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We almost escaped with Cordelia's body untouched by the flames, but we just weren't fast enough. Cordelia's leg was badly burned. The skin was already blistering and peeling in the corner of my vision as I pushed through the flames.
A loud groan followed by a crash alerted us to the roof caving in. We had removed her body just in time. The whole place was falling in on itself, like a black hole was at the center pulling everything toward it.
I didn't care though, it wasn't like it was my property. The only thing I cared about was the woman in my arms and the man behind me. They were both free of the flames, which was enough for now.
When we were a safe distance away, I gently placed Cordelia's body on the ground. As I looked over at Rook I realized I'd been wrong about him being free of the fire. He'd brought it with him.
"Rook, you have to put the fire out," I told him firmly. "You're engulfed in flames."
Rook observed his body as if he was completely unaware that he was on fire, but the fire licked its way up from his legs to his throat. He finally snapped to attention and did as I instructed, rolling on the ground and, theoretically, smothering the flames.
Except they were still there.
"The gas must have another component to it," I said as I looked at Rook's charred body. Was it possible to create holy gasoline? I had no idea, but whatever happened to Rook was beyond a normal fire. He was in bad shape, but there was no time to waste. He continued to roll around on the dusty, dry ground, slowly putting the flames out, even though it was difficult.
I left him to it so I could prepare Cordelia for the turning ritual. My chest went tight at the thought.
It wasn't as though this was an everyday occurance, or even that someone like me would ever get to participate in a turning ceremony on any normal occasion. This was anything but normal though.
We didn't have the time for all of the intricate formalities that usually went along with this type of process. There were no Blood Priests or Priestesses, no sacred journey, no burying their old life and being welcomed into their new one. This was quick and dirty.
The only thing I could think of was doing chest compressions. It would at least get us started, keep her body in a state where it could potentially accept the magic that lies dormant within vampire blood until it's called forth.
If she was merely human, the act would be completely pointless. She was officially dead at this point, and it would be a miracle if she came back from the injuries she'd sustained. But since we were trying to turn her, the blood needed to move through her system, outside of that the injuries were meaningless, the blood would take care of all that once the transformation began.
Ifit began.
We might already be too late. I just needed to get the blade out first, but I hesitated, just for a second. I didn't want to cause her pain, even if she was in limbo right now. Rook joined me on the ground and immediately pulled the dagger from Cordelia's chest. He quickly slit his charred wrist and held it over Cordelia's mouth, letting his blood drip down her throat.
"Come on, Cordie," he urged her. "Drink."
She didn't react.
His body was doing all it could to heal his own injuries and clearly didn't want to spare the blood on someone else. He was bleeding, but it wasn't going to be enough to turn her.
"Cross, we have to call Ash," Rook said weakly. I glanced up at him and inwardly winced. The prince was charred all over. Regular gasoline was bad, but this was worse. If he'd been by the chair with Cordie when the roof collapsed, then the flames may have actually succeeded in consuming him.
I nodded. "Get your phone out while I continue the chest compressions." I closed my eyes, hoping that some of Rook's blood was getting into Cordelia's system and starting the change. If it wasn't, then we were all doomed.
25
Ash
My phone woke me from a dream in which I didn't want to escape. I was at court and Queen Fiona had decided she wanted an after bedtime snack. She chose me to keep her entertained. Just as I began removing her clothes, the high-pitched ring jolted me awake.
I groggily glanced at the number and realized it was Rook. I hesitated to answer, knowing that he probably wanted to discuss his relationship with Cordelia at length.
After our conversation earlier, I saw Rook in a new light. He was the all-powerful prince, the one that could get anything, or anyone, he wanted. Yet he had chosen to put everything—his status, his safety, his life—on the line, especially risking his royal standing at court, for a human female. His standing was more than a little precarious since his exile, but I'd been working hard to keep him present in the awareness of the court, even having to dispel rumors of his death.
"Hello?" I answered, already annoyed at what he might have to say.
"Ash. It's Cross. Rook's in bad shape. I need you to get here. Now."
I shoved my feet into my boots and ran to the street. I was out of the door in a second, not even bothering to put on a shirt. "Where are you?" I asked as I started the engine of my car.
Cross gave me the address and I floored it, speeding through the streets so quickly that anyone who caught a glimpse of me would only see a blur. It took about fifteen minutes for me to arrive at the burning house in the middle of a field, but it felt like an eternity. Each second and mile stretched like a balloon being blown up and when I arrived it burst.
What I saw was shocking. At first I thought the burning house was the worst of it, but I was so very wrong. Rook was passed out on the lawn and burnt to a crispy, charred black, looking more like a corpse than any vampire I'd seen in a while. If I hadn't known Cross was with Rook and they were in trouble then I honestly might not have recognized him. As if Rook being down wasn't bad enough, Cross was alternating between feeding the dead woman on the ground his blood and pumping his hands up and down against her sternum in chest compressions.
