scented the air and shut the door
behind them, quietly turning the lock.
Chapter
Seventeen
Lizbeth pulled herself together with a sigh. “I suppose I’d
better go up and check on her. She’s been upstairs for a really long time now.”
She got up, brushed off her pants and helped Diandra to her feet. They locked
eyes and the smiles they wore dimmed.
“Oh my God,” Dia whispered, and they flew, quicker than
thought, up the stairs. Eamon, oh God,
Eamon, we forgot something so important. Please, come inside quickly , she
thought as she skidded to a halt beside the closed bathroom door in the master
bedroom. Adrian never locked the door- oh God, what had they done?
Gritting her teeth, Lizbeth planted a bare foot against the
doorjamb, sucked in a deep breath and kicked the door free, sending shrapnel
flying. She prayed silently that they weren’t too late, and that she hadn’t
hurt anyone just now. Then she stood, blocking the doorway as she gaped at the
scene in front of her.
“Let me see,” Dia shouted, pushing Lizbeth to the side and
squeezing into the room. Then she, too, stood where she was a moment, her mind
struggling to make sense of it all. Adrian lay slumped between the toilet and
the bathtub, his throat a dripping red ruin. His eyes were wide and frightened.
He was still alive, but barely, and struggling to draw a full breath. Help me , a tiny voice said in Diandra’s
mind. Judging by the way Lizbeth jumped, RaeLynn had projected the thought to
her as well. Take her. I’ll help Ian,
Mommy .
Lizbeth spun on a heel, peering around the corner of the
door. Sandra stood there, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth, her
eyes curiously dulled. Even as she watched, the tip of a tongue darted out and
licked halfheartedly at the blood, cleaning her face up. Her eyes never
changed- it was like she was tranquilized. Then Lizbeth looked down, and the
reason became clear. RaeLynn had both tiny hands clamped around Sandy’s ankle,
forcing calming thoughts into her until she was numb to everything. “I’ve got
her,” Lizzie whispered to the grim-faced baby at her feet. So saying, she took
Sandra’s unresisting body in her arms and carried her out of the bathroom. Her
pace didn’t halt until she reached the guest room. She shut the door and locked
it behind her, ignoring Eamon as she passed him in the hall.
Eamon rushed into the master bedroom without pause. When he
reached the doorway he winced, seeing the mess the bathroom was in. RaeLynn was
on her chubby knees in front of Adrian, her little hands reaching ineffectually
for his shredded throat. His hands were straight out in front of him, trying to
reach the baby and pull her close, knowing she could be his salvation if he
could but pull her to him. Diandra, he saw with a sigh of disgust, was simply
staring as through she couldn’t comprehend the scene before her. Without delay,
he scooped the baby up and pressed her into Adrian’s lap. He winced, watching
the man’s blood seep into her little dress. It was probably ruined, but with
any luck the bleeding man wouldn’t be. RaeLynn smiled brilliantly at Eamon as
she pressed her palms against Adrian’s throat, then her tiny brow furrowed in
concentration. He could feel the air shimmer, or at least that’s how it felt to
him, as the energy seeped from her into the wound. He stood, tense and waiting,
for five minutes or so. Adrian’s eyes were locked on his, and he refused to
look away. If, by some horrible strike of fate, he would die, Eamon wouldn’t
dare let him die with no one paying attention. He deserved to have that last
contact with someone who cared about him. Since Diandra was apparently
incapable of it, Eamon gave himself fully to those sad, pain-filled eyes.
RaeLynn pulled back with a tiny little sigh before clapping
her bloody little hands. It was done, and Adrian took a deep, gasping breath.
His throat was healed, with not even a scar to show the horrific wound had once
been there.
behind them, quietly turning the lock.
Chapter
Seventeen
Lizbeth pulled herself together with a sigh. “I suppose I’d
better go up and check on her. She’s been upstairs for a really long time now.”
She got up, brushed off her pants and helped Diandra to her feet. They locked
eyes and the smiles they wore dimmed.
“Oh my God,” Dia whispered, and they flew, quicker than
thought, up the stairs. Eamon, oh God,
Eamon, we forgot something so important. Please, come inside quickly , she
thought as she skidded to a halt beside the closed bathroom door in the master
bedroom. Adrian never locked the door- oh God, what had they done?
Gritting her teeth, Lizbeth planted a bare foot against the
doorjamb, sucked in a deep breath and kicked the door free, sending shrapnel
flying. She prayed silently that they weren’t too late, and that she hadn’t
hurt anyone just now. Then she stood, blocking the doorway as she gaped at the
scene in front of her.
“Let me see,” Dia shouted, pushing Lizbeth to the side and
squeezing into the room. Then she, too, stood where she was a moment, her mind
struggling to make sense of it all. Adrian lay slumped between the toilet and
the bathtub, his throat a dripping red ruin. His eyes were wide and frightened.
He was still alive, but barely, and struggling to draw a full breath. Help me , a tiny voice said in Diandra’s
mind. Judging by the way Lizbeth jumped, RaeLynn had projected the thought to
her as well. Take her. I’ll help Ian,
Mommy .
Lizbeth spun on a heel, peering around the corner of the
door. Sandra stood there, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth, her
eyes curiously dulled. Even as she watched, the tip of a tongue darted out and
licked halfheartedly at the blood, cleaning her face up. Her eyes never
changed- it was like she was tranquilized. Then Lizbeth looked down, and the
reason became clear. RaeLynn had both tiny hands clamped around Sandy’s ankle,
forcing calming thoughts into her until she was numb to everything. “I’ve got
her,” Lizzie whispered to the grim-faced baby at her feet. So saying, she took
Sandra’s unresisting body in her arms and carried her out of the bathroom. Her
pace didn’t halt until she reached the guest room. She shut the door and locked
it behind her, ignoring Eamon as she passed him in the hall.
Eamon rushed into the master bedroom without pause. When he
reached the doorway he winced, seeing the mess the bathroom was in. RaeLynn was
on her chubby knees in front of Adrian, her little hands reaching ineffectually
for his shredded throat. His hands were straight out in front of him, trying to
reach the baby and pull her close, knowing she could be his salvation if he
could but pull her to him. Diandra, he saw with a sigh of disgust, was simply
staring as through she couldn’t comprehend the scene before her. Without delay,
he scooped the baby up and pressed her into Adrian’s lap. He winced, watching
the man’s blood seep into her little dress. It was probably ruined, but with
any luck the bleeding man wouldn’t be. RaeLynn smiled brilliantly at Eamon as
she pressed her palms against Adrian’s throat, then her tiny brow furrowed in
concentration. He could feel the air shimmer, or at least that’s how it felt to
him, as the energy seeped from her into the wound. He stood, tense and waiting,
for five minutes or so. Adrian’s eyes were locked on his, and he refused to
look away. If, by some horrible strike of fate, he would die, Eamon wouldn’t
dare let him die with no one paying attention. He deserved to have that last
contact with someone who cared about him. Since Diandra was apparently
incapable of it, Eamon gave himself fully to those sad, pain-filled eyes.
RaeLynn pulled back with a tiny little sigh before clapping
her bloody little hands. It was done, and Adrian took a deep, gasping breath.
His throat was healed, with not even a scar to show the horrific wound had once
been there.
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