“Explain this to me!” I don’t know what made me wince more, moving or Devlin’s loud and angry tone. Even from the main room, I could tell he was beyond annoyed. “This was not part of the deal. She was never meant to be this hurt. Return her wolf so she can at least heal quickly.”
Obviously the soft murmured reply didn’t please him because there was no mistaking his growled frustration. I tried lifting myself off the bed so I could join the conversation, but the mere thought of shifting, even slightly, hurt.
“Have you seen her?” Devlin asked and the door opened. “I want you to end this trial. She’s done, do you hear me? Done. I’m taking her home.” My eyelids fluttered a few times as my vision was slow to focus on the two people now standing over me.
“She’s awake,” Atropos replied, ignoring Devlin as he fumed behind her. “And alive. All is well.”
“This is not well. Far from it!” Devlin dropped to his knee beside my bed and gently brushed the hair from across my forehead. He shook his head when I tried sitting up, placing his hand lightly on my arm. I flinched from the contact and he didn’t miss my reaction. Gingerly, he slid the material up and revealed the lacerations I’d received from the test. His eyes narrowed on my skin, his mouth tightening and jaw clenching. “Damn. How bad is it, Darcy?”
I didn’t dare tell him. I’d seen him angry before, but I knew how protective he was. Looking over at Atropos, she quickly bowed and left. It was a wise idea because something told me when Devlin knew all the details, Moirai or not, there’d be no escaping his wrath.
“I’ll be okay,” I croaked, my voice sticking in the back of my throat. He left the room and returned with some water. It felt like heaven as I took small sips, trying to assess exactly where to start.
“It doesn’t look like it and judging by the way you’re moving, I’d say you went through hell.” He took a seat at the end of the bed and let out a long, tired sigh. “It terrified me, walking in to find you passed out and bleeding.”
“I’m sorry,” I took another mouthful from the glass and shifted so I could place it on the floor. No matter how careful I was, pain lanced through me and I gasped, unable to hold onto it. Devlin moved with lightning reflexes and caught it before it hit the floor. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“This isn’t your fault, sweetheart.” His tone changed to something more tender. “Let’s see exactly what the damage is, while you tell me what happened.”
I nodded, the motion making my head pound. I started from the beginning, laying out the entire series of events as he carefully inspected my wounds. I worried what the effect my blood would have on him, but he never faltered. Distress weighed heavily on him as he helped me sit up, wanting me to show him my ribs.
“Yeah, you’re bruised pretty badly. I don’t think anything’s broken, but not being able to heal quickly will hinder you for at least a day or two.” He gently prodded my side and I tried pulling away from his touch. “Maybe longer. You can’t keep going with the Heart or Death, Darcy.”
“I’ll do the best I can, Devlin. Quitting isn’t an option. Hopefully they’ll let me rest for a day before they take me to the next one. If I can sleep for a while, I’ll be okay.” I knew he wanted to argue with me. I would’ve loved to have gone home right then, but I didn’t just endure hell to quit. “Trust me.”
“I do, it’s them that I don’t.” Devlin inched closer and tilted my chin a little so he could study my face. “I’m going to get a wet cloth so I can wipe away some of this dried blood.” He paused for a second, as though he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure whether he should.
“What?”
“Promise me you’ll at least consider it.”
“Consider what?” I was confused.
“I want to give you some of my blood . . . just enough to help speed up your recovery.”
“I’ll be fine, Devlin. Thanks though.” I shifted uncomfortably.
“Why won’t you? I know you don’t like the idea, but you’re obviously in pain. It doesn’t make sense for you to suffer when I can help.”
“Because all I need is sleep.” He opened his mouth to interrupt, but I didn’t let him. “I promise you, if the next test is worse or I get hurt again.” I swallowed thickly, gathering the courage to finish my sentence. “I will. Let’s just see what happens.”
It said a lot that I was tempted. I’d never tasted vampire blood before, but something inside always told me to avoid it, at all costs. It wasn’t just the fear of craving it and becoming addicted. I knew that it was a way vampires controlled people, and even though I loved Devlin and knew he’d never take advantage, the aversion had stuck.
He accepted my explanation and left the room again. I slowly inched my way into a sitting position, the effort wearing me out. I hated feeling so weak, so human. Fighting back a yawn, I slumped back against the pillow.
Devlin returned with a towel and bowl of warm water. He worked silently, washing away the dried blood flakes and I was relieved to see some of the cuts weren’t as deep as I initially thought. My arms were a mess, but would easily heal.
“If these scar, I’m going to be pissed.” Devlin squeezed out the excess water before wiping my cheeks. “Were you cut anywhere else?” I shrugged, only to whimper when the action caused my shirt to tug on my back. That’s when I remembered the painful blow.
“Between my shoulder blades.”
He helped me lean forward so he could look, growling at what he found. “Your t-shirt is covered with blood and has a huge slash in it. You’ll need to take it off so I can see underneath.”
There was no way I could lift my arms but Devlin solved the situation, tearing it off me. There was a slight ripping noise and then cool air danced over my exposed skin.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Sitting up was taking its toll on me and the room began to spin. I started to fall backward, only to be stopped by Devlin’s arm.
“Honey, if you lie down I can’t clean the wound and this is the worst one.” Compassion thickly coated his words.
“I just need to sleep.” My own voice caught. I was just so tired and the constant ache was starting to frazzle my nerves.
“Then let me get you onto your stomach. That way you can close your eyes and relax while I fix your back.” He gently lifted me into his arms and helped change my body position. The movement caused more pain and tears began streaking down my cheeks. I held my breath as my weight adjusted before sinking back into the soft mattress, slightly relieved.
Devlin dabbed at my wound, muttering under his breath about seeking justice. I flinched with each press of the wet towel, but moving had taken what little energy I had left.
“Tell me a story, Devlin. Something to take my mind off everything.”
“What kind?” He never stopped his methodical, almost soothing, strokes.
“It doesn’t matter,” I murmured.
“Hmmm,” Devlin answered before falling silent. I heard him rinse out his towel again, the tinkling water falling back into the bowl. “Did I ever tell you about my best friend growing up?” I made a noise, too tired to answer properly and he chuckled softly. “I take that as a no. Well, we were inseparable and he was the best dog a boy could ask for.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “What was his name?” I whispered.
“I called him Duke. My sister made fun of me because, even though he came from a good breed, he was the runt. My father declared I was old enough for the responsibility and said if I trained Duke well enough, he would make a good hunting dog. I didn’t care how tiny he was. It was love at first sight.”
“How old were you?” I asked, interested in learning more about Devlin’s life.
“I’d just turned six.” I could hear the smile in his voice as he began reliving a good memory. “I remember the moment I held that sweet puppy in my arms and hugged him; I knew we’d be lifelong companions. My father chastised me for spoiling him, but I didn’t care. Duke was obedient to my commands and loyal to a fault. That dog saved my life more times than I can count.”
“Saved you?” I mumbled, relaxed. The aches and throbbing had eased and I’d finally found the relief I needed.
“This may surprise you, but I wasn’t always good at listening to my parents. I got into more trouble than most.” Devlin chuckled. “My mother was forever telling me she didn’t know what she was going to do with me and sending me to the vicar for confession. My father would just shake his head and increase my chores. Truth is, I think I reminded him a lot of himself, but he’d never admit it.”
I couldn’t imagine a young Devlin, a little boy running wild and free. “It’s weird hearing you talk about being a child. I’ve always known you as a vampire.”
“I didn’t turn until I was in my twenties.” He got a faraway sound and I wished I could see his face. His conversion was such a mystery, something he never spoke about. “But that’s not the story. I was telling you about me and Duke.”
“Because heaven forbid I hear that story, right?” I barked out a brisk laugh, the movement jostling my body.
“All in good time, sweetheart.” Devlin stopped cleaning my wound and took a seat on the floor with his body against the bed frame. “Besides, this is a much more interesting story. I was a complete rascal back then.”
“Back then?” I joked.
“Yes.” Devlin tried not to sound indignant and failed. “Anyway, I had a hard time ignoring a good dare when I was younger. Half the trouble I got into was because someone had challenged me, making me feel like I needed to prove myself. Whether it was from my other siblings or the village boys, I’m surprised I was able to sit down during my childhood from the amount of whippings my father gave me. Quite a few of the events were harmless antics, but some ended up dangerous.”
“There was a house everyone avoided. It was where Old Man Flanagan lived. He was one of the most ornery cusses I’d ever seen. And the rumor was, if he ever caught you pilfering his apples, he’d skin you alive. I remember my friend, Paul, had bragged about how sweet and juicy the apples were, and how easy it was to swipe a few.
“He’d stood there taking big bites, and I wanted one, badly. He egged us all on, saying he’d never tasted one so delicious. None of the other boys were brave enough to go, even my older brother looked uneasy, which surprised me. I loved Sebastian and I got the idea that if I could grab two apples for us, I’d impress him. He wouldn’t shoo me away when the older boys came calling and maybe he’d take me fishing with them. When Paul declared everyone was too chicken, I stepped forward and told him I wasn’t. I promised I’d be back within the hour with my shirt full of apples.”
“I was so certain and full of myself. I had it all worked out and could already hear the praises for my victory in my mind. Quickly scaling the fence that surrounded Old Man Flanagan’s orchard, I ordered Duke to keep a look out and bark if he saw anyone approach. I was up among the branches when the first alert came. I panicked and instead of simply dropping to the ground and running, I climbed higher into the tree, hoping the leaves would hide me.
“I held my breath when I saw the grumpy old man at the bottom looking up. He banged his cane against the trunk, muttering about how annoyed he was with pesky thieves. All the while Duke growled. And just when I thought I was sprung, the dog began yanking on Flanagan’s trouser leg to distract him. I felt the blow when he struck at Duke, but my dog wasn’t stupid. He was able to dodge the later ones and began moving back, leading Old Man Flanagan away.
“I didn’t waste any time. Instead of climbing back down, I simply dropped from the high branches and the last loud snap was unmistakable. I’d broken enough bones in the past to know I’d hurt myself again, but I couldn’t stop. I was terrified of being caught, so I tried hobbling away as best I could. I made it a short distance before the pain was so bad, it forced me to stop.”
“Oh no,” I murmured, feeling sleepy, but awake enough to listen. “Did he catch you?”
“I was so sure he would, but I didn’t see him anymore after that. It started getting dark, and not wanting to be caught in the orchard, I slowly crawled home. I made it as far as three lanes from my house before I was discovered. My brother had become increasingly worried when I hadn’t returned and kept a look out for me. He helped me home and together we devised an explanation to tell our parents how I got hurt. My mother took one glance and called for the doctor to set my leg. She was worried about me, but I was more concerned about my father. There’d been a knock at the door shortly after my return and he’d left.
“I was almost asleep when he came into my room and sat at the end of my bed. He let out a long, weary sigh and in that second, there was no doubt that he knew. “Son, there comes a time in a man’s life when he must tell the truth, despite the consequences.” He didn’t say anything else, just that one sentence, but it was enough to spark my conscience. I confessed everything. Once the tale was told, we sat in silence. He got up and left the room only to return shortly with Duke. I hadn’t seen my dog since the orchard and there was no hiding a limp when he walked.
“My father then told me how he’d been called to Old Man Flanagan’s home to retrieve the dog. Duke hadn’t relented in keeping the old man from me and had backed himself into a corner. It had taken some serious negotiating on my father’s part to keep Duke from being put down. That was one of my first lessons on the responsibility I held for an animal’s loyalty. He was willing to die to protect me and I hadn’t respected that. I deserved my father’s disappointed look and lecture. I’ve never forgotten it, even to this day.”
“You were just a boy,” I added.
“Yes, but nevertheless, old enough to know better. Duke was a good dog and we had many more adventures. Many a night I lay awake wondering what would’ve happened that day if Duke hadn’t been there. I lost the taste for apples after that.” Devlin chuckled.
“I bet,” I murmured again, hovering over the brink of sleep.
“You need to be sleeping.” I felt him gently place the blanket over my hips, careful not to touch my wound.
“I wanted to hear about you as a boy. You don’t share a lot, so I didn’t want to miss out.” I stifled a yawn.
“Well, story time’s over.” He stood and switched the light off, putting the room into a comfortable darkness. Devlin brushed my cheek with his finger and sat back down.
The lullaby started softly, the richness filling the air. It must’ve been something from his childhood because I didn’t recognize the melody, but it was just enough to soothe away any resistance.
My eyelids grew heavier as his sweet song cradled me in its magic. I loved hearing Devlin sing and letting out a restful moan, I let his voice float me away into sleep.
