“Corinne — “ Desari began gently.
Corinne shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to treat me like a child. Just tell me straight. What happened to my baby?”
“Your daughter would never have survived the birth,” Desari said. “Your heart was barely able to provide for you, let alone for both of you. Without Dayan’s blood, both of you would have died, and that is the truth. She already carries his genetic code, but she is not fully in our world. Darius monitored her along with Gregori during the exchange. When it became too much for the baby, the transfusion was stopped to allow her body to adjust.” Deliberately she used the human term
transfusion
to soothe Corinne.
“I thought a human couldn’t be converted unless he or she has a lifemate.” Corinne felt numb, trapped, suddenly panicked by the repercussions of her decision. It was one thing to make such a decision for herself, to choose Dayan’s world, but something altogether different for her child. Where was Dayan? Her lifeline, her sanity.
Where are you?
She reached across time and space to him. Her fingers clutched the quilt, a strange thing to find so comforting.
I am here, my love, always with you, a shadow in your mind. I hunt the evil one to make our world safe, but I am never far from you or our child. I will return unharmed to you as soon as we accomplish what is necessary. We will face what is frightening to you together, as it is meant to be. Uniting our two worlds is not so difficult when we feel as we do. Our love for our daughter will aid us in our choices.
His voice was a blend of heat and light, music and melody, so beautiful it took her breath away. He felt strong and real and a part of her.
“Your daughter has a strong psychic talent, perhaps even stronger than yours,” Desari said. “She can be converted without danger to her sanity, but there are other complications. It is not something we do lightly, Corinne.”
Corinne could feel unexpected tears welling up out of nowhere. “I feel like I’m being given little pieces of a jigsaw puzzle one or two at a time, and the picture is so overwhelming I can’t comprehend it. What other complications?”
“Our species has problems having babies, particularly females. Few of us conceive females, and those that do rarely carry them to full term. Even after they are born, our babies often do not survive the first year of life. It is a terrible tragedy and has contributed to the decline of our race. Because you must be given blood to save your life, the baby will be given the same blood — “
“No!” Corinne was adamant. “Her life is more important than mine. She has to come first in every decision. I know Dayan doesn’t want that, but it is
my
decision to make, not his. I don’t want to give her life only to have her lose it because I selfishly wanted to live myself. It would be better to chance giving birth to her now and allowing the doctors to do their best. They are performing miracles with premature babies. You said yourself she was strong.”
Desari shook her head. “She would not have survived had you given birth the night Dayan removed you from the hospital. It took all of Gregori’s strength and power to keep her alive. It is too late to turn back now. She has Dayan’s blood in her system. She needs us now to help her survive. A human doctor could never save her life.”
Corinne twisted her fingers into the quilt in agitation. “I feel helpless,” she confessed to the women. “I’ve always been the one to handle the problems in our lives, and now I can’t help my own child when she needs it the most.”
Desari shook her head. “You are so wrong, Corinne. Now more than ever it is you who will have to have the strength of will to carry her. You are already monitoring your own heart and attempting to regulate it.”
“I feel Dayan with me when I have trouble. He’s the one regulating my heartbeat and pushing the air through my lungs,” Corinne corrected. “I know he’s there.”
“Of course — he is your lifemate,” Desari said complacently. “But he cannot save you if you are not willing to be saved. You are using your will, and it is considerable.” She patted the quilt. “I see you like this quilt. Francesca, lifemate to Gabriel, made it for you. She is a great healer who lives in Paris. When she received word that you were carrying a baby and you needed aid, she made this specifically for you. It is a healing quilt. Along with the healing symbols, she used other symbols to aid in your protection should there be enemies that — find you.”
“It’s so beautiful,” Corinne said honestly. “I didn’t want to give it up. I hope I will have the opportunity to thank her for such a unique gift.”
Desari patted her hand. “I would like to examine you and renew the healing process if it is possible. Do you remember what it felt like? Savannah and Tempest will lend me their strength, and we shall at least make you more comfortable. Lie back and we will begin.”
Dayan, streaking through the air, appeared as a long trail of droplets, much like a comet moving rapidly through the night sky. Gregori and Darius were on either side of him, formidable hunters both, but it was Dayan’s lifemate who was threatened, and he was the one who must save her. He felt the beast rising within him, struggling for supremacy. Gregori, renowned for his storms, generated a fierce squall, and dark clouds rolled in swiftly to cover their flight through the night sky in pursuit of the vampire.
Lightning zigzagged, arcing from cloud to cloud, intense and ominous. Hues of deep purple and black smeared the sky so that the stars were slowly obliterated. Thunder reverberated through the valley, echoed down the canyons, heralding a storm of great magnitude. Far below, as the three hunters streaked across the roiling sky, wild creatures sensing dangerous predators hastily found shelter and remained very still. Domesticated dogs yelped in fear and hid as the dark shadows passed overhead.
Dayan.
Gregori’s voice was compelling, a soft command.
The beast is strong in you. Remember, you are in twofold danger. Your lifemate is not locked to you. There is no anchor to hold you to the path. The violence will trigger the rising of the beast. It is a time for care, not rage. Along with your life, your soul is in mortal danger.
Dayan could hear the purity of Gregori’s voice and it washed through the red haze of anger clouding his mind. For a moment he could see and hear clearly again, but then the thought of the vampire seeking Corinne, threatening her consumed him again, and he continued his swift pursuit toward the enemy.
Darius and Gregori flying on either side of Dayan easily kept pace, senses flaring out to scan for any hidden traps. The vampire wasn’t attempting to conceal his line of retreat. They knew from centuries of experience that if he was seriously attempting to evade them, he would be throwing up more of a blind.
Dayan was well aware of the vampire’s intentions. He didn’t care. He had tremendous confidence in his own strength and skill. Though he did not consider himself a hunter of the undead, he had often accompanied Darius on such hunts. It was his lifemate who was threatened now, and their code of honor dictated it was Dayan’s responsibility as well as his right to remove that threat.
Suddenly an acid shower came from above the storm clouds, assaulting the flying hunters. Thin streaks of silvery light began to rain through the swirling black vapor. Almost impossible to see, the droplets burned with a caustic acid, searing the skin. The threads fell like poisonous darts straight at the hunters. They knew that the deadly shower was a delaying tactic of the fleeing vampire.
Immediately Gregori rose above Dayan, instinctively protecting him. As Gregori took the higher position, Darius sent up a flaming streak of orange-red light, pure energy, vaporizing the slivers of acid before they could reach their targets.