The bright lights of the hospital, the controlled chaos of the medical team as they ran beside Mesmer while directing him somewhere with me, a brighter light shoved in my face, Draven growling at a doctor, Rhys, with his arm wrapped around Draven’s front, trying to get him to leave the medical staff alone to do their jobs.
I smelled antiseptic and the scent that was distinctly hospital before I scrunched my nose, and fought the light that speared through my retinas.
“Lights,” I whispered.
Then I sighed as the lights dimmed and fell back into the abyss.
I woke up with Draven in my hospital bed with me. He had situated me between his legs and let me recline on his chest so I would be more comfortable. I had gauze covering my shoulder and chest, and I came to with the very real certainty that I’d just escaped certain death.
My thoughts were still fuzzy, but I looked at my guys with complete adoration. Dice was probably holding down The Laughing Elf, but Rhys was passed out in the only chair in the room with his mouth hanging open and still managing to look like a model forAbercrombie, and Draven had his arms wrapped around me like he was afraid I was going to sprout wings and fly away from him. Flowers, teddy bears, and mylar balloons covered every available surface of my room, even lined up along the window ledge. I gawped at them in amazement before I attempted to sit up a little.
I made it about halfway up when I had to stop and hissed in pain. Crying crawdaddies thathurt.Moving was a terrible idea. Like, the worst idea ever. I carefully lay back down, trying not to damage anything too much, and tried not to wake Draven or Rhys up.
But of course, Draven, like the vampire he was, came awake as soon as my body registered that I was in pain. “What?” he asked in a panicked voice. “What’s wrong?” His hands hovered over me as if he sought to diagnose whatever ailed me by just his hands alone.
“I’m okay,” I assured him. “Just sore.” I tried to smile and was sure it ended up more a rictus grimace when Draven’s eyes went even wilder with concern.
He slammed a finger down on the button to pump drugs into my system, and I hissed as he moved, the movement pulling on the tubes and needles in my arm. But then I sighed in sweet relief, and my shoulders slumped in relaxation.
Ahhh.Painkillers were the best!
Draven cuddled me, very carefully, closer to him, and I breathed him in. “I vaguely remember you threatening to cut off the doctor’s fingers,” I whispered.
He smile-grimaced at me, and then shrugged. “He wasn’t moving quickly enough. I wanted him to appreciate that his life would be very short if he didn’t save you.”
I patted his knee. “Yeah, big guy. Let’s try not to go around threatening nice people who save lives for a living, yeah? It’s really rude. Not to mention counterproductive.”
He flashed his canines at me, but there was no humor in the grin. “He needed inducement to move faster.”
I laughed and then groaned in pain. “No making me laugh,” I protested.
Draven wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead, then my closed eyelids, one by one. I was suddenly exhausted again. “Stop getting shot at,” he said hoarsely, his voice choked with emotion.
I sighed against his chest. I would certainlytry!
Chapter17
Draven
Iwas pacing, there was a roiling sensation in my stomach, my heart felt like lead, and I was truly tired of playing hide and seek with the vampire that kept threatening me and mine.
I didn’t need to understand the reasons behind his attacks. He and I had never had bad blood between us, and I had done nothing to bring this level of focus and abuse upon us. Alessandro was a vampire almost as old as I was, and had had years to learn the art of war. Just as I had.
The thought was not at all comforting.
In my efforts to protect us, I kept throwing more and more men into our protection, but it was akin to using duct tape on a sinking ship. The men held off the inevitable for now, but they wouldn’t be able to prevent our destruction indefinitely.
Only I and one other could. And I would need his help.
I’d’been in contact, a long time ago, with a high elf. The elves were an ancient race, nearly the most ancient race on the planet next to the dragons and the vampires. There weren’t many left upon the mainlands. (Rhys was an anomaly and had broken off from the elves for reasons of his own.) They’d gone into seclusion to their own hidden lands a long time ago. But there were a few who enjoyed interacting with the infant races, and who offered their help from time to time, if properly induced to do so.
And I’d found him.
The prince of the elves.
It was him that I was waiting on, this cold, blustery day. Virion Trysvaris. A high elf with a special tracking ability. This particular high elf was also known for his healing ability, and I wanted him near for Mia.
Mia.
