Chapter 24
Sorcha
“Me?” Surely I’d misheard him.
“Yes, you. Your blood.”
“Mine?” I shook my head.
“Yes, sweet girl, you. Your blood is special.”
I huffed, anger bubbling in my belly. “Now isn’t the time to joke, Count. It’s not funny. I know I’m only human…”
“No, little bird, you’re not human. You are a witch by birth. And only a witch's blood is immune to the effects of hemlock. I suspect that’s why they used a different poison on you. Your attack was to distract me. They were after him. You can save him, Sor. Only you.”
My brain short-circuited. “I…what? A witch? No, you must be mistaken. I’m human. Gods, Bal. Don’t do this, don’t mock or tease. Shane deserves better. So do I. Save him. Please.”
He touched his heart, a look of utter sincerity on his face.
“I’m not lying. Why would I when Shane’s life is on the line?
I may be a cold-hearted bastard to those I don’t care about, but I would never put either of your lives at risk.
Not if I don’t have to. I’m not lying. You are a witch, and your blood can save him. ”
I stared at him, my mouth opening and closing as I processed his words.
His beautiful eyes were guileless. I had no doubt that someone as ancient as Balthazar Rossi could lie through his teeth yet appear innocent, but this wasn’t about me or whether I believed him.
If there was even a minute chance I could save Shane, I’d do it.
“Tell me what to do.”
His smile of approval did strange things to my stomach.
“I need to get your blood to his heart. And, as he can’t feed and ingest it, we are going to have to do it directly.”
“What? How on earth are you going to do that?”
His grim look didn’t do anything for my already churning stomach. He ripped Shane’s shirt open, revealing the chiselled chest that I’d lain against every night since the three of us had been together.
“I need you to stay strong for me. Okay?”
I watched in horrified fascination as Bal’s nails grew and he cleaved open Shane’s chest.
“Oh, my gods…” I gagged.
Bal worked aside some of Shane’s ribs, and it took everything I had not to throw up. Seeing Shane pulled apart was too much. “Bal… stop…Please, stop.”
He glanced at me, his face tight and pale.
I’d never seen the cool and collected Balthazar Rossi look anything but in control, but it was clear he was only just holding it together.
He might try to appear aloof, but I’d seen the intimacy between him and Shane.
Going through bloodlust together had been intense, and unless he was made of stone, and I knew now that he wasn’t, it had to have changed him.
He cared for Shane. So did I. And they both needed me.
I had no idea if what Bal said about me was the truth, but he had no reason to lie. What good would that do?
I straightened my spine and nodded, swallowing back my nausea at the sight of Shane’s insides. “You’re right. We can do this.”
“Good girl. I need to make an incision in your wrist. He needs your blood.”
I trembled as I held out my right arm, but I kept my eyes on Bal, not Shane’s bloody chest. “Do it.”
There was a vicious sting, then he gently pulled me forward. I shuffled on my knees so that I didn’t lose my balance and fall onto Shane.
“Squeeze and release your fist.”
I did as he said, aware my blood was running directly into Shane.
“That’s it, little witch. You’re doing so well.”
I risked a glance down. Holy crap, Bal had laid open Shane’s heart, and my blood dripped into those still chambers. I couldn’t tear my gaze away.
“Keep pumping.”
I did as Bal instructed, watching with morbid fascination as he gripped the unnaturally black, bloody muscle together in his large fist and squeezed, over and over, pumping my blood into Shane’s body.
I gasped as that blackened flesh slowly began to change, flushing with a pinker hue. My body started to shake, but I kept going until Bal released a quiet curse, his attention fixated on Shane’s heart.
“That’s it, fledgling, heal yourself.”
He pulled his hand free of Shane’s chest, and as soon as Shane sucked in a shuddering breath, lanced his own wrist and pumped it over Shane’s mouth.
I wrapped my other hand around my cut, staunching the bleeding, but Bal took my hand in his and lifted it to his mouth.
“Let me heal you, sweet witch. Then lay down with my wolf and rest.”
There was no point in arguing. I was confused about my identity and had a million questions, but I was utterly exhausted.
Whatever poison had been used on me had been neutralised, and clearly was of no danger to vampires, but losing a large amount of blood on top of that was my limit.
The room spun, and I swallowed hard, not wanting to throw up and give Bal another patient to deal with.
He smiled gently. ”It’s okay, Sor, you’ll both be fine now. Rest. I’ll keep watch over you.”
The softness of the pillows was heaven under my heavy head. Tears pricked my eyes as this powerful and beautiful vampire licked my wound, healing me, as he fed Shane.
“I know. But who watches over you?”
His eyes flashed with a light I couldn’t decipher. “I don’t need anyone to watch over me.”
I lifted a heavy hand and cupped his wickedly handsome face. “Everyone needs someone sometimes.”
My eyes fluttered closed, and my hand dropped onto Shane’s already healed chest. Perhaps it was my mind that conjured his whispered words.
“Maybe, sweet witch, but no matter how much I want to lie down with you both and never let you go, I can’t need anyone. Not yet. Not until the world is safe from the evil that will end us all.…”