She wanted revenge.
He looked up at her with a weak smile. “I knew you could do it…” He groaned. “I knew you would…”
She averted her eyes, not wanting him to be able to read the truth they betrayed. She wanted him dead. “I hope we got it in time. You’re only starting to show symptoms, so I’m hopeful.” She tried to manage a smile, but couldn’t. Raven was tired down to her soul.
In one swift motion, she plunged the needle into his muscle and released the vaccine into his system. It was all up to his body now. She hoped his immune system wasn’t too badly compromised.
“I need some sleep,” Raven said as she sat on the couch opposite the bed. She leaned back.
“You want to eat first?” Mick asked, but when he looked over at her, she had already passed out on the sofa. He went to the couch, covered her with a throw blanket, then tended to the extra vaccine, storing it properly.
All they could do was wait.
Chapter Nineteen
Tobias misted back on Mirabelle Cove after the dust settled from Solaris’s visit with the Empusas. The Empusas were an intimidating bunch and, in their natural state, they were rather hideous. The original Nosferatu, with his buck-toothed fangs and long, spindly fingers, would be considered handsome compared to the Empusas. Luckily, they showed themselves as the beautiful creatures used to seduce their prey-handsome GQ men and Playboy bunny-ish women.
He went directly to Blood Pool, where he found Solaris in the basement going over inventory with Vinny, her right-hand Lamai.
Solaris appeared under the spotlight of one of the high-hats tucked into the low ceiling. “Welcome home. I hope it was a satisfactory meeting.”
The air was cool. The walls of stone housed a corner fireplace that contained a small but warm fire. She scarcely utilized this hearth, due to the ambient temperature needed to preserve the rare wines, but this day was bitterly cold.
Vinny nodded to Tobias and left the two alone.
Tobias leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes. “Not really. It seems the location of my daughter is being held secret from Queen Rhia as well as the rest of us. And how was your meeting?”
Solaris stifled a yawn. “I managed to get them to hold back from retaliating when I explained this was not our doing, and that a madman was killing all magickal creatures on the island. We made a trip to the morgue where they viewed not only their own dead, but the dead sirens, Lamai and shifters. I think this proved my point. I…uh…I also had to extend an invitation to them to the celebration this Friday for Samhain.”
“You what?” Tobias took a bottle of Pinot Noir from the rack and opened the bottle. He took long, deep gulps.
Solaris eyed him suspiciously. “I had to. They were pissed. It was the only way, and I promised their dead would be remembered in our ritual.” Solaris handed a paper cup to Tobias and motioned for him to pour her some wine. “I’m not happy about this, either, believe me.”
“You did what you had to do. I’m just glad I’m not leading the ritual.” Tobias used the back of his hand to wipe the residual wine from his lips. Solaris’s eyes bore into his soul, right through to his broken heart.
“What’s really wrong?” Sol asked as she put down her clipboard and sat on a box of Glenfiddich whiskey.
“I…forget it. We have more important things to attend to. Where’s Bo?” Tobias had already downed half the bottle. Not that it would impair him in anyway. What he needed was a bottle of absinthe. Still, the taste pleased him.
Solaris prodded him. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk? It has to do with Nicki, doesn’t it?”
He looked hard at her, her eyes reflecting the firelight that washed shadows across the walls. “It always has something to do with Nicki. Please, Sol, don’t read me.”
“You can be very transparent sometimes, my friend.” Solaris smiled. “You having second thoughts about marrying Emerald?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. I thought it was the right thing to do. I know Em loves me very much. It seems everything always keeps coming back to Nicki.”
“And it always will.”
“I do care a great deal for Emmie, but somehow, I feel I’m betraying my wife. I cannot become distracted, though. Right now, I have to find Raven.”
“I understand your depth of feelings that you hide beneath the surface of big, tough ancient Lamai.” She got up and approached him. “You’re not betraying her, and you know she’d want you to grab every bit of happiness you can…until you meet again. And you will meet again. You do know that? You’ll always find her.”
A smile played upon his lips. “Yes, I know. You always put things into perspective for me, friend. Thank you.” He turned and looked at the fire, his head bowed. “I just miss her so much.”
“I know you do. I can see the pain in your eyes. It seems that the time you’re with her flies by, and the time in between drags on. I understand that-really I do.”
His eyes met hers. “Exactly-and if it weren’t for Raven and my other children, I’d sleep until the time came for us to meet again.” A tear escaped his eye, and he swiftly wiped away any trace of it.
“Can I ask you something, Tobias?”
He turned to face her. “Of course.”
“Why haven’t you ever turned Nicolette? I would think that would solve many of your problems. Then you two could be together…always.”
Tobias was quiet for a while before answering.
“Have you ever been in love, Sol?”
“I have loved, yes. It’s how I understand what you go through. My love is an immortal, but hasn’t found me yet.”
“Then you know what I mean by being madly in love with someone, to the point that you consider their feelings above your own. Only their happiness matters.”
“Yes. I can say I have loved that intensely,” she admitted.
“I love Nicolette in that manner. That’s why I could never change her-and believe me, she’s asked me to do it many times. It wouldn’t be fair to her, though. It’s not her journey. If I were to change her, it would be for selfish reasons, not for her own good.” He softly chuckled. “I envy my daughter and Bo. At least I did. Now I feel terrible for her.”
Solaris stood near Tobias, warming her chilled hands by the fire. “Why?”
“Because they would have had many years together, many more than mere mortals. But Raven sacrificed that, and I understand why she did it. I’m just worried for her. This will change so many aspects of her life.”
“Speaking of your daughter, Bo headed down south with Jade. They’re trying to get a fix on Raven. I think the storm has created an obstacle, though.”
Tobias glanced at Solaris. “What storm?”
“You haven’t heard? There’s reports concerning Florida, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Keys. A hurricane…it’s a category-two storm now. The last I heard from Bo, he was stranded on the mainland because the bridges are closed.”
Tobias finished the last of the wine. “I have to go see Emmie.”
And that quickly, he was gone.
Light filtered through the windows in blotches as Raven tried to open her eyes. She was beyond exhausted from the tedious work she’d recently accomplished, and her neck still ached.
The house was quiet. Laroque was gone and she was in the bed he had been lying in.
“What the hell?” she mumbled, trying to focus on the room around her. It seemed as if she was in an entirely different wing of the house-but no, there was the fireplace.
“I have to thank you, and apologize.”
It was Laroque.
“This can’t be good,” she said with a sigh.
His face was still a bit pale and it remained emotionless. “No, I don’t think you’ll be too happy, but it cannot be helped.”