In my house.
In my bed.
In my life.
Thomas looked calmer about the loss of his head enforcer than I’d expected. “It’s good to know my children will be protected by one of the best.”
“Just one of? Trythebest,” Liam drawled in a tone of such arrogance that it was no wonder I’d wanted to throat punch him upon our first meeting.
Thomas lifted Vitus’s head. “If you recall,deartháir,I’m the one to smite our enemy.”
“I was a little preoccupied with more important things. Either way, you’ll be busy soon with your new position as councilor.”
Thomas’s expression soured. “Don’t remind me. I’d hoped to avoid this for a few more centuries.”
Fading fast as the last few hours took their toll, I touched Liam’s arm. “Can you help me with something?”
There was something I needed to do before I crashed.
If it wasn’t too late.
Seeming to understand what I wanted, Liam carried me over to Deborah and Inara. Lowen was already there, his head bowed over his consort.
From his presence, I took it that he’d come out the victor in his fight with Nyx and that the other pixie was dead.
Good.
One less thing for me to do myself.
I wasn’t someone who prayed often, but as I listened for signs of life, I found myself sending one up to whatever deity or higher power oversaw this corner of the universe.
Please let me be in time.
Closing my eyes, I tuned into my senses.
It was faint and uneven, but I caught the slow thud of a heart.
Two hearts, actually.
They were alive. Though not for long.
I tapped Liam’s arm. “Put me down.”
He hesitated, reading what I intended on my face. “She’s very close to death.”
In other words, I needed to prepare myself. Deborah might not survive the transition to vampire. People often didn’t. And that was when they were healthy. Not hanging onto life by a thread.
“I owe it to her to try.”
She hadn’t given up on me. I couldn’t give up on her. Not until I’d exhausted every avenue in my effort to save her.
“It doesn’t have to be you. Let one of us do this instead,” Liam persuaded.
It was tempting. He, or any of the others, had the age and experience to give Deborah the best chance of making it through this. Moreover, they understood better what it was to be vampire and could guide her onto a successful path for eternal life. Unlike me, who mostly just bumbled my way from crisis to crisis.
I shook my head. “It has to be me.”
Somehow, I knew Deborah wouldn’t want any other vampire to have authority over her.
