Part 23 (1/2)
Luc crossed the room to place his hand on Wilfredo's shoulder. ”Even without the benefit of your memory, you have managed to uphold our beliefs more faithfully than either Jacoby or I have.”
”I have taken many false steps and erred on many occasions for far longer than I should have, but I have done my best, Lord.”
”You have carried out the duties of your office in a most n.o.ble and honorable manner. Of those of us here from the Crystal Falls, you have stayed truest to our original purpose. Your innate devotion to our clan's creed humbles me. Rise and receive my grateful thanks. I am sure Jacoby will add his very shortly.”
Jace, watching impatiently, swallowed hard several times before he could speak without shouting. There was something about this Luc that commanded respect. ”Someone...please help her.”
Wilfredo turned to him. ”She is not dead, Jason.”
”But she is dying. I can feel her life force seeping out of her body.”
Wilfredo rose and went to kneel beside him. He placed one hand on Jace's shoulder while moving his other hand over Tatiana's body. ”She is almost gone.”
”Help her, Wilfredo. Please. Don't let her die.”
”Do not despair, Jason. She is a descendant of an ancient clan from our home world. While there is life in me, she will not die.” Closing his eyes, Wilfredo began to chant in a soft, foreign language. After several moments, he rocked slowly back and forth. His chanting gradually increased in volume. It went on for some time. At some portions his chanting was slow and measured. At other points he chanted in short, rapid bursts.
After what felt like a lifetime, Tatiana stirred. Finally, as Wilfredo opened his eyes and withdrew his hand, easing the bow from her chest, she opened her eyes.
She looked up at him. ”Jason? What happened?”
His throat muscles constricted. He looked at Wilfredo, a question in his eyes.
Wilfredo, looking pale, smiled. ”She is all right, Jason.”
Tears spilled down his cheeks. He lifted Tatiana in his arms and held her gently, brus.h.i.+ng his lips against her hair. ”It's all right, love. You're all right.”
Wilfredo rose. His knees buckled and he would have fallen except that, without seeming to move, Luc was suddenly at his side, keeping him on his feet.
”Thank you, my Lord,” Wilfredo murmured. ”It has been a long time since I attempted a healing on such a gravely injured person.”
”It is good to see you are beginning to remember the ancient ways. Come, we will meet with Jacoby. There is much the three of us need to discuss.”
Jace reached out to Wilfredo, the man who was the only father he knew. Are you going to be all right?
Wilfredo smiled. Yes. It will take more than one healing before you need have cause for concern for me, Jason. Stay with your woman while you both heal.
It was only after he picked Tatiana up and carried her to his spare bedroom and Wilfredo and Luc had left that Jace remembered Carollina. Tatiana lay in his arms, asleep. He eased her onto her side and sat up. Neither of them would be safe until he made sure Carollina was dead. He shuddered at the thought of possibly having to finish her off. How could he kill the woman he had loved for so long? He glanced at Tat. To protect her, he would do what he had to.
As he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the bedroom door was kicked in. A tall vampire with dark hair, blue eyes and light brown skin stood in the doorway, his eyes glowing, his incisors bared.
Jace swore softly and advanced across the room to face him. ”Who the h.e.l.l are you?”
”Get the h.e.l.l out of my way.” The vampire backhanded him without breaking his stride, sending him flying across the room. ”Tat!”
By the time Jace regained his feet, the vampire kneeled on the bed, cradling Tat in his arms. ”Tat? Are you all right? Speak to me. Please!”
Jace realized the vampire must be her twin brother Andrei.
Jace stood by the bed, watching. He saw Tatiana's hands move against Andrei's back, then she spoke. ”Andrei. It's all right... I'm all right.”
He lifted his head and looked down at her, noting her bloodstained top. Jace saw his shoulders shaking. Tatiana pulled out of his arms and pulled him down onto the bed with her, holding him in his arms. ”Don't, Drei. I'm all right.”
”You're not all right. You nearly died. I felt this piercing pain in my chest and I knew you were injured and dying.” He pulled away from her and exploded off the bed. ”Who did this to you?” He spun around and bared his incisors at Jace.
”No! He didn't do it, Drei.”
”Then who did?”
Her lips quivered and she pressed a hand against her mouth. Jace crossed the room and put an arm around her shoulders. She turned her face against his body.
He met Andrei's burning gaze. ”He's in the next bedroom. I killed him.”
Andrei narrowed his gaze. ”And just who the h.e.l.l are you?”
Jace, tired and longing to take Tatiana to a place where they could be alone, snapped. ”I'm the man in love with her.”
”Not very good at protecting her, are you?” Andrei leveled a finger at him. ”You'd better be glad she didn't die. If she had-”
Tat jerked up her head. ”Enough, Andrei! It's not his fault. It was Veelee.”
”Vee... Veelee? She did this?”
Tatiana sighed. ”She attacked Jace and when I intervened-”
”So you got hurt protecting him? What the h.e.l.l do you see in these weak human men you have to protect?”
His taunt stabbed into Jace like a knife. Jace bared his incisors.
Don't respond, she pleaded. He's just upset and afraid because we're so close and he knows I almost died. Bear with him. She drew out of his arms and went to face her brother. ”Go check on Tim and-”
”Timbersmith? Are you telling me he did this to you?”
She nodded.
”I'll kill him!”
”I already did that,” Jace pointed out.
”Then you should have killed him before he injured Tat, not after.”
”Andrei. He's in the other bedroom and Veelee is-I threw her through the other bedroom window and she fell. Check her, but be very careful.”
”You'll be all right with this ninety-pound weakling here?”
”Andrei. Go!”