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His vision shifted, rendering her a husk barely dusted with the spark of life. Her once-vibrant golden aura was a mere wisp clinging to her skin. His fangs emerged, and he ran his tongue over one sharp point hard enough to split the flesh clean through. As his mouth flooded with the blood he would feed her, he leaned forward for the kiss that would deliver it and bind them for the rest of time.
“No. Don’t interrupt!”
Dominique’s head snapped up at Monica’s strident order. There came Jackson, a bull charging across the room. Impossible. He’d just left him downstairs. Before he could puzzle it out, Jackson barreled his shoulder into Dominique’s side and tore him off Cassidy’s prone body. No sooner did they hit the mattress beside her, then Dominique gripped Jackson’s shoulders and rolled him beneath himself. Blood flew from Dominique’s snarling lips and splattered over the human’s face…and into his open mouth.
Jackson stared up at him, his eyes bugging from their sockets. He coughed and spluttered, swallowed, then sucked in a violently deep breath. His back arched like a drawn bow, but his limbs trembled.
Dominique sat back, straddling Jackson, watching with his enhanced vision as the human man’s muddy red aura gained a cold, silvery sparkle. Jackson had serum in his system from both Kambyses and Serge. Two doses wouldn’t be enough to start the process…would it?
Long seconds later, Jackson stabilized. His eyes dilated like those of a strung-out junkie. “Oh. Fuuuuuuck.”
Dominique wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and moved off Jackson, who sat up and looked around with a sort of apprehensive wonder. The effect was obvious, but he wasn’t turning. His immune system was still strong.
But Cassidy’s immune system—and life—was all but gone. She had turned her head, watching them. “Got some…for me, too?”
“Oui, chérie. All you want and more.”
“Wait.” Jackson grabbed his arm with a speed and force that surprised them both. “We can save her. Keep her human.”
Dominique hesitated. He didn’t dare hope. Nor was there time to discuss this. She was too far gone to dally. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “How?”
“We have to get her to a hospital. No, listen. I’ve thought about this, Nick. This is a viral infection that’s overpowering her weakened immune system. There’s no reason she can’t recover if she gets enough blood and gets her strength back.”
“How certain are you of this?”
“I haven’t seen it done, but—”
“Heard of it being done?”
“No, but—”
“If I give her my blood now, I know she will continue to exist.”
“The infection takes hold because of the anemia. Reverse that and it has to clear up.” He gestured for emphasis. “Think about it. It’s a wimp of a virus. You know that. Every time you get near a bit of daylight, you know that. You really think this thing’s got a prayer if we flood her with fresh blood?”
This gave him reluctant pause. Jackson’s theory felt like a gamble with only the slimmest chance of success. Of course, there was a less-than-zero chance of getting her out of there at all. He had no sense of Kambyses anywhere near, but assuming his sire didn’t already know what was going on was the most dangerous gamble of all. Kambyses would never permit them to take her away while she still lived.
Yet this was their only chance.
This was Cassidy’s only chance.
Dominique took her hand in both of his. Wilted and chill, skin-covered bone in his grip. “Mon amour. Will you fight a little while longer? For me? For us?”
“I don’t want…to die.” More than a whisper, not quite a whimper.
Jackson scooted up beside Dominique and put his hand on her forehead. “I won’t let you, babe. You hear me? I won’t let you die. This time I won’t let you down.”
Her slender fingers tried to curl around Dominique’s. Her efforts felt as insubstantial as butterfly wings. She said nothing, but her eyes told him everything. She dared to hope Jackson was right. She dared to gamble.
And so would he.
“You have until midnight,” he told Jackson while still holding her gaze. “If she hasn’t improved by then, I will do this thing. She will not survive another day otherwise.”
“Let’s go then. We have a van parked nearby.”
“I really can’t let you do that.”
They looked up to see Monica at the far end of the room. She aimed a pistol at them in a steady, expert stance that said she was likely to hit what she shot at. Her expression was all business and held no doubt.
