by Julie Wetzel
Darien let the answer hang for a moment before relaxing. “Good,” he said, breaking the tension. “I didn’t want to have to kill you. You’re a good man.”
Sounds of the road echoed through the car as Mano let that sink in. “I’m still your man for the rest of your stay in Hawaii.” He met Darien’s eyes in the mirror again. “If you need anything, let me know and I’ll get it for you,” he said in a serious tone.
“Thank you,” Darien said with a warm smile. “All I need is to get her back to the hotel so she can rest. I’ll sort everything out later.”
Mano nodded and turned his attention back to the road.
Darien caressed Vicky’s arm as he relaxed back and thought about all the things he needed to do. He had a sinking feeling that Kusanagi would not bring him Vicky’s attacker alive. More than likely, he was going to have to call Clara to find out how to contact the Grant Council for an enforcer. That was going to ruin everyone’s week.
The familiar feel of power brushing against the inside of her skin met Vicky as she woke. Letting out a contented sound, she burrowed into the solid mass next to her. The arms around her tightened, holding her close. “Morning,” she muttered, snuggling deeper into Darien. He was so warm and comforting but she didn’t want to wake up yet.
“Good afternoon,” he answered.
Vicky’s eyes popped open as she leaned back to look at him. “Afternoon?”
“It’s almost one,” he said with a gentle smile. “How do you feel?”
She considered him, confused by his words. It was very unusual for her to sleep past nine, let alone until noon. She was never in bed this late, even when she was sick. Carefully, she searched herself. “Okay,” she said. “A little tired and a bit sore.” There was a bone-deep ache that she couldn’t explain. Like she had pushed herself too hard in a workout. “What happened?” she asked, moving back so she could see him better.
Darien’s gaze shifted across her face, evaluating her. “What do you remember?”
Drawing a deep breath, she rolled to her back and stared up at the strange ceiling. She worked her mind, but couldn’t bring up anything outstanding. Definitely nothing to cause the dull ache. “What am I supposed to remember?”
“Do you remember going to the luau?” he asked and moved so he could see her better. Lifting his head, he rested his elbow on the pillow and placed his fist against his cheek to prop himself up.
Vicky watched him as she thought. Her mind churned, but all she could come up with was a vague impression of sand and people. It was there, but she couldn’t get anything to focus. “Maybe?”
He made a concerned noise. “Do you remember the chair?”
“Chair?” she asked, trying to recall a chair. Again, there was a blurry impression of something disgusting made of dark wood but she couldn’t quite visualize it. Apprehension bloomed in her heart and she stared at her love. “What happened?”
Darien studied her face for another moment before he answered. “You were poisoned.”
Gasping, she pressed her hand into the blanket over her stomach.
“They’re fine,” he reassured her as he reached to take her hand.
She felt him open her connection and fill her with his power. Taking her hand, he pressed it over her womb. Two little sparks of life fluttered against her senses. She gasped at him, amazed.
His gentle smile widened in delight. “I know.” Joy filled his voice as he spoke. He leaned in and kissed her gently. “But we can’t stay like this for long,” he said, shifting back to where he’d been resting. “’I’ll burn myself out. I’m already drained as it is.” He eased his power back until the flutters of life were just a ghost to her senses.
It left her bereft for the touch, but she laced her fingers together with his, happy he’d shared the sensation with her. “Is that what you always feel?” she asked, slightly jealous of his gift.
“Only when I’m looking for them,” he said as he lifted her hand up to kiss it. “And yes, I’ve spent a lot of time checking on them today.”
Vicky relaxed back into her pillow and stared up at the ceiling as Darien held her hand. She rubbed her free hand over her stomach thinking about their children.
“Are you hungry?” Darien asked breaking into her thoughts.
She rolled her head so she could see him again. Just the thought of food brought back the queasy feelings she’d been dealing with for the last few weeks. “Not really.”
“Do you think you could try?” Darien asked in a coaxing voice.
Letting out a sigh, she released his hand and rolled away from him. A light groan slipped out as she swung her legs out of the bed and sat up. She rocked her head forwards and rolled it trying to ease the stiffness in her neck. She felt unusually stiff all over. The bed behind her dipped as Darien moved around. As his hands slid down her upper arms, his power washed over her, but it didn’t do much to ease the feeling.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I’ve been trying to fix the damage, but I didn’t realize how nasty cyanide was.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest.
Vicky turned her head and watched him through the corner of her eye.
“It prevents the body from using oxygen properly, and although I can heal most wounds, working at a cellular level takes more finesse than I had realized. You’ve got to push the mitochondria to produce the right enzymes, or you could overload the cells.”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
He shrugged. “I looked it up online.” Letting her go, he settled back on the bed.
She turned farther so she could see him properly.
“I’ve dealt with cyanide in myself before, but never in another person.” He explained. “It’s such a fast acting poison that I’ve never been close enough to help. I didn’t realize how different it was from the slower-acting poisons, and I tried to get your system to metabolize it out. That didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. It took a bit of internet anatomy to figure out what went wrong, but I did finally get all the cyanide out of your system and got everything working right again. You’re probably going to be tired for the next few days, but I can’t find any lasting damage.”
“I’m stiff and sore,” Vicky explained.
Darien gave her a concerned look and reached for her hand again. “That could be from where I over-stressed your cells before I’d realized what was happening.”
Nodding her understanding, she took his hand and felt a trickle of his power push into her. The familiar impression of warm feathers rubbed against her skin, but the sensation was weaker than she had ever felt before. “Have you been at this all night?” she asked, squeezing his hand.
He gave her a weak nod.
“And you haven’t slept or fed, have you?”
Darien shook his head.
Vicky gave him an exasperated smile. “Darling, I realize that you’ve been taking care of me, but you need to take care of yourself as well. Will Lady Aine’s mead be enough to revive you, or do you need fresh blood?”
“The mead will be enough,” he reassured her.
“Good,” she said, glad that he didn’t need to go hunting. “Then drink some and get some rest.” She squeezed his hand and stood up from the bed. “I think I’m going to hit the shower and see if some hot water will help.”
“I’ll come with you,” Darien said as he moved to get off the bed.
Vicky placed her hands on his shoulders and kept him from rising. “No,” she said, pushing him back so he sat on the mattress. “Rest. I’m only going to take a shower.”
Darien snorted in amusement and smiled. “All right.” He took her hand again. “But let me know if you need me.” Squeezing her hand, he kissed it.
She leaned forwards and kissed him softly. “I will,” she promised. Straightening, she pulled her hand from his and headed towards the bathroom. The suite Darien booked had a smaller bathroom than she was used to. The toilet was separated in a room to the left, and the sink and the lar
ge glass shower were open to the bedroom.
Reaching into the shower stall, Vicky twisted the knob so the water could warm. Her mind churned over what Darien had told her. Someone had poisoned her with cyanide. But the question that bugged her was why. As an older vampire, wasn’t Darien supposed to be respected? She glanced back at Darien. Instead of lying back on the bed properly, he was bent over at the waist so he lay at an odd angle watching her.
A grin curled her lips. “Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” she teased as she gathered the things she would need to wash and tucked them into the corner of the shower.
“I am,” he replied, but didn’t stop watching her.
Laughing, she grabbed the hem of her shirt. She spared a thought for the garment as she pulled it over her head. It was one of Darien’s, but she wasn’t sure how she’d gotten into it. He must have changed her out of her sundress when he brought her back last night. Wadding the soft cloth up, she hurled it at him playfully. “Then go to sleep.”
Chuckling, he caught the shirt before it could hit him in the head. Desire heated his eyes, but he didn’t move. “You know, if I had more energy, I’d come over there and make you pay for that.”
Vicky laughed as she slid her panties over her hips and let them drop to the floor. “And that’s why you should get some rest,” she said. Gathering a towel from the rack, she moved it closer so it would be ready when she got out. “I think that later, when we are both feeling better, I should enjoy taking you up on that threat.” She pulled the shower door open and stepped inside before he could respond.
His replying laughter was barely audible over the sound of the falling water.
Smiling, Vicky turned her attention to her shower. Stepping into the spray, she tilted her head forwards to let the hot water beat on her. She reveled in it, letting her mind drift as the heat loosened the stiffness in her muscles. It was heavenly. After a while, she found the soap and started to wash as she thought about the night before. She still couldn’t remember everything, but there was an impression of something important. A beautiful woman came to mind. She had long, dark hair and pale skin. There was something unnatural about the woman, but Vicky couldn’t put her finger on what. Shaking her head, she pushed the memory aside. She had learned after her encounter with the ifrit that forcing herself to remember something wasn’t always a good idea. There were still nights when she woke up from nightmares, screaming.
Shutting the shower off, she squeezed the water from her hair. As she turned towards the door, she smiled at the sight just beyond the glass. Darien stood in the space in front of the sinks holding her towel open for her. “Aren’t you supposed to be recovering?” she asked as she opened the door and stepped out to meet him.
Darien wrapped the soft cloth around her and started to rub the water from her skin. “I had some mead while you were in the shower.”
She snorted and leaned her head in against his chest. “Oh Darien,” she said exasperated. There was no way a little mead could replace the rest he so desperately needed, even if he had chugged a whole bottle. Something Vicky couldn’t see him doing. “You need to get some real rest.” Standing up, she looked up into his face. His skin was paler than usual and his normally bright green eyes were dark with exhaustion.
“I’m fine,” he insisted. His power ghosted over her again as he checked her over.
A hint of anger rose in her. It was clear that she was going to have to do something before he pushed himself too far. She could feel his concern through their link, and she understood where it came from, but if she let him go, he would spend the rest of the day using what little strength he had to check on her. “Enough!” she said, pushing him back away from her. She took the towel from his hands, wrapped it around her body, and tucked it in. “You need rest,” she snapped, stepping forwards and grabbing his arm.
He started to protest as she forced him back into the bedroom, but she cut him off.
“No,” she said unwilling to let him speak. “Lay down!” she ordered as she pushed him to sit on the bed.
“I’m fine,” Darien insisted again.
“Darien!” Vicky snapped as her anger got the better of her.
He wilted under her fury. His eyes held a hint of hurt that cooled her temper.
“I know you,” she said in a calmer voice. Turning, she settled on his lap sideways and wrapped her arms up around his neck. His hands came up to hold her loosely in place. She studied his face as she spoke. “You’re not fine. You’re worried.”
He breathed in, but let the air out without disagreeing with her.
She went on. “I know you’re upset. And I understand why you’re concerned. But when you get like this, you focus on what’s bothering you and lose sight of everything else. Including yourself.” She pulled her hand from around his neck and rested it in the center of his chest. “You’re not doing either of us any good like this.” Pushing on their connection, she slipped into his mind. She had never been able to read his thoughts unless he gave them to her, but she could feel his emotions swirling around. He was seeing her point, but she could tell he needed a little more convincing before he gave in. “I love how you fuss over me, sweetheart, but right now you need to rest more than you need to fuss. Besides, it’s past noon.” She slipped from his lap and stood up. “No self-respecting vampire should be awake at this time of day,” she teased. “Now get in bed and go to sleep.”
Darien chuckled at her. “Oh, all right,” he said in an obviously fake, defeated tone. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her. “But you will wake me if you need me.”
“Of course,” she promised, rising up on her toes to peck a kiss on his lips. “You’ll probably know I need you well before I do.”
He let out a soft snort of laughter. “Probably,” he agreed before giving her a proper kiss. When he was done, he pulled back and looked down at her with concern in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked one more time.
“Bed!” Vicky ordered as she pushed him back, making him release her. “Rest!” She pointed to the empty bed. “And I’m not talking sleep. I know you recover faster when you turn yourself off, so do it.” She hadn’t thought about how unnatural Darien’s sleeping habits were until Elliot, Jakob, and Josh had moved in. After watching them shut down to rest, she’d asked, and Darien explained that when a vampire rested properly their heart rate would slow, their breathing would stop, and their body temperature would drop. Since it was unnerving to wake next to a dead body, he preferred to set his system to take its cues from the person sleeping with him. It was nicer that way for her, but the rest wasn’t as deep.
“But I don’t want to disturb you,” Darien said, concerned.
She smiled, touched by his consideration. “It won’t disturb me,” she reassured him. Turning away from him, she headed back into the bathroom area to finish drying off. “Besides, it’s well past lunch time, and I should probably find something to eat.” The queasy feeling in her stomach had passed while she was in the shower. It had been replaced with a growling that reminded her she’d missed several meals.
Darien sat down on the edge of the bed and fluffed up the pillows. “I think I saw a room service menu on the desk yesterday, but I didn’t take a look at it.” Twisting around, he swung his feet up into the bed and wiggled until he was comfortable.
“That’s okay,” Vicky said as she ruffled the towel over her head, drying her hair. “I was thinking about heading down to the restaurant and seeing what they had.”
“The restaurant?” Darien said as he sat back up. “You’re going out?”
Grabbing a robe, Vicky pulled it on as she spoke. “Yes.” She came over and sat on the bed next to Darien. “If I stay here, you aren’t going to rest.”
“I’ll rest just fine.” Darien protested.
Vicky tilted her head forwards and gave him a pointed look. “Really?”
Darien’s jaw clenched as he met her gaze.
“Just as I thought,” she said st
anding up and heading to the closet where she’d hung up her clothing. “If I don’t leave, you will lay there pretending to rest and listening to everything I do.” She glanced back at Darien. The look on his face told her she was right. Reaching into the closet, she pulled out her swimming suit. “So I’m going to go get lunch then go check out the pool.” A stern look crossed Darien’s face, but Vicky spoke before he could tell her she couldn’t go. “I know you’re worried,” she said soothingly as she dropped her robe and wiggled into the white, one-piece suit. “But I can’t stay here. You won’t get any rest. Besides, we came to Hawaii to relax. What’s more relaxing than a light lunch and some sunbathing?” She peeked at him again and saw that his stern look was starting to soften, so she pushed on. “It’ll be okay,” she said, catching his gaze. “We don’t have to worry about the vampires right now. They’re not likely to try an attack in broad daylight, plus I have this.” She touched the silver cross at her throat. “I promise to keep my senses open and call if I should notice anything unusual.”
Letting out a defeated breath, Darien gave in. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “All right.” He opened them and gave her a determined look. “I’ll rest for two hours, but I expect you to be back before I wake up. And if you see or feel anything, you call me.” He tapped the side of his head. “I will hear you.”
Pulling a brightly colored sarong from the closet, she circled back around the bed to stand next to Darien. “I promise,” she said, leaning over and kissing him. “I’ll be back in two hours and if anything happens, I’ll call.”
Darien growled his displeasure, but laid back in the bed to rest.
Letting out a snort of amusement, Vicky wrapped the material around her waist and tied it in place. Turning away from him, she gathered her brush from the bathroom. She stopped long enough retrieve her sandals before heading for the door. “Rest well, love,” she called as she clicked off the light. She looked back in the darkened room just long enough to see Darien wave before rolling to his side. Shaking her head, she pulled the door to jamb, but didn’t latch it. It was unlikely Darien would rest properly until she was out of the suite, and she knew that he would appreciate that thin crack.
