Blade to the Keep (22 page)

“Of course you did, darling.” He swallowed hard against the swell of emotion she evoked. “I need to pick you up. Need to get you to the Keep.”

“‘S gonna hurt.”

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. “Probably. I’m sorry for that.”

“Did you kill her?” Her voice was wet, and it tore at him.

“I believe your father is doing that.”

As Clive spoke the words, he felt the overwhelming presence The First carried with him. “She got away.” The First knelt and looked Rowan over, pain on his features. “Petal, you’re quite a mess.”

“Got away?”

The First tore his wrist open and held it out to her. “Sweetest, you need to take my blood.”

“No.”

His features hardened. “Don’t be stubborn, Rowan.”

“Don’t wanna.”

The First sighed, took hold of her face at her jaw, forced her mouth open and jammed his bleeding wrist into it. She made a sound similar to a shriek of pain, and though The First’s features did not change, Clive noted his flinch. “Do be still. You’re damaged. My blood will help. You will
die
without it, and I will not allow such a thing.”

“Get her,” Rowan managed to mumble around his wrist.

“You are worth more. Now stop struggling or I will be vexed! You make it hurt more, damn you, stubborn child!”

Rex burst into the clearing, breath heaving. “Rowan!” He moved to them, but Clive shook his head.

“Gentle.”

“Sweet Christ of Judea! What happened? Darling. Oh, sweetheart. Where is that bitch? I’ll take her head myself!”

“She’s gone. Escaped.” The First picked Rowan up gently, and she gave in with a sigh, her head lolling back.

“I need to get her to the house.” With those words, The First was gone in a burst of speed.

Clive turned to Rex. “The Keep. I need to get there as soon as I can. Can you get back?”

Nadir came into the clearing. “What is it?”

Clive told her briefly. “I don’t know where she went, though. She and The First fought awhile, and then he came to Rowan to aid her. He took her back to the Keep.”

“We’ll sweep the area. Mr. Espy, please. Recht will escort you back.”

Clive took that as his cue and headed away at top speed.

Chapter Twenty

The last time he’d exerted himself this hard, hard enough to sweat beads of blood, also happened to be when Rowan had nearly gotten herself killed.

Clive burst through the doors. Dina pointed to one of the smaller sitting rooms, and he rushed in.

The scent of blood should have been enticing. Rowan had no idea, but her blood made his mouth water usually. But this blood was laced with so much pain and death, his belly clenched as fear raced over his skin.

“Is she all right?” Clive pushed through the crowd to find Celesse kneeling on one side of her, The First cradling Rowan’s head in his lap and Paola giving Rowan blood. Enzo was a shadow in the doorway, ready to serve The First whenever and however he needed it.

“Where is the doctor? Damn it, she needs a doctor!”

David patted his arm. “They’re giving her blood. There are no human doctors nearby. They’ve sent for someone in town, but it’ll take time.”

“This is an outrage.” Celesse’s voice shook. “This is attempted murder. You made her give up her blade! She had nothing to defend herself with.”

“I’m well aware of the situation.” The First kept a calm demeanor, but Clive could see the pain radiating from him.

Dina pushed through. “Out of the way. If you’re not at least a thousand years old, get out. She needs the most powerful of you to give her blood. The rest of you are just in the way.” She put a basin with warm water down, along with scissors and some other tools.

Clive realized she’d probably tended a battered Rowan more than once. But he had no plans to leave.

“Naturally, Scion, you can stay, as well as the people from Hunter Corp., except for that one over there who will leave now or I will remove him bodily.”

Roth sputtered his indignation, but Clive yanked him by the back of his suit coat and tossed him out, slamming the door in his face.

“I don’t like him.” Dina rolled up her sleeves and sat on a stool at Rowan’s side. “We need to get her shoulder back into place and her broken bones splinted into place. She’ll start to heal, and without it, she’ll be in even more pain.”

“That’s going to cause her a great deal of pain right now.”

“Better than being dead.
Ovilius
, please brace her while Warren puts her shoulder back into place. David, would you prepare a splint for me for her leg? I’m going to cut her pants free so we can see the damage.”

Everyone sprang into action. Without looking up from where she used scissors to carefully cut away Rowan’s pants leg, Dina sighed. “Scion, she needs you right now. I see how you look at her. Give her your love. Heaven knows, she needs it.”

Nodding, he picked his way around The First and knelt in between him and Celesse. He bent to her ear. “Rowan, I’m here. We’re all here, and you need to fight. Do you hear me?”

“Sweetheart, this is going to hurt.” Warren spoke, and Clive kept his lips to Rowan’s ear. Her breathing was ragged, but he was glad she still breathed at all.

“Hold her,
Ovilius
.” Warren waited for The First to brace her carefully before he placed his hands on her upper arm and shoulder and shoved it back into the socket.

Despite The First holding her, Rowan cried out, arching.

Clive felt it when The First flinched. He kissed her forehead. “Petal, I’m so sorry.”

“Enough time for guilty feelings after we get her stabilized.” Dina’s rebuke seemed to shake The First out of his reverie. He took a deep breath.

“You’re right, Cook. Thank you.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Cataline came in with another steaming pail.

“Good. David, how’s that splint coming along?” Dina washed away the blood, not caring about the mahogany floor or the Persian rug that rested upon it.

“Ready when you are.”

“Ms. Paola, you need to stop or we’ll have to send you to the hospital too.”

“She’s lost a great deal of blood. I have enough to share.”

The First touched her hand. “I thank you for the gift of your blood. She’s had mine, and she’s had yours. Cook is right, you’ve given her quite a bit.”

Takahiro moved up. “Let me take over.”

Paola moved away to sit in a nearby chair, her gaze never leaving Rowan.

Rowan’s leg was a mess. Clive knew his incisors had lengthened when The First spoke. “Save your rage. The Five are out looking for Enyo. Rowan is here with us now. Keep your mind here.”

Rex came in just moments later. “Oh, sweetheart.” He rushed to Rowan. Celesse moved from her spot, giving it over to Rex.

“I’ll call Susan.”

“Thank you.” Rex didn’t take his gaze from Rowan’s face as Celesse stepped from the room to make the call.

“The water and poultices in this pail have healing magic in them. I want to get this leg splinted and then I’ll need to have a look at her arm. I’m going to have to cut off her sweater.”

“Why didn’t her Goddess save her? I don’t understand.” Rex spoke but it wasn’t to anyone in particular.

“If She hadn’t helped, Rowan would have been dead for some time. Enyo is incredibly old and powerful.” The First’s teeth clicked shut, and he snarled. “I am...prohibited from sharing a great deal of detail. But without the Goddess inside Rowan, she could not have withstood three minutes with no weapons against one such as Enyo.”

“Prohibited? Your precious Treaty is going to protect that monster after she tried to kill Rowan? In your Keep?” Rex was angry and terrified too. Which was probably what kept him alive after speaking in such a manner to The First.

“He’s under a spell. A geas. He’s prohibited by that, not the Treaty.” Dina kept working. “I have to tie the splint into place. The poultice will cause her some discomfort, unfortunately. Hold her as firmly as you can. Enzo, please help David.”

Clive barely restrained his gasp when Rowan’s body shuddered in pain. She was beyond the cry she’d given when her shoulder had been put back into place, but the gut-deep whimper that escaped was worse.

His strong, fearless Hunter was damaged. In pain and he couldn’t help. He wanted to tear the Keep down around their heads just to do something with his hands and all the anger he felt.

Instead, he gently cleaned her face, getting rid of the blood and dirt. “Rowan, it’s really quite tiresome the way you try to make everything about you. We had a date. Remember that?”

Dina continued to work. The doctor from town showed up and took up at her side. Together with Cataline’s help, they sewed up wounds and cleaned off the blood. Dina placed her smelly poultices, and some of the worst damage, especially on her arm, began to heal. Her color went from so-white-she-could-have-been-dead to critically ill.

Dawn teased as they finally finished.

The First spoke. “Vampires need to seek their rest. Especially those who’ve given so much blood. There are no windows in this room. Bring her a bed so she’ll be comfortable, and I’ll stay with her.”

“Sir,” David began to speak, but The First shook his head hard.

“No. This is my daughter. Do you understand? I will not leave her side, and that is that. This room will be guarded. No one will be allowed in or out but for a preapproved few.”

“I respectfully ask that I be one of those few,
Ovilius
.”

“Scion, you need real rest. There will be humans in and out of this room. I promise to keep watch.” It was an order, though not unkindly spoken.

Clive kissed her temple. Her face was bruised and swollen still, and he didn’t want to hurt her any more than she’d been already. “I must go to rest, Hunter. I’ll be back at sundown. Try not to get into any fisticuffs while I’m gone.” He paused and bent to her ear. “I love you, darling Hunter.”

Alice waited for him just outside the door. “Your room is ready. Go on up. She’s going to be fine, Clive. She’s too stubborn not to be.”

They walked quickly. “Did you see her, Alice? Did you see what that bitch did to my Hunter?”

Alice nodded. “I did. We’ll get her. Rowan will get better, and we’ll take Enyo out. But you’re exhausted, and you need to be at your best because she’s going to be a handful when she wakes up.”

That at least made him smile.

Chapter Twenty-One

Copper and smoke.

Rowan stirred, prodded by the Goddess. She hadn’t ascended like she did at the shrine. But this was a different plane nonetheless.

“Rowan, you have a job to do.”

She blinked up at the beautiful brilliance she always associated with Brigid. And smiled at the manifestation that was a whole lot like Shirley Manson. Yes, the redheaded Scottish rock-star actress.

“My everything hurts.”

“You were all I ever could have wanted in a Vessel this week.”

Rowan struggled to make sense of what was happening. Of where she was. She’d never achieved this sort of connection with Brigid outside a shrine.

“Relax a moment. I am here with you. You were so close to death that it enabled me to connect with you on this plane.”

“I’m dead?”

“No. You’re alive. Even now, your friends and loved ones are working feverishly to tend to your wounds and set you to rights. Tages’s blood courses through you again, though in far greater volume with this attack. The other old ones have given you blood, too. The human you call Dina, the kitchen witch, she has given you medicine that put you in this place so your body can heal. I’m helping, as well. I will keep you here, deeply unconscious from your physical form, for many more hours.”

“I saw her. Enyo. The last thing I remember, really. I hit her with the tree limb. Hard for a one-hander.” Rowan was proud of it as she remembered. “She bounced off the wall of the orangerie, and I got my thumb back in her eye socket. Dug in deep. Did I snap her neck?”

“She is still alive. On the run.”

That pissed her off. “Really? All these damned Vampires in the Keep, and none of them killed her for me?”

“Tages could have, but he chose you instead. If he hadn’t, you would have died. His Five are looking for her, but they had to go to ground when the sun rose. When you awaken, you will have to find her yourself. Or she will find you.”

“When she hit the glass and it broke, she came at me one last time. I felt myself slipping, and then her blood, some of it dripped from her face into my mouth and I saw. I saw how she was made.”

“In that moment, the two of you shared something. She didn’t mean for it to happen. But now you know.”

Casta had been nineteen years old and had been married off three years before to a powerful man who ran a city-state. She’d hated him. Hated his old, disgusting hands that never seemed to stop touching her. Hated his slobbery kisses and the mockery of lovemaking he gave her.

But she had quite enjoyed the life she had. The servants. All the jewels and luxury she’d ever imagined. She’d dabbled in magic and, like her mother, had a considerable gift, though not well trained.

She’d had to hide what she had or risk scaring others. And in that secrecy, her power grew in intensity but also grew darker. There had been no guiding hand. No one to teach her the ways of her magic and the responsibility that came with it.

She’d wanted more power of her own and had wanted her husband dead. Preferably on the battlefield. She’d recently taken a lover. A man she’d met when she’d been at a party. She’d had much wine and he’d been skillful, though rough. Rough enough to make her bleed a few times.

She researched and decided to call to the goddess Enyo to bring down ruin on her husband’s head, but victory to his men. She liked her life, after all; she just didn’t want her husband in it.

But something had gone dreadfully wrong. As she’d been in the middle of her spell, the goddess had indeed begun to manifest, but her lover had come in. Seeing her naked, with her arm sliced open for a blood offering, he set upon her and sank his long fangs into her, draining her.

The spell, though, had called powerful magic, and that magic intertwined with the change the Vampire she’d thought of as a human lover, had started.

Casta was not a Vessel. Nor was she made like most Vampires. She was a Vampire made with the aid of magic. The spell completed her transformation into a Vampire, but she had no maker in the traditional sense, and her spell to manifest the goddess had been interrupted before it was completed. Enyo was part of her, like an echo. Her bloodlust and need for battle, yes, a part of her power, yes. The need to take blood and shelter from the sun like any other Vampire.

Like Theo, like Rowan, she was Other.

And now that Rowan knew just what Enyo was, she could maybe begin to find a way to kill her true.

Brigid placed a kiss to Rowan’s forehead. “Yes. Knowledge is power. Rest. Let your body and my power do their work. When you are ready, you have a task that will take all your strength to get complete.”

* * *

Everything hurt.

“I can hear you,” she mumbled.

“Rowan?”

She struggled to open her eyes, and it was some time before she managed to do it.

“What?”

“Rowan!”

A door opened, and voices sounded, excited. More doors opened. Footsteps sounded. It made her very tired just listening to it.

“Tha fuck’s going on?”

“There’s my sweet, delicate flower.” Clive looked at her, smiling. But worry lived in his gaze.

“Do I have cancer?”

He looked confused. “What? Darling, you’ve taken a nasty thumping. But cancer has nothing to do with it.” He looked away, still smiling. “Still a bit muzzy, I’m afraid. Just asked me if she had cancer.”

“The amendment still stands, right?”

Clive groaned. “You’re like a dog with a bone. Yes, darling Hunter, the amendment is in place.”

“Why are you looking at me like that, then?”

“Like what? Like I’m happy to see you conscious and using profanities? The F word never sounded sweeter.”

She might have laughed, but her ribs hurt too much so she winced.

“Petal, here I come into a room where you’re recuperating from being beaten nearly to death. For the second time in less than six months. Do pace yourself.”

Theo’s face came into focus, and she managed a smile, though her face ached.

“Your jaw was dislocated. It might still be sore awhile.”

“Rowan Summerwaite!”

Rowan recognized that voice. “Susan?”

“Who else?” Susan swam into view and gave her a gentle hug. “I’ve been here three days, and thanks to the cook I’ve gained five pounds even with all the pacing. Did I not tell you not to get yourself killed? I distinctly remember telling you not to get yourself killed. And Rex didn’t stop it! Celesse didn’t stop it! I can’t let you out of my sight, clearly. You’re like a toddler near a stove when it comes to these old Vampires. You can’t resist goading them into a killing rage? Just the once?”

Clive laughed. “I had the same discussion with her. I think she has a DNA mandate to poke at ancient Vampires until they try to kill her.”

“I didn’t get killed. This wasn’t even my fault. And anyway, I told you, I didn’t poke at her and she came after me. Casta, that faker, that fucked-up pseudo-witch, she came after me. From behind. When I was not armed.”

An echo of Crazy Carl’s warning about watching her back hit her. Damned sage had been right. Again.

She tried to sit, to move more than an inch or two, and pain punched her in every part of her body.

“She’s not sporting, that’s clear.”

“Are you being flip?”

Clive gave her the brow. “Me? I would never.”

She narrowed her gaze, but he didn’t confess his sins.

“I have to get working.”

“You will do no such thing, Rowan!” Theo said this in his most intimidating, thunderous master Vampire voice, and her muscles froze. She hated that he had so much power over her—and everyone else as they’d responded to his tone, as well.

He was unmoved by her facial expression. “You will remain here for another week. I will allow you to be moved to your bed in your rooms. You will eat everything Cook brings you. You will allow her, the doctor and Cataline to tend to your wounds, and you will most assuredly not get working until you are recovered. I will not be argued with. Do you hear me, young lady?”

He narrowed his gaze at her, snagging her in his thrall, and she nodded. “Yes,
Vater.
But she’s getting away.”

“Rowan, have a heart. Do you have no fear in you at all? If not, your daily actions give me enough for the two of us. You are not ready to confront her, not in the shape you’re in now. You had broken ribs. Your lungs were damaged, yet again. Your Goddess healed that much, lucky for you. Your limbs are broken and still weak. You’re no match for her. Not yet.

“She got away already. So you take the time to get better. And then, once you’re ready, you will hunt her and kill her. Marcilius has...
confessed
to his part in the magical tampering by Enyo. I’ve relayed that information to the leadership in the Nation. Recht has already volunteered to go with you when it’s time. He can accompany us both. I will be along with you.”

“Oh well, I think I can handle it. I’ll have my blade this time and everything. Plus Recht is plenty old and powerful...”

He just looked at her. “Do you think you can sway me from this? She nearly stole you from me. While you were in my home. In
your
home. You are my protected. I warned her. She will pay for what she has done.”

“I poked her eye out.”

Everyone paused, but Clive grinned a moment, the worry chased from his features briefly.

“When we were fighting. I poked it out, and then I got her again with my thumb good and hard. I think I did permanent damage.”

Theo smiled at her, proud. “I wondered about that. I saw she’d had some damage to her face. It probably won’t grow back.”

“When you were on the ground when we found you, you told me you’d done it. You were so pleased with yourself.” Clive’s smile was still not quite solid at the edges.

“Stop looking at me like that.” She blushed.

“You hush. I’ll look at you however I like, and you’ll damn well be quiet about it and let me.”

Despite her better judgment, she let him see the tenderness she felt toward him. He nodded, kissing the fingertips of her less damaged hand.

“She’s the one who used magic to mess with this meeting.”

Theo nodded.

“Can you prove it?” Susan, ever practical.

“I’m going to execute her, so I really don’t have to. I know it was her. We all know it was her. But I don’t have to take it to trial at this point.” She wanted to yawn but knew it would probably hurt her jaw to do so.

“We’re working on an execution order now. You don’t need it just yet, anyway. The First is correct. You will recover before you go rushing out to take on ancient Vampires.”

Celesse came to stand next to Susan with Rex at her other side, backing Susan up. She sighed and then winced. Clive gave her the brow, and she redoubled her promise to get that tic going again.

“Your rooms are ready.” David appeared at the foot of her bed. “When you’re ready, we can move you up and get you settled, and then you need to eat and rest.”

“I was unconscious for three days. I’ve been resting.”

“You’re moving your lips, Déesse, but I can’t hear your words.”

“Everyone is talking back now? This is a thing?”

* * *

She’d been picked up and carried by Clive, who smelled quite good. “I have seriously supercharged senses right now. It’s pretty amazing,” she murmured against his neck.

“You’ve got the blood of your father, Paola, Takahiro and Tahar in your veins. I expect you’ll feel quite good for a long time.”

A whole group of people came up with them. Heaven knew when she’d be alone with him.

“Why so many? I mean, Theo’s blood should have been enough.”

“Rowan, it’s a miracle you didn’t die. The only reason you weren’t airlifted out to a hospital in Switzerland is because you were so fragile they didn’t know if you’d make it. And then, how to explain your injuries? When we got to you.” He licked his lips as he put her down on the bed in her room. “You technically died twice as they worked on you back here.”

Nope, not something she wanted to think on just then, so she changed the subject. “Can I bathe? I’m bloody and sticky.”

Cataline showed up with a tray of food. “After you’ve eaten, the doctor said you could have a sponge bath. You can’t get your cast wet. And the sutures on your arm will come out tomorrow if you continue to heal well. But you can’t get any of it wet just now.”

Clive settled in next to the bed. Enzo brought the tea cart in and served them all as Cataline set out the tray and pulled the lid from the soup.

“Cook put some little dumplings in it. Go slow.”

She ate, realizing just how hungry she truly was. All around her, the conversation flowed. Vampire business, house business, Hunter business. All the while, Clive would reach out to touch her here and there, as if to remind himself she was alive.

She wanted to cry, and that made her angry. She wanted to sleep, and that made her angry too. She wanted a lot of things, and she couldn’t have any of them just then.

“Everyone out. She needs to rest. You seem to tolerate morphine well so the doctor says for you to take some of these every four to six hours.” Cataline brought a bottle of pills into the room.

Rowan eyed them suspiciously, and Clive made a sound she’d only heard when he was dealing with his own people. Probably because if he made it to her in her presence she’d punch him in the throat.

Irritation and impatience.

“We’re all at the end of our collective rope with you nearly dying, Hunter. So take the pills.”

“I was told I could have a sponge bath.”

He narrowed his gaze at her, and she smiled, feeling better. He caught it and shook his head. “You must be feeling better if you’re pleased by making me so annoyed.”

“I’d feel even better if you were the one to give me the sponge bath.” Once she said it out loud, she realized that she’d spoken instead of thought and that they weren’t alone. Embarrassment burned her cheeks.

Susan chuckled. “Take the pills and we’ll clear out so your Scion can get to work.”

Rowan assented, swallowing two, and the dishes were cleared away. A wave of exhaustion hit her, and she leaned back into the pillows. Theo kissed her forehead and threatened her if she didn’t go to sleep.