Yulengave him a darker look. “You’ll do as I say, or I’ll have you escorted under armed guard if I have to.”
Lucien sat up, fighting the dizziness.Lifting his chin, he faced his father and tried to match him scowl for scowl. “If it had been you or Mom who’d been attacked, would you return to the compound? Or would you press on?”
Yulenopened his mouth to answer, when Dr. Maynard walked into the room. The expression on his face wasn’t promising. “I just checked on the test results on that bat. It’s positive for rabies.”
“Then that settles it,”Yulenannounced.
“No, it doesn’t,” Lucien challenged. “You’re not sending me back to AltaNovis. I don’t care what you order.”
Again, his father tried to argue, but Lucien pressed the issue. This time he wouldn’t cow. He couldn’t. Something inside him told him this trip would be his only chance to redeem himself. To prove he was worthyof theD’Jacquesname and genes.
“I wasn’t bitten. I was scratched.” He emphasized the difference.
“That doesn’t mean you won’t be affected,” Iain argued. “Don’t forget, you also had some of its blood get into your eyes and mouth.”
Lucien shot him a dark look. “I didn’t swallow it. And even if I did, it doesn’t mean I’ll contract rabies.” Peering downat his mother, he tried not to plead. “I’m coming with you. It’s important that I do.”
“It’s more important that you go back to AltaNovisso Liam can tend to you in the event you come down with the water disease.”
“I’mnotgoing back,” he stated as firmly as he could. “If I do get sick, I want to be with you. I want to draw my last breath with you beside me.” He staredat his father. “I want to prove to you that I am aD’Jacques. I need to prove that I am strong. If it had been you or Mom who’d been attacked,neither of you would have turned around andgone back. So don’t insult me by making me leave.”
His father’s eyes were hooded, the mask on his face unreadable. After another few seconds of silent contemplation,Yulenglanced at Atty. “We’llsee how you are in the morning. I’ll make my final decision then.” Without explaining further, he pivoted around and strode out of the infirmary.
With his father gone, Lucien checked back with Iain. “Now that we’ve gotten the test results back, is there anything more you can do? Other than keep dressing my wounds?”
“I can make a salve to hopefully draw out any toxinsthat may still be in the deepest cuts,” the young man admitted. “There’s also a potion I can put together for you to drink. Other than that, it’s a tossup if you get sick. And even if you do, there’s no way of knowing how you’ll be affected.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re halfMutah,”Attysoftly answered.
“That’s exactly why,” Iain agreed. “We won’t knowif your body will respond like aNormal’s, or aMutah’s. Or if it’ll produce a whole new series of reactions we’ve never witnessed before.”
Lucien felt a pat on his arm.Attyleaned over to kiss his cheek. “Are you so determined to go with us to prove something to yourself? Or to prove yourself to your father? Because you know you do not have anything to prove to me.”
He stared into her worried blue-gray eyes. As usual, she’d seen deep into his subconscious and found the truth. “Please. Talk to Dad. Convince him to let me continue on this trip with you.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I will tell you this, though. If you were to sicken, nothing on this earth would stop me from being right there by your bedside. I promise you.”
He felthis face grow warm again. “I know, Mom. I know.”
