Page 106 of Warrior Unraveled

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Aided by John, Virginia finally managed to pull Wesley from the demon’s vortex. The moment his body was free of the swirling fog and dark mist, the force of her action made her stumble backward and lose her footing on the wet ground. Quickly she found her balance and looked at Wesley who was sprawled on the muddy shoulder of the road. Blood was seeping from a head wound, and his eyes were closed. He wasn’t moving.

“Oh no! Wesley, no!”

Had she been too late?

Panicked, she scrambled toward him, fear pushing tears into her eyes. She gripped his shoulders. “Please, Wesley, don’t leave me! You can’t do this to me!”

Next to her, John reached over and laid his hand on Wesley’s chest, then sat back on his heels.

“Virginia, he’s alive.”

She snapped her head to him, but through her tears she could barely see him. “His head, he’s bleeding.”

“That’s a strange wound.”

“What do you mean?”

John shrugged. “Don’t know. Just looks weird, almost as if it came from the inside.” Then he stopped himself and shook his head. “I’ll make it stop. Trust me.” John bent over Wesley’s head and brought his mouth to the open wound.

Virginia shrieked and ripped him back. “No!”

John snatched her hand and held her immobile. “Listen to me: I’ll close his wound with my saliva. It’ll stop the bleeding.”

Shaking, she locked eyes with John. Slowly she nodded. She had to trust him.

John brought his mouth to Wesley’s head and licked over the wound, licking up the blood that oozed from it. Then he pulled back. When he looked back at her, she noticed his fangs. They’d extended to full length and were peeking from his lips.

She gasped at the sight, but forced herself to relax, and looked at Wesley instead.

“He’s still bleeding,” John said, concern evident in his voice. “I need to give him vampire blood to heal.”

“Won’t that turn him into a vampire?”

“No. His heartbeat is strong. He’d have to be at the point of death to be turned.” John lifted his wrist to his lips and pricked the skin with his fangs. “Hold his mouth open.”

She followed John’s instructions and watched him drip blood into Wesley’s mouth. For a moment nothing happened, but then she saw Wesley, still unconscious, swallow.

“He’ll be fine,” John said calmly.

Virginia was about to let out a sigh of relief, when a scream sounded behind her. She whirled around and to her horror saw a badly wounded demon lunge for her, dagger glinting in his hand. In her crouched position, she couldn’t move fast enough, could only raise her arms to ward off the worst.

But before the demon’s dagger could reach her heart, a woman threw herself between her and her attacker. Deirdre. It had been her scream that had warned Virginia. Now Deirdre screamed again, this time in pain. The demon’s dagger had hit her in the chest. Virginia caught her and stared at the demon. His green eyes flickered with hatred. Virginia reached for her own dagger, but never got the chance to use it.

From behind the demon the bald vampire, Zane, appeared and gripped the demon’s head, twisted it so hard that a snapping sound could be heard, then yanked it in the opposite direction, before using his sharp claws to slice the head right off the demon’s neck.

Green blood spurted everywhere. Zane nodded at her as if to acknowledge Virginia’s unspoken thanks. There was no time for words now.

“Deirdre, stay with me,” Virginia urged the former council member who now lay in her arms, bleeding profusely from a chest wound.

A gurgling sound came from her. Her eyes were open, but the light seemed to dim in them.

“No, Deirdre, you can’t die.” Tears shot into Virginia’s eyes. Deirdre had saved her life. She couldn’t let her die. Desperately, she pressed her hand over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but the sticky red liquid kept flowing. “Please, Deirdre.” She met the dying woman’s gaze.

“Never wanted to hurt anybody…” Deirdre murmured.

“Don’t talk now. We’ll get you a doctor.” Or a vampire to heal her.