting; she wanted him alone. Her body missed his, and she was not very good at being patient.

  “Natalie,” he growled, pull
ing away with regret. “Soon.”

  “Soon.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing they could escape as she gathered her nerves and said, “Okay, let’s go meet the new vampire.”

  He stood and started pushing her chair again. “You’ll be fine. Just be polite. Respectful. Don’t interrogate.”

  “I told you—” She broke off when Brigid pushed the door open, obviously hearing them in the hall. When Natalie entered, she was surprised by how young the powerful Katya looked. The vampire looked as if she’d been turned when she was around eighteen. She was small, blond, and lovely, with warm brown eyes and angelic features. Despite her seeming innocence, Natalie could spot the keen intelligence behind her gaze.

  “Natalie, Baojia,” she said, rising to her feet. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a sweater nd a swethat seemed at odds with the formal room, but somehow, she still commanded it. “May I be the first to offer my congratulations?”

  “Oh, right.” Natalie realized Katya had heard everything from down the hall and tried to remember if she’d said anything adoringly stupid. “Thanks.”

  “Thank you, Katya,” Baojia said more formally. “It is very nice to see you. I hope your visit to Los Angeles has been productive.”

  Her eyes sparkled with interest. “Very. So many interesting things have been happening lately. I almost feel as if I’ve missed out on the fun.”

  Baojia wheeled Natalie over next to an armchair and everyone sat at once. Carwyn and Brigid were on the sofa, facing the fireplace. Katya sat casually across from Baojia and Natalie.

  “Baojia, I want to offer you a job,” she said directly. “I think you have been underutilized, and I have a particular position I think you’d be perfect for.”

  After a few shocked seconds, he spoke. “May I ask what it is?”

  Katya looked to Carwyn, who had been silent up till then.

  “The girls…,” he said. “The ones affected by the Elixir—we’ve been debating what to do with them. There are eleven still alive. They can’t go home and risk poisoning another human or a vampire, but we don’t want to kill them, obviously.”