Three Kings for Sarah (2 page)

Bending down, Duncan picked up the shiny, pink rubber ball.
A muscle in his jaw twitched as he stared at the childish scrawls covering it.
He didn’t like this. He hadn’t wanted to scare the child, but worst of all, he
worried about all the kids there might be on this floor, who could be exposed to
the danger surrounding him. The chances that the hospital could become a
battlefield tonight were rather high. Before he could ask the others to take an
alternative route to reach Samgar’s goddaughter, the little girl returned,
pulling with her a scrawny boy, two or three years older than her. He had a
bandage over his bald head and huge purple circles under his eyes. Duncan could
smell the boy’s illness, the toxins in his bony body, and could even feel the
boy’s pain. Duncan sucked air into his lungs, trying to control the growing
sickness in his stomach.

“See, I told you they were here,” whispered the girl, half
hidden behind the boy, who was staring slack-jawed at them.

“You’re the three wise men Sarah told us about!” the boy
murmured in awe. “You really came to bring her gifts!”

Exchanging a glance with the others, all of whom seemed as
astounded as he was, Duncan scratched his neck. “Ah…who’s…Sarah?”

The girl rose on her tiptoes and put her hands over her
mouth to whisper in the boy’s ear. “They’re a bit dumb, aren’t they? You sure
they’re wise men?”

“Little imp.” Gedeon chuckled softly.

Duncan struggled to keep a straight face, and Sam, standing
at Duncan’s side, scrutinized the tiles on the floor.

“Hush! Of course they are,” murmured the boy, obviously not
as convinced as before.

“Well, kids, you should go back to your rooms so we can go
see Sarah,” Gedeon suggested.

“You don’t have presents for us?” asked the girl with an
adorable pout.

Xiu stepped past Duncan and he tensed, prepared to defend
the children if the shadow-walker so much as coughed at them.

“Of course we have, little one. What’s your name?” Xiu
crouched down in front of her, ignoring Duncan’s low, almost imperceptible
growls.

“Kelly,” she answered with a finger in her mouth.

“Wow! I have just the right gift for you.”

Xiu stuck his hand into the large sack he carried, which
Duncan had assumed was full of weapons, and brought out a rag doll with curly
blue hair.

“Her name is Kelly too. I don’t believe that’s a
coincidence,” Xiu told the child.

The girl’s eyes went from big to enormous, while she eagerly
nodded.

“Don’t you think this dolly is just for you?”

The girl nodded, absolutely hypnotized by the lovely doll.

“Well then, I suppose it’s yours,” said Xiu with a slight
smile.

Duncan stared, thunderstruck, at the man who seemed to have
usurped the dark warrior’s place.

The girl nodded again but didn’t move, and the boy gave her
a delicate push.

“Take it, Kelly!”

The girl shyly stretched out her tiny arms to take her doll.
She embraced it tightly, smiling with joy.

“Well, Thomas, I think it’s your turn now,” Gedeon commented
with a wink.

“You know my name!” the boy cried, obviously amazed.

“We’re the wise men, remember? We not only know your name
but also how good you’ve been this year,” explained Xiu.

“And you’ve been
really
good. Very few people succeed
at being as brave as you’ve been—and you even protected your mother from your
real pain.” Gedeon praised the child, his eyes slightly red, his face suddenly
paler than was normal…even for a vampire.

Duncan gave the vampire a concerned look. Long ago, Duncan
had discovered Gedeon’s ability to navigate in other people’s memories and to
feel them as if they were happening to him.

“Let’s see if we brought one of these videogames…” Gedeon
glanced at Xiu.

The shadow-walker gave a small nod. “Maybe a football game?”
Xiu’s arm disappeared completely inside the huge sac. When he finally took out
a thin plastic pack, he held it under the boy’s nose with a victorious grin.

“Yeah!” the boy exclaimed, throwing himself at Xiu and
wrapping tiny arms around his neck.

Xiu stared wide eyed toward Gedeon, as if asking for help.

Before the men could do anything else, the boy released the
shadow-walker and ran across the hallway, shouting for everyone to hear.

“Sarah’s wise men are here! Sarah’s wise men are here! And
they’ve brought gifts!”

The uproar started immediately. From the corner of his eye,
Duncan noticed how his companions stood there as paralyzed as he was, while the
hallway filled with pouncing, running and chattering children of all ages. It
was almost a relief to find out he wasn’t the only one who didn’t know what to
do. Two nurses and some mothers came out, regarding the men with warm smiles.

A young woman clapped her hands and spoke loudly. “Everybody
to his or her rooms! The three kings are going to visit you in your rooms. If
you don’t wait there, you don’t get presents.”

In seconds the hallway was empty again, except for Kelly,
Thomas and the lingering echo of delight.

The girl approached Xiu with a brilliant smile, whispered a
“Thank you!” and, standing on her tiptoes, she raised up enough to give him a
kiss. Next, she neared Gedeon, pulled at his sleeves until he crouched down and
then rewarded him with another peck on his cheek. She repeated the process with
Duncan and Sam. Nobody spoke. When the kids reached their room door, they
turned one last time.

“Could you save the best present for Sarah?” asked little
Kelly, her tone filled with hope. “She’s so good with us, and she really,
really needs something special.”

“What present would you like for her?” asked Xiu softly.

She kept silent for a moment, tapping her little index
finger on her slightly pursed lips.

“Someone to protect her,” she decided finally, “We’ve got
our moms and dads but she’s so alone…” Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on her
cute face. “She’s going to be thrilled when you go to see her. She’s always
telling us stories about you. Tell her I think she’s right. Santa’s great but I
like you guys better.” She put one hand around her mouth and whispered. “He’s
not as good looking as you are but don’t tell him I said so.” Raising her voice
again, she continued, clearly excited. “I have a fantastic idea! You could come
again next year and bring Santa with you too!” With a loud, smacking sound, she
kissed the air and waved before she disappeared into her room.

“It seems as if you’re going to have to play the role of the
three wise men for all these children—not just Sarah,” said Sam slowly,
touching the damp trail left on his cheek.

Duncan frowned. Had his man been crying? He followed Sam’s
gaze through the long hallway with its sixteen open doors, where every now and
then, a child’s short hair appeared in the doorway, reminding the men nobody
had forgotten their presence.

“I hope you brought enough toys for everybody,” Sam added.

Xiu nodded, staring straight forward with an expressionless
face. “Who’s this Sarah person?”

“It’s strange but it’s almost as if she isn’t a person. The
kids see her as real, although, when I touch inside the kids’ minds this
Sarah
feels more like…a ghost.” Gedeon’s voice came out low, thoughtful.

“A ghost?” Sam glanced at Xiu with wide eyes.

“Yes. I’ve checked some of the other kids too. Everyone
knows and loves her, although, the feeling I get concerning her is always the
same—ethereal…as if she isn’t physically here with them.”

Sam shuddered visibly at the shadow-walker’s words. Duncan
could understand the reaction.

“There’s something else.” Gedeon seemed hesitant. “All of
them assume Sarah is on the top floor.”

The children’s joyful laughs sounded behind Duncan, making
him feel good and tense at the same time. Ged and Xiu were in the room with two
boys, giving them their gifts. Duncan stood at Sam’s side, checking the hallway
for any possible danger. He wouldn’t have minded being inside with Ged and Xiu
but Duncan was too worried something terrible could happen to the kids because
of their negligence. As Xiu was the one with the presents and Ged had the
skills to read the boys’ and girls’ deepest wishes, there was no question about
who should stand guard while they made the little imps happy. Although the
kids’ security wasn’t Duncan’s sole concern. For a moment, he took the luxury
to shut his eyes and remember the conversation he had only moments ago with his
evasive mate.

Duncan? Is everything all right?
the sweet voice had
asked as a calm, warm feeling embraced him from the inside.

Hey, babe!
he’d greeted her, elated but
surprised—although she’d spoken to him numerous times in the past, she usually
only made herself present in his dreams. She was the one controlling when and
how she contacted him. He could do nothing about it. It was a one-way street;
however, he couldn’t complain. Werewolf mates had the ability to communicate
telepathically only once they were truly mated or, in his case, as alpha, if
they were already part of his pack. He hadn’t met her yet. Hell, he didn’t even
know her name! They’d played a game, of sorts, ever since she’d appeared in his
dreams three months ago. He did his best to convince her to give him her name
and the means to locate her, and she flirted and laughed her way out of
answering him. He really wanted—no, he
needed
to find her and claim her
as his mate—although he couldn’t deny how he was enjoying each second of this
long, strange courtship. Only on rare occasions—when she’d sensed he was very
distressed—had she made the effort to talk to him during his wakefulness. Doing
so seemed to take an enormous toll on her, considering these contacts usually
were quite short and her voice seemed to grow weaker and weaker with each
passing moment. Maybe if he was a telepath, as some vampires such as Gedeon
were, it would be easier, but that wasn’t the case.

“Are you in danger?”

Duncan looked around, checking the hallway with his senses.
“
No.”
Not at this moment at least. He couldn’t lie to her, but he could
decide what to let her know.

“Then what has you so unsettled?”

He hesitated. “
I’m at a hospital.”

He felt her pounce.

“
No! No! I’m fine!”
He tried to soothe her as soon as
he took in how his statement had sounded. “
It’s just that there’re too many
little kids…and some of them are in so much pain…”
Well, at least that was
a considerable part of the truth, he thought, trying not to feel guilty.

“In a hospital with kids?”
she repeated his
statement, sounding strangely alert.
What are you doing there?”

“My sister is renowned for her blunders. Her last one was
a really big one.”
He rolled his shoulders.
“I’m kind of doing a little
community service to make up for it.”

“Specify ‘community service’
,” she told him with a
badly concealed edge to her voice.

“Nothing big, really
.” He made sure to answer without
giving too much information. She was his mate, yes, but she didn’t really know
much about him. He had no intention of risking her escaping his grasp before he
even had a means to find her. That she could contact him telepathically didn’t
mean too much. There were a lot of human psychics out there, but that didn’t
necessarily mean they were aware of the things that went bump in the night. He
didn’t think it’d be a good idea for her to discover he was one of those
creatures. At least, not just yet. “
I’m just pretending to be one of the
three wise men for the kids.”

“Wise men? That’s a Spanish tradition
,” she said
rather slowly.

“The goddaughter of the…man who asked us to do this seems
to be Spanish
,
”
he explained.

She stayed silent for a long moment.

“
Babe?”
he said.

“Who are the others?”
Her voice became only a wary
whisper.

“There’s Gedeon…”
Duncan strived to sound nonchalant,
not prepared to talk about the vampire. Once Duncan and his woman mated, she’d
discover everything about Gedeon. There was nothing Duncan could do about it,
except to pray she’d understand and forgive him. Humans were not as open minded
as night creatures usually were and, even then, it’d probably be difficult for
her to comprehend to what degree he’d loved Gedeon when she was the one Duncan
required to complete him.
“And Xiu.”

She didn’t answer. Had she already caught a whiff of the
details he was leaving out? She’d always been able to perceive his emotions.
Despite his struggles to conceal his conflicting feelings regarding Gedeon’s
appearance, they were very strong and she was extremely sensitive. “
Sweetling,
are you still there?”

“You must leave right now! Go home, Duncan!”

“Babe, darling, I can’t. It’s nothing, honestly. If it
weren’t for their illness and pain, I’d be enjoying this experience. Really!”

She gave a weary sigh.
“I need to go.”
Her voice
already sounded exhausted, distant. “
Duncan?”

“Yes, babe?”
He suddenly became aware that the only
means to calm the concern he felt for her was to find her and soon.

“I love you.”

As soon as she let it out, he could feel the emptiness
inside him, announcing she wasn’t there anymore. It was the first time she’d
said she loved him, and she’d just disappeared. Duncan ran his hand through his
hair. Maybe her leaving before he could reply was for the best. He wasn’t sure
what his answer would have been. He needed her, he wanted to protect her, he
loved how she made him feel but… Did he really love her?

A pat on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

“Are you all right?” Sam asked, his worried eyes studying
Duncan’s face.

Duncan nodded. No, he wasn’t. He could sense how something
was off with his mate. She hadn’t been her laughing, happy self. Her voice had
sounded downcast, even fearful. He took a deep breath. Her uniquely fresh,
sweet citrus scent still lingered around him. He shook his head. How could he
smell a person who hadn’t been there? He’d always smelled and tasted her when
they’d kissed. But there had been something different this time, something
stronger, clearer. In spite of her presence going weak and distant, she’d felt
nearer than ever before. He needed to find her, claim and protect her. As soon
as this damn quest was over he’d search for her. This time, nothing and no one
would stop him!

“We’ve finished. They were the last ones.” His expression
unreadable, Gedeon appeared at Duncan’s side.

“Okay, let’s go then. The sooner we meet Samgar’s goddaughter,
the sooner we can go home.” Duncan advanced to the stairs, eager to reach the
top floor. He no longer cared if a battle was what awaited him there. Whatever
it was, he wanted it finished.

* * * * *

Standing in front of the closed door, Duncan concentrated,
ignoring the two guards posted at each side.

“What do you sense? The chemical odors in the room make it
difficult for me to be sure,” Duncan said. Especially when he still had his
mate’s scent permeating his mind. “I can only smell an elderly woman, Samgar
and…something else…something sweet…familiar… Although it’s not a child…it’s…
I’m not sure.” He scratched the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I catch what you mean. There’s someone else in the
room but it feels as if he or she is…absent, mentally. I can feel the old
woman’s emotions, Samgar’s controlled ones, but nothing concerning the other
person. What about you?” Gedeon addressed the shadow-walker.

“Two people awake, another one not quite dreaming. If I have
to guess… One man and two females,” stated Xiu, staring glassy eyed at the
door.

“I can’t detect any danger. You?” Duncan asked, intrigued by
how intensely his mate’s scent was still surrounding him. Was she with him? He
searched for the slightest trace of her presence within himself, to close her
down in case of danger, but couldn’t find anything.

“No, although the lady and Samgar are aware of our
presence,” Gedeon warned with a frown.

“Okay, let’s see what this is all about. Anyway, there’s
just one way in and currently none out.” Duncan grunted, turning his head one
last time to the six pairs of vampire sentinels,

The guards had formed a straight line, closing off the
corridor once Duncan and his companions had entered.

“At least not an easy one,” Duncan added.

He took a deep breath and entered the room. The others
followed him, closing the door behind them. Duncan quickly scanned the area. A
nice environment, considering they were in a hospital owned by a vampire. He
got the impression the room had been decorated with love and that it was
intended for someone who’d be staying there a long time. The figure in the bed,
however, wasn’t a child. An oxygen mask hid her face and various pieces of
hospital equipment were connected to her still, frail body. As she seemed to be
unconscious, Duncan preferred to keep his attention on the biggest predator in
the room, Samgar.

The ancient vampire, who looked not a year older than
twenty-two, sat on an armchair, waiting patiently for Duncan to finish checking
the room.

“The danger isn’t in here. Not yet, anyway,” Samgar stated
serenely.

“So there
is
a danger,” Duncan stated wryly, unease
filling him as he noted how Gedeon and Xiu seemed to be absolutely absorbed by
the sick girl.

“Maybe.”

“Maybe? What kind of answer is that?” Duncan asked, risking
a concerned glance at Gedeon’s pale face.

“I can’t be sure until you’ve done the job you’re here to
do.”

“And you couldn’t inform us about the details of this job
before you dressed us up like three sissies, because…?” Duncan asked, gifting
Samgar with an outraged glare.

“Just so you know, the robes you’re wearing actually were
once my favorites, and I’ve never considered myself a sissy,” Samgar told
Duncan with an arched brow. “And I told you your task, or at least part of it.”

Samgar nodded toward the motionless figure on the bed.

“You merely asked us to play the three wise men for a kid,
which, obviously, was a lie,” Duncan accused.

“Do you consider it prudent to accuse an ancient vampire
like me of something as trivial as lying?” The ice in Samgar’s pupils became
evident. “You’re here for exactly the reason I told you. For her.” He pointed
to the bed. “Sarah is my goddaughter.”

“She isn’t a child.”

“No, I suppose she isn’t anymore. Is she?”

“So why did you make us believe she was just a kid?”

“Well, sometimes people have different points of view. For
someone as old as I am, a girl such as Sarah, who is barely twenty-four years
old, is nothing more than a child. When someone like me calls you cub, it
usually isn’t meant as an insult but rather a description of how I view you.
From my perspective, you
are
quite young, and Sarah will always be my
little girl,
mi niña
.”

Duncan directed a grim stare in Samgar’s direction. “Okay.
So the reason you made us dress up like this is…what?” Duncan looked down at
the expensive brocade garb covering his body, not really sure he could describe
it any other way than “sissified”.

“Sarah’s mother was Spanish. As you’ve already discovered,
Christmas traditions in Spain are different from your own. More than your
Santas or Christmas Eve, they celebrate the Epiphany, which is called
El Día
de los Reyes Magos
. It’s a big feast in Spain and other Latin countries and
also the day the children receive their presents. The three wise men, or kings,
come upon camels during the night, bringing gifts to the children, the same way
they once brought the presents to the baby Jesus.”

Duncan observed the sorrow in Samgar’s features as he
watched the quiet girl on the bed.

“I’ve always celebrated
El Día de los Reyes
with
Sarah. Not once have I failed
mi niña
in all these years.”

“She’s…in a coma,” Duncan stated, taking a good look at the
fragile young woman lying on the bed.

She seemed extremely thin. Her dull, black hair framed a
pale, almost grayish-colored face, accentuated by enormous, dark circles under
her eyes and the sharp angles of her cheekbones. Despite the illness declaring
itself on her features, one could appreciate how she once had been a pretty
girl. Now, if it wasn’t for the faint, almost imperceptible breathing, she
almost seemed a corpse. Duncan’s wolf whined at the idea, making him uneasy.

“She’s dying.” The woman ran her long, wrinkled fingers down
the girl’s sunken cheek in a soft caress.

Duncan gave the old woman a startled glance. Was she reading
his mind?

“Yes, she’s reading all of us. She’s a seer with telepathic
abilities,” Gedeon said.

Duncan glared at Gedeon but the vampire just shrugged.

“I’m not in your head,” he said. “Not directly, at least.
I’m reading her, and through her I’m aware of what you’re thinking.”

“What happened?” Duncan pointed with his chin toward the bed
but addressed his question to Samgar.

“Someone attacked her family. Her mother was a powerful
sorceress but they were stronger. They raped, tortured and killed her mother.”
The vampire’s broken tone betrayed his inscrutable face.

“And to her? What did they do to her?” Xiu—who stood beside
the bed and didn’t avert his eyes from her face—whispered, as if he didn’t want
her to hear him.