Spencer’s eyes flew open, the deep brown of his irises holding her hostage as he drank from her vein. Her stomach fluttered, and warmth spread through her core at the intensity of his gaze. She would have let him drain her dry if that was what it would take to save his life, but his wound was already on the mend.
Gently, she pulled her wrist from his grasp. “That’s enough, my love. My blood is powerful; we don’t want to overwhelm your system.”
Spencer closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Whether it was from contentment, relief, or fatigue, it didn’t matter. He was healing. But she had turned him into a creature of the night. Her curse was now his burden.
She sat back on her heels, watching as the sleep of death pulled him under, beginning the transformation. Nausea churned in her gut, and she bit her bottom lip, the sharp sting of her fangs pressing into her flesh keeping her grounded.
“Is that it?” Rebecca asked. “He’ll be okay now?”
Good question. That was still to be determined. “I’m not sure I’ve done the right thing.”
“You saved his life.”
“And turned him into a creature he specifically stated he did not want to become. He just told me a second time a few hours ago.” Had she been selfish yet again? Gah! She’d never been so indecisive in her life.
“That was when he had a choice.” Rebecca moved to Lilith’s side and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You did the right thing. You’ll see.”
“What happens now?” Alan asked.
She looked at Spencer, wiping the blood from his lips with her thumb. “He will sleep for three days, possibly more. His wound was deep, and it may slow the transformation.”
“And this thing…?” He toed the corpse with his shoe. “It’s really dead now?”
“Yes, he is finally at peace.”
Rebecca’s face pinched. “Was he alive the whole time he was in the grave?”
“Undead and starving. His bloodlust was uncontrollable, and…” She sucked in a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry. I put all of you at risk.”
“Nobody forced us to come here,” Alan said. “And anyway, the footage we have is going to save us. You saved our show; I know it.”
Lilith nodded. Hopefully some good would come of this. “I need to take him inside before sunrise. I will clean him up, and if you don’t mind, I would like to take him to The Underworld. Being in The Underworld will help with the transformation.”
“Of course.” Rebecca rose to her feet. “Whatever you need to do. We can rebury the corpse and bring in the equipment, right Alan?”
“Yeah. Just take care of our boy. We all need him in our lives.”
“I will do my best.” Lilith scooped Spencer’s lifeless body into her arms and carried him to the castle.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Lilith brought Spencer to her home in The Underworld, and three days came and went while she never left his side. Deirdre had stopped by the first day to return Esther, but other than that, Lilith hadn’t seen a single soul. Percival took daily flights around The Underworld, but she didn’t bother connecting with him. She didn’t want to speak to anyone. Not while Spencer lay in limbo.
Esther had nearly made a full recovery. Dee told her the snake had been on death’s door for a moment, and she didn’t mean Azrael’s front porch. No doubt when Spencer lay dying, her familiar could barely withstand the agony tearing Lilith apart. She would have lost them both if she hadn’t turned Spencer. She had done the right thing.
She had done the right thing.
Hadn’t she?
Esther’s color had returned, she was eating, and she spent her time wrapped around Lilith’s shoulders or coiled on Spencer’s stomach. She’d taken to Spencer the moment she saw him, as she should have. He was her soulmate too.
She had done the right thing. So, why was her stomach still tied in knots?
“Lilith?” Eve’s voice sounded from the living room. “I know you said no visitors, but we came to check on you anyway. Is he awake yet?”
“Not yet.” Reluctantly, she rose from her seat beside the bed and padded down the hall. “Come back here. I don’t want to leave him alone.”
“We don’t want to disturb him,” Venus said.
