A Cat's Chance in Hell

by Sharon Hannaford

  Kyle let out a relieved breath when Julius moved away from her neck, and they could see that the blood flow had stopped. Kyle knelt down on the other side of Gabi and was now trying to assess her injuries and do something to help.

  “I’m not sure the artery is completely sealed,” Julius said, lisping slightly as he tried to speak around his extended fangs. “We need to get her to a hospital, her heartbeat is not strong or steady, and she has lost far too much blood.”

  “The medics are at least a few minutes away, they have to be escorted through the fighting,” Kyle said. “Ian is on his way in a chopper, and he has bagged blood with him, but his ETA is about ten minutes.”

  It was a clear indication that all of them were monitoring her condition closely when all three of them looked at her simultaneously as her heartbeat faltered for a terrifying second, and then started up again in an unsteady, hiccupping rhythm.

  “Julius,” Kyle said anxiously, “you gave her blood to heal her when she was staked. Give her some now, enough to stabilise her until the medics can get here.”

  Julius turned tortured eyes to Alexander’s briefly, acknowledging Alexander’s brief shake of the head, before looking back at Kyle.

  “I wish I could,” Julius whispered hoarsely, “but it’s too dangerous.”

  “What?” shouted Kyle in disbelief. “You’re the reason she’s lying here. Now you can’t do anything to help her.” His anger, quick and hot, burst across the Vampires’ senses, the smell of Wolf suddenly filling the room. Neither of them had ever seen Kyle lose his temper, never even seen him come close.

  “Kyle,” Alexander said, putting a calming hand on his shoulder, “you need to understand what happened before we got here. Julius didn’t say he didn’t want to help; he said it was too dangerous.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? What happened before we got here?” Kyle was still furious. If he was any other Werewolf, he would’ve been sporting fur, fangs and four legs already.

  “Danté was trying to turn Gabi.” Alexander explained calmly, but Julius could hear the edge of fury in his voice. “That’s why she was on her way to bleeding out. He wasn’t just feeding; he opened her artery so he could drain her. He was in the process of turning her into a Vampire. A Vampire who would have belonged to him in every possible sense of the word.”

  Kyle shuddered, but persisted in his angry frustration. “So why does that make it dangerous for Julius to help her.”

  “To finish turning a human a Vampire has to give his own blood to the human after he’s almost drained the human of their own blood.”

  “Do you understand now?” Julius demanded, angry again himself. “She’s lost enough blood that if I give her any of mine, or Alexander’s, it may finish what Danté started. It may turn her into a Vampire. Do you think she wants that? Do we have the right to make the decision for her?” Julius could no longer contain the profound turmoil inside him. Pain seared across his face, his eyes burned with fear and torment.

  “Shit!” Kyle slumped down beside her, taking her hand, bringing it up to his mouth to brush the back of it against his lips, and closing his eyes as though in prayer.

  There were brutal black and blue marks circling her delicate looking wrist, interspersed with bleeding chafe marks, and a blade-shaped burn stood in sharp contrast to the rest of her perfect, pale, ivory skin along the length of the inside of her forearm. Julius knew he had avoided taking an inventory of all her injuries, he thought he would lose his sanity if he saw all the evidence of the brutal abuse she had been subjected to. Alexander had moved to a position near the door, on full alert as sounds of fighting drifted down to them.

  “Hang in there, Baby. Come on Hellcat, you gotta hold on until help gets here,” Kyle murmured to her, almost crooning.

  One emerald green eye, the unswollen one, fluttered open and tried to fix on his face.

  “Gabi, Gabi,” Kyle shouted excitedly, “can you hear me?” He leant over her anxiously.

  She didn’t respond, just kept her eye trained unsteadily on Kyle.

  “Gabrielle?” Julius tried now, gently running the back of his fingers down the less injured side of her face. “It’s alright, you’re safe, medics are on the way.”

  Her only response was to move her eye from Kyle’s face to Julius.

  “Uh, Julius,” Alexander interrupted, moving closer to them again. “Something isn’t right. If she’s conscious she should be reacting to the pain of her injuries. She’s too still. Can you taste something strange in the air around her?”

  “Shit,” Julius cursed, “you’re right Alexander; I can taste magic. How did I miss it before? Someone has bespelled her. It must have been the Dark Magus. What has that bitch done to her?”

  “We need Athena,” Kyle spoke urgently; “her speciality is counter-spells, if anyone can release Gabi, she can. She came on the mission, but she would’ve been kept out of the fighting, she’ll be with the clean up crews.”

  Alex moved in a rush of wind and was out the door before Kyle finished his sentence. The other two men both turned their attention back to Gabi as her breathing faltered and her heartbeat became a stuttering staccato.

  “Gabi,” Kyle said sharply, as her eye began to drift shut. “Stay with us, Sweetheart, we need you to stay here with us. Someone has to help us nurse that vicious cat of yours back to health. Julius might have saved him but that doesn’t mean he’ll be allowed anywhere near him again.” He was grasping at straws, trying to find reasons to make her fight to stay with them, but incredibly it seemed to help.

  She opened her eye again, they both saw the pain in her wavering gaze, and they both knew she didn’t believe Kyle that Razor was still alive. She obviously thought her captors had killed him.

  “It’s true Gabs,” Kyle insisted. “We got to your house minutes after the fight had gone down. Raz was still alive; if only barely, I don’t think a vet could have saved him, but Julius gave him some of his own blood. You wouldn’t have believed it if you didn’t see it yourself. That bloody cat got up and started trying to track the bastards who took you. We had to restrain him and lock him in one of your steel cages out in the garage to keep him from coming with us.” Kyle was babbling now, but it seemed to be holding Gabi’s attention. The emotional pain in her gaze had eased.

  Alexander arrived back in a whoosh of air, unceremoniously depositing Athena down in the room and pushing her towards Gabi and the other two men.

  “Wha?” Athena said in confusion, trying to regain her balance and get over her shock of being swept up by the stunningly handsome English Vampire and rushed through to this dungeon of a room at the speed of lightning. She was suddenly thankful she had managed to borrow a pair of jeans and a sturdy pair of boots for this mission instead of being in her usual business skirt. Then she saw what Kyle and the arrogant Master Vampire were hovering over, and she caught her breath in horror. Gabi? Could that body lying slashed, burned, bruised and broken in a pool of blood possibly be Gabi? The way the men were stroking her face and hands, talking encouragingly to her, it had to be her. Athena couldn’t believe that she was still alive.

  Alex suddenly gave a frustrated sigh and grabbed her hand to drag her closer to the group on the blood-splattered floor.

  “We think there’s a spell on her. She isn’t acting right; we can smell magic on her. Do something,” Alexander ordered her in a tense snarl. “And try to wipe the horror off your face, we need to try and keep her calm,” he growled the last warningly.

  Athena took in a few quick, gasping breaths, trying to master the expression on her face. She’d thought the battle outside was horrific, watching the violence and destruction, but seeing someone she knew lying in that state wasn’t something she had prepared herself for. She may not particularly like Gabi, but she now had a far greater understanding of the strength and tenacity of the other woman, of what Hunters went through in the line of duty. Managing to gather herself she walked around Kyle and knelt at Gabi’s head, the knees of her bor
rowed jeans quickly soaking up the congealing blood.

  “I need the two of you to back away a bit,” she said to Kyle and Julius.

  Both men turned defiant glares at her.

  “Please,” she tried again, “I can’t get a clear idea of the spell with you touching her.”

  Kyle gently put Gabi’s hand down and moved back a foot or so, Alexander had to come over and put a hand on Julius’s shoulder before he did the same. Athena closed her eyes and moved her hands slowly back and forth over Gabi’s head and shoulders.

  “It’s a spell of compliance,” she said without opening her eyes. “Well, a twisted version of the spell of compliance, designed to paralyse her.” Athena gave a horrified little shudder and opened her eyes. “I can remove it, but once I lift it she will probably flail around in pain, you’ll need to be ready to hold her steady, but do not touch her until I say so.” She looked at Kyle and Julius with her own warning glare. “Do you understand me? This is going to be a difficult spell to lift and if you interfere you could do her permanent damage.”

  “Yes, we understand,” Julius answered angrily, “just get on with it!”

  Athena took a few deep breaths, centering herself and calling on the Lord and Lady to assist her, then she laid her left hand on Gabi’s forehead, her right laid flat over her own heart. As she opened her mind to search for Gabi’s essence, a wall of physical pain crashed into her with enough force to knock her sideways onto the bloodstained floor; she caught herself painfully on her left elbow, gasping for breath, a sweat instantly breaking out on her forehead.

  “What’s wrong?” all three men demanded simultaneously. Julius lunged for Gabi again, catching himself a millimetre from touching her, strain and worry etched into his face. Kyle’s hands clenched into tight fists, and he was breathing hard, like he was fighting to keep himself calm.

  “Her pain,” gasped Athena, “When I merge with her mind, I can feel her physical pain. Lord and Lady, how can she stand it?” She pushed herself back into position and got ready to start again. She hoped she was prepared for the onslaught this time. Alexander moved closer to her and took up a position just behind her. Athena wondered if he was there to stop her from making a break for it. “She’s in a world of pain, once she can move she will probably react to it quite strongly, be ready.”

  The men all nodded.

  “Is it alright for me to catch you if you collapse again?” Alexander asked.

  She nodded quickly, barely thinking about how, an hour ago, she would have cringed at the thought of his cold touch.

  “Yes, just don’t touch Gabi until the spell is lifted.” She laid her hand back on Gabi’s forehead and plunged back into a world of fire and agony. She knew Gabi could feel her presence, she felt Gabi relinquish what was left of her battered mental defences and allow Athena free reign over her essence to begin unravelling the complicated spell.

  A small commotion at the door captured her attention for a second, but as soon as she realised it was only the Magus medical team, her focus was back Gabi. She ignored the gasps of horror and hushed whispers, and concentrated on unravelling the complex, twisted spell. She barely noticed Alexander motion the newcomers to stand still and not approach. Her breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps, and she could feel the sweat beading on her face and neck as she continued her silent chant. As the spell began to break down, the air was suddenly thick with the feel of the dark energy rising around them, a sickly sweet odour intertwined with the fetid stench of the long dead, it lifted the hairs on her arms and sent shivers down her spine. Obviously, she wasn’t the only one feeling the effects as the Magi Medics quickly began a low, murmured chant and soon a crisp, clean breeze swirled around them fending off the vile touch of the dark magic. Finally, she felt the last thread of the spell snap, and her chant broke off.

  “Now,” she whispered hoarsely, and she slumped sideways as though boneless.

  Alexander caught her limp body and carried her over to the medics. Kyle and Julius both leapt into action as Gabi gave a low, agonised scream and tried to curl into a protective foetal ball. Each of them tried to hold her shoulders and hips gently in place, crooning to her, as she brought the hoarse screams under control.

  “Watch out for her ribs and right leg,” Athena warned them urgently. She was in a sitting position but still panting as if she had run miles and feeling distinctly light-headed. “I think she has a cracked skull and a broken jaw on the left, too.” The two female Magi near the door now rushed forward.

  “Let us help,” Melinda said, “we can ease some of her pain and try to repair some of the damage.”

  Athena knew that while Melinda looked barely out of high school, she was an accomplished healer who’d been involved with the SMV for many years already. If anyone could help Gabi right now it was her.

  Kyle moved away from Gabi a little to allow the Medic access to Gabi’s side. “Be careful Melinda, I can see you’re exhausted already, don’t over do it, just the life-threatening stuff,” he said firmly.

  Athena felt an unexpected frisson of respect for the semi-Werewolf, maybe it was time to rethink her attitude towards non-Magi.

  Melinda was already running her hands over Gabi’s body about an inch above her flesh. Tarryn; another darker haired and slightly older Magus knelt down near Gabi’s head, trying to avoid the now drying blood. Julius flashed a dark, antagonistic glare at her. She cringed back slightly but didn’t move away.

  Julius could feel Athena’s annoyance as he glared at the Healer crowding him away from Gabi.

  “I can heal the burns, so they won’t scar,” she said in a tiny squeak of a voice, before Athena could interrupt and berate him.

  Julius’s glare softened, and he sighed.

  “Sorry,” he muttered, backing down and feeling the other Magi relax, “Do anything you can to ease her pain.” Then he turned his attention back to Gabi, ignoring the gathering crowd.

  “Go ahead Tarryn,” Kyle encouraged gently, “just don’t exhaust yourself, there are others injured outside who’ll also need your attention.”

  She nodded and set to work centering herself.

  “She has a slight tear in one lung from a splintered rib,” Melinda said, “and there is some other internal damage. I’ll try and repair as much as I can.” She settled herself closer to Gabi’s body and placed both hands on top of one another over Gabi’s right lung and began chanting.

  As the chanting grew between the two women working over Gabi, the others at the doorway started to chant too, and soon the air was filled with a warm radiant energy that seemed to caress the skin and to soothe and calm troubled thoughts. Suddenly, Gabi took a deeper, easier breath and seemed to sigh in relief, her body relaxed a little under Julius’s touch, and he didn’t need to fight so hard to try and keep her still. He could see full consciousness return to her as her gaze caught his, and she really looked at him for the first time since he entered the room.

  “Lea, I’m so sorry,” he whispered to her. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am that he did this to you. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that I wasn’t able to protect you from him.” His eyes filled with all the pain and torment he was feeling.

  She weakly lifted her fingers to his mouth and laid them over his lips, wincing as something hurt her. “Shh,” she hissed, through her teeth, obviously unable to move her jaw. “I’m ok.”

  He gently pressed her fingers closer to his lips and kissed them, closing his eyes against the grateful tears that threatened to spill down his face.

  “Raz?”

  Julius smiled weakly. “Yes, he’s going to be fine. Probably more dangerous than ever for a few weeks until the Vampire blood wears off.”

  “You hope the effects wear off,” teased Alexander from somewhere near the door. He and another magus were hovering over Athena, trying to get her to sit down in a chair and drink something. She wasn’t playing good patient and looked ready to collapse at any minute.

  “Danté?” Gabi drew his atten
tion back.

  “He’s gone. Dead,” Julius said in a toneless voice. “I destroyed him. He will never touch you again.” He could hear the steely protectiveness in his own voice.

  Gabi closed her eyes, looking grey and exhausted.

  A mobile phone chimed somewhere in the room. Kyle reached into one of his pockets. “Ian is here, I’m going to lead him in,” he said quickly and rushed out the door.

  “Stay with us Lea,” Julius said sternly to Gabi when it looked like she may slip back into unconsciousness, “Ian is almost here with blood and pain meds for you. It’s going to be alright. Just try and stay with us.”

  The two Magi who had been working on her slowed their chanting and took deep, steadying breaths as they moved away from her. They both looked pale and tired.

  “We’ve done what we can,” Melinda said, “she needs blood and fluids now more than anything.”

  “Thank you,” Julius said gratefully. “I can feel how you’ve eased her pain. I am in your debt.”

  As the Magi medics melted away, taking a still trembling Athena with them, Ian, Kyle and a human medical team burst into the room. Ian rushed straight to Gabi and Julius, shouting orders at the two human men who were setting down a stretcher and other medical supplies nearby. Ian gave Julius a cursory nod of greeting and set to work fastening a pressure cuff around Gabi’s upper arm, trying to avoid a partially healed burn, and a heart rate monitor onto one of her fingers. He was keeping his expression carefully neutral and business-like, but Julius could taste the anxiety and horror he was actually feeling at seeing Gabi in this condition. He calmly asked Gabi a few questions, but when Julius could hear how hard it was for her to speak he broke in and told Ian what Athena and the other Magi had said about her injuries. Ian listened carefully to the list of her worst injuries as he deftly set up two IVs, one with blood and one with saline, with Kyle acting as IV stand. Ian tried to find a vein in her hand, and then in her arm, growling in frustration as the needle didn’t find what he was looking for. The heart monitor bleeped erratically, warning them that her heart was beginning to fail; the lack of blood was taking its toll with each passing second.