Chapter 15
Tears ran down her face, her heart breaking as Thorn removed Rafe’s clothes. The demonic acid had seared through his vest and shirt, blistering his skin. Rafe moaned in agony as the demon removed the last sock and tossed it in a metal bin.
Skylar dipped a cotton washcloth into a basin of water and wiped Rafe’s face. “Are you sure he’s going to make it?”
“He’s still alive,” Dominique assured Skylar.
“Nasty.” Thorn shrugged as he looked to Greyson who fed from Hazel’s wrist.
During the rescue, the acid had transferred onto the vampire, burning through his clothes. An angry rash remained on Greyson’s chest.
“That thing you saw? Most likely a nasty lower-level demon hybrid from the tenth level. They get off on picking off newbies.”
“Rafe was in for over an hour, but he might have lost track of the time,” Greyson released Hazel’s wrist. “Thanks, lovey.”
“It’s disorienting,” Ilsbeth confirmed.
“We should get him into a shower.” Skylar looked up to the high priestess with reddened eyes.
“After the holy water,” the witch instructed. “He must be cleansed of whatever evil charges the acid.”
“It had horns,” Greyson told them.
Rafe groaned as they rolled him onto his stomach, revealing a deep gash in his back from where the acid had burned through his clothing.
“Oh my God. He looks like he was run over by a truck,” Skylar said.
“God had nothing to do with this.” Thorn inspected Rafe’s body, carefully checking him. “It looks as though only his neck and back are burned.” Thorn looked up to Skylar. “His butt is fine. Maybe the Goddess did have something to do with this?”
“This isn’t a joke,” Skylar spat at the demon. “Look at him. He’s not waking up.”
“He’s gonna have to feed,” Ilsbeth stated.
“Ah, fuuuuck that hurts,” Greyson hissed through his clenched teeth.
“How many horns?” Ilsbeth asked.
“Three, I think,” Greyson replied.
“Cornigerphant Acidus. One horn for each year,” Thorn said.
“A juvenile,” Ilsbeth mused.
“They’re trained for security when they’re older, but youngsters hunt for fun,” Thorn explained.
“Jesus Christ. It was a big sucker,” Greyson told them.
“Ah, the spell.” The room went silent as Ilsbeth bent over and looped her fingers through the golden ties of the purple cloth. “I shall put it on the altar.”
She waved her hand and the wall dematerialized revealing another room.
A stone altar, crafted from marble and black stained glass, sat in the center of the covenstead.
A semicircular apothecary with thousands of tiny drawers lined its walls.
Ilsbeth placed the pouch onto the altar with care and reached for a small clear bottle.
Ilsbeth walked to Rafe and knelt. “This is holy water. I’m going to spray him, then we shall move him to the bedroom to rest.”
Though skeptical of the witch’s ways, Skylar’s spirits lifted as she watched Ilsbeth tend to Rafe. With each coating of the blessed water, his skin appeared to heal, the skin stitching back together.
“Hey,” Greyson called. “Can I get a little of that over here? Fuck, this hurts. Fucking hell.”
“Patience, vampire.” Ilsbeth continued to work.
Skylar reached her hands into the spray, and brushed the water over Rafe’s face, taking care to coat his eyelashes and lips. She pressed her lips to his forehead, her tears burning hot on her cheeks.
“He’s going to make it,” Ilsbeth assured her.
“How can you be sure? He’s not waking up,” Skylar cried.
“He’s born of my blood. His magick is recovering. And besides…it is the prophecy. The Alpha.” Ilsbeth pinned her with a stare. “Your Alpha.”
Skylar swore as a jolt of electricity tingled through her as if she’d touched an electrical socket. She inhaled a deep breath, willing her body and mind to calm itself.
“That’s it,” Greyson groaned out loud as Ilsbeth attended to him, spraying his chest. He’d been confident of his ability to dematerialize to Rafe, but it appeared with the time warp he’d barely been able to locate him let alone get there in time to save him from the beast.
The witch ceased spraying his chest and towered over him while he languished on the couch. Greyson’s eyes widened as he looked down to his chest, a large red patch of skin remained. “I’m not healing right. What’s going on? I think I need some more of that holy water.”
“There is only so much I can do. The venom from the Cornigerphant Acidus is intentionally potent. It must disable its prey to eat it.”
“I’m sorry, what? Did you say eat me?”
“It’s been known to happen,” Thorn added.
“Jesus.” Greyson exhaled loudly, lying back onto the sofa.
“You must feed as much as possible to strengthen,” Ilsbeth told him, ignoring his question.
“Is that an invitation?” Greyson smiled at her.
“What do you think?” With a hand to her hip, her lips pursed in anger as she pinned him with an icy glare.
“I’m guessing that’s a no for you.” Greyson glanced at Rafe. “What about him? Why isn’t he waking up?”
“He also must feed,” Ilsbeth said nonchalantly as she turned and walked back to her apothecary.
Skylar’s demeanor sobered as she glanced to Hazel who Henri helped to her feet. Though her feeding had not become sexual, she wore a drugged expression, having fallen under Greyson’s spell.
Skylar fought the angst from within, recalling the ugly jealousy that rotted her from the inside out, after Rafe fed from another woman.
Falling for a wolf vampire hybrid had been one of the biggest mistakes of her life, yet as she studied Rafe’s face, she imagined his smile, warmth curling in her chest once again.
“I’m afraid I drained your maid nearly dry,” Greyson told Ilsbeth. “I’m going to have to go out.”
“No one shall be leaving the house. Not until the eclipse is upon us. I can feel my sister. She’s close, looking for him. She’s aware of the prophecy. No, I will find someone on staff for you. You will heal. As for Rafe,” Ilsbeth turned to Skylar. “He will be with his human.”
Skylar’s eyes widened. “What? Me? I can’t do it.” She looked to Dominique and Greyson and back to Ilsbeth. “He doesn’t want me. He doesn’t want to bond. You have to find someone else.”
“Don’t be foolish. You must heal him,” Ilsbeth insisted.
“This is a bad idea,” Skylar told her.
“This is a difficult situation, dove. But the witch is right,” Greyson began.
“While it’s true Rafe fed earlier, he struggled because she wasn’t you.
You’re his human. Just do what needs to be done.
Tomorrow this will all be over, but he’s got to be strong enough to withstand the trial of the spell. ”
“I can’t…” Her heart twisted in her chest lamenting her decision. How am I ever going to say goodbye? She glanced to Rafe, holding his hand in hers, aware he needed her.
“Darling. How could you possibly not take care of this delicious wolf? Perhaps he’d like to feed from me?” Dominique rose and approached Rafe.
“Stay away from him!” Skylar snapped.
A loud thud sounded as Ilsbeth slammed down a large leatherbound book onto the altar.
Her face serious, she addressed Skylar, her tone both cold and stern.
“Human. While I’d otherwise apologize for your baptism by fire into our world, we do not have time to waste.
If I have to hold you down myself, you will feed him. ”
Skylar stared at the icy witch. Ignoring her theatrics, she brushed her fingers over Rafe’s hair and gently brushed her lips to his forehead. Leaning down to his ear, she whispered. “I’m doing this for you.”
“So, it has been decided. We shall adjourn to our rooms until noon. No one leaves this house.” She addressed Greyson without speaking his name.
“And if anyone attempts to leave, you will not be able to get back in. So, I advise you enjoy your accommodations for the evening and prepare for the eclipse. There’s work to be done. ”
Skylar stared at herself in the mirror. Freshly showered, the scent of lilac billowed through the air. She brushed her curly dampened hair away from her eyes and sighed. Tomorrow everything would change.
She’d fallen hard for the wolf, tormented by her dilemma.
Leave Rafe to heal on his own and he might not survive the spell, crushing any hope of giving him back his life, his wolf.
Give her body and soul to him, indulge in one more night?
She’d likely end up making love to him again, her heart obliviated the next day when the bond was broken.
Conflicted, she mourned what could have been. But Rafe deserved a full happy life, to run as wolf, to be Alpha in every sense of the word. Though heartbreak was inevitable, happiness for Rafe would have to suffice. Tonight she’d save her wolf.
She padded into the bedroom. The heavy silk curtains had been drawn closed. Though tempted to make sure the windows had been locked, she didn’t choose to test the witch, concerned she’d set off some kind of magical alarm. Ilsbeth was wound tight, and she planned to keep her distance.
Skylar studied Rafe as she approached the four-poster bed. Nude, he slept soundly curled onto his side. Although healed, an inch-thick, raised, red scar trailed from the nape of his neck to his hip. Skylar reached for the edge of the sheet and tugged it up over his shoulder.
Untying her robe, she walked to the other side of the bed and allowed it to pool onto the floor. Skylar slid into the bed onto her side and tugged up the sheet She reached for Rafe, cupping his cheek.
“Rafe,” she whispered, her heart sinking as he didn’t respond to her voice or touch.
Had he been drugged by the poison? Or was his body simply healing in its own time? Skylar stared at his face, trailing the pad of her thumb over his lip. She sighed, her chest aching, wishing they could be together forever.
Unsure of how to rouse him, she inched closer so her body nearly touched Rafe’s. With her forehead pressed to his, she spoke softly.
“I don’t know what happened to you down there, but Ilsbeth said you’re going to be fine. But you need to be well for tomorrow. You need to drink…. from me.”