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“Sure, Rez. Whatever you need.” He kept his hand pinned. The healing continued to flow. All vampires could self-heal and in a pinch, they could share some of that healing with others. Of course, it was nothing like fae healing, like what Holly could do. But it was getting rid of his lethargy fast.
“I only saw one,” Stone said. “She’s close.”
“Only one?”
“That’s right.”
Rez struggled to sit up. He could see the female vampire. Her bare right arm was thrown wide. Isobel had a birth mark on the inside of the same arm. No mark.
Thank the Goddess.
He fell inside himself for a difficult moment. He’d been hunting for his daughter with all his might for two years now. He’d spent a fortune in bribes on the black market to try to track her down in case she’d ended up alive but enslaved. He never let his thoughts dwell for too long on what her life must be if she’d been used in the sex trade. He’d go mad if he did.
Every time he battled an Invictus pair, his first thought was for Isobel.
He’d never found a single trace of her.
Stone pierced his spiraling thoughts. “Feeling better?”
“Much. Thank you.”
Stone withdrew his hand. “Who’s this with you and what exactly happened here?”
Rez shifted to sit against the wall next to Holly. Her mouth was slightly agape. She was sound asleep, her long black hair draped over her arm.
“Holly McCrae.”
“The professor’s daughter?”
“Yes.” He stared up at Stone, at the man who’d beat him senseless two months ago. Rez hadn’t done anything except respond to Rosamunde’s clear invitation to take a draw.
Rez finally gained his feet. Stone was a couple inches taller than Rez or any of his Guardsman. He was big on all counts and had a short fuse.
Stone gestured with his thumb toward the Invictus. “What the hell is this?”
Rez could do little more than shake his head. “I don’t know what they’re doing or why there are so many of them. I thought your Guard had the last of the Invictus rounded up a week after Margetta’s defeat.”
Stone scowled. “We get the occasional pair on a feeding frenzy because they’ve been hiding out. But nothing like this.” He shook his head.
Rez glanced up the street then down. “Wait a minute. Why are you here? We contacted the Com Center requesting assistance.” What was the ruler of Tannisford doing in Boylbury. By himself. It didn’t make sense. “I didn’t expect you to show up.”
“You were never dimwitted. The fact is, Vojalie sent me.”
“Vojalie?” What the hell was going on?
“Yes, but I don’t know why, either.”
As he met Stone’s gaze once more he thought about the Wild Boar and Rosamunde.
Time to man-up. “I didn’t know she was your woman, Rosamunde I mean, when she came into the bar that night. I wouldn’t have touched her otherwise. I had no idea what the blood rose phenomenon could be like. I apologize, Stone.”
Stone blew the air from his cheeks. “There’s no need. Besides, I was out of line and almost killed you. I’m the one who should be sorry. And I am.”
Rez palmed his jaw. “You broke it, you know.” Then he laughed. “But on some level, I deserved it. You weren’t the first unhappy boyfriend to come after my ass. Just the strongest.”
Stone jerked his head toward Holly. “I know she’s a fae with ability, but why is she asleep like that? And why were you in such a weak state? You’re not wounded. Nothing that I’m seeing here makes sense: Not your presence, hers or this large force of Invictus which apparently, you defeated. How? Rez, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know.”
