across town just now. We’ll need to get an X-ray, though, if we can’t wake her soon.”
“I’ll do it.” Isabel said immediately. “She can have my blood.”
Thad squeezed her hand again. “It’s better if someone else does it,” he said gently.
“She’s my friend.” Isabel twisted free of Thad’s grasp, and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “I want to do it.”
“The older the vampire, the stronger the blood. You must know that.” His shoulders pulled back, and he looked over at the doctor. “It’s better if Brayden does it himself. Or Lee.”
Brayden nodded quickly. “I’d be happy to provide for her if you like.”
“I’ll do it,” Lee said abruptly. “Just tell me how you wanna play it, doc. Should we move her first?”
“Better we give her the blood first. We’ll get her settled when we’re done with that.” He paused to look up at Lee. “You want a scalpel?”
Thad noticed Brayden reaching for the medical bag sitting between his feet. So much for the theory of him sleeping with a penlight.
Lee pulled an unnecessarily large knife from his boot. “Got it covered, doc.”
Lee held his wrist above Alexia’s mouth and drew the tip down as Brayden tipped her head back and gently pulled her chin down. After a bit of blood had drizzled in, Brayden massaged her throat to force a swallow and then held up his hand.
“I think that’s enough for now.”
Lee drew his brows together. “It wasn’t much at all.”
“You’re one of our oldest, Lee. Your blood is so strong that we don’t need a lot, and she’s not conscious so I don’t want to risk aspiration. Let’s go ahead and move her. If she comes to soon, you can give her more. If not, I can try to transfuse her.”
Lee licked the score on his arm and stepped back, turning to Thad. “I’m going to go clean up and then check in with Siddoh. See how things have been going since we left.”
“Sounds good, man. Just follow up with me before dawn, if you would.”
Lee nodded again curtly and stalked down the west hallway toward his room.
Thad looked up at Tyra, who had been a silent observer on the periphery. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“I guess I’m trying to analyze the whole thing, you know?” Tyra cocked her head to the side. “Just doesn’t make sense… I don’t know.” She waved her hand. “No matter. Maybe I’ll pop in later when you have your powwow with Lee. We can talk about it then.” She smiled kindly at Isabel. “I’m sorry we had to meet on such difficult terms, sweetie. I’m sure we’ll talk more later.”
Turning back to Brayden, Tyra rubbed her hands together. “All right, doc, let me help you get her down the hall before I go.”
Brayden gestured toward the east hall, from where he’d originally come. “I think Ivy usually puts guests in the rooms next door to hers. We can put her in one of those.”
Watching them go, Thad reached again for Isabel’s hand. He so wanted to help her make sense of things, to sort out the confusion for her. That said, he had a lot of unanswered questions himself. “Come on, let’s get you settled. We can talk more if you want, or you can just get some rest. I’ll put you right next door to Alexia.”
She bit her lip and nodded. Her face bore the vacant expression of someone who was too shaken up to process anything. “Yeah, sure… that would be… good.”
***
Isabel floated down the long hallway, aimless and clumsy but for Thad’s grip on her hand, like one of those giant parade balloons they always showed on television. She was so shaky, and her head swam with confusion.
Who would have thought that things could get worse after being told that she was destined to be queen of a race she’d never known?
Inviting Thad and Lee back to their place had been such a mistake. Alexia might never have been harmed, and both she and Isabel would have gone back to their boring but safe little lives by now.
They stopped at an open doorway,
“I’ll do it.” Isabel said immediately. “She can have my blood.”
Thad squeezed her hand again. “It’s better if someone else does it,” he said gently.
“She’s my friend.” Isabel twisted free of Thad’s grasp, and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “I want to do it.”
“The older the vampire, the stronger the blood. You must know that.” His shoulders pulled back, and he looked over at the doctor. “It’s better if Brayden does it himself. Or Lee.”
Brayden nodded quickly. “I’d be happy to provide for her if you like.”
“I’ll do it,” Lee said abruptly. “Just tell me how you wanna play it, doc. Should we move her first?”
“Better we give her the blood first. We’ll get her settled when we’re done with that.” He paused to look up at Lee. “You want a scalpel?”
Thad noticed Brayden reaching for the medical bag sitting between his feet. So much for the theory of him sleeping with a penlight.
Lee pulled an unnecessarily large knife from his boot. “Got it covered, doc.”
Lee held his wrist above Alexia’s mouth and drew the tip down as Brayden tipped her head back and gently pulled her chin down. After a bit of blood had drizzled in, Brayden massaged her throat to force a swallow and then held up his hand.
“I think that’s enough for now.”
Lee drew his brows together. “It wasn’t much at all.”
“You’re one of our oldest, Lee. Your blood is so strong that we don’t need a lot, and she’s not conscious so I don’t want to risk aspiration. Let’s go ahead and move her. If she comes to soon, you can give her more. If not, I can try to transfuse her.”
Lee licked the score on his arm and stepped back, turning to Thad. “I’m going to go clean up and then check in with Siddoh. See how things have been going since we left.”
“Sounds good, man. Just follow up with me before dawn, if you would.”
Lee nodded again curtly and stalked down the west hallway toward his room.
Thad looked up at Tyra, who had been a silent observer on the periphery. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“I guess I’m trying to analyze the whole thing, you know?” Tyra cocked her head to the side. “Just doesn’t make sense… I don’t know.” She waved her hand. “No matter. Maybe I’ll pop in later when you have your powwow with Lee. We can talk about it then.” She smiled kindly at Isabel. “I’m sorry we had to meet on such difficult terms, sweetie. I’m sure we’ll talk more later.”
Turning back to Brayden, Tyra rubbed her hands together. “All right, doc, let me help you get her down the hall before I go.”
Brayden gestured toward the east hall, from where he’d originally come. “I think Ivy usually puts guests in the rooms next door to hers. We can put her in one of those.”
Watching them go, Thad reached again for Isabel’s hand. He so wanted to help her make sense of things, to sort out the confusion for her. That said, he had a lot of unanswered questions himself. “Come on, let’s get you settled. We can talk more if you want, or you can just get some rest. I’ll put you right next door to Alexia.”
She bit her lip and nodded. Her face bore the vacant expression of someone who was too shaken up to process anything. “Yeah, sure… that would be… good.”
***
Isabel floated down the long hallway, aimless and clumsy but for Thad’s grip on her hand, like one of those giant parade balloons they always showed on television. She was so shaky, and her head swam with confusion.
Who would have thought that things could get worse after being told that she was destined to be queen of a race she’d never known?
Inviting Thad and Lee back to their place had been such a mistake. Alexia might never have been harmed, and both she and Isabel would have gone back to their boring but safe little lives by now.
They stopped at an open doorway,
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