“Is she okay?” If something happened to her, he didn’t know if he could live, but she actually looked healthier than she had in days.
“She’s doing much better,” Coira said. “Her color is improving by the minute.”
Ronan watched Shay, his expression growing soft in a way Cody didn’t like, and then Cody saw the gauze on Ronan’s arm.
“Whose blood?” Cody asked.
“Mine,” Ronan said.
“She has your blood?” A warrior’s blood was powerful. He’d seen transfusions create bonds between warriors, give them a stronger sense of brotherhood than they already had. What would it do between male and female?
Faelan walked into the room, catching the last of the conversation. “Bree said Shay had been marked. It might be why she was sleepwalking outside. Who knows what the vampires can do? Track her. Summon her.”
Ronan started to say something, but stopped. He looked so pale Cody wondered if Coira had taken too much blood.
Cody touched Shay’s forehead. She didn’t have a fever, and she looked much better. “It should’ve been my blood,” he said, stroking Shay’s hair as Coira removed the tube.
“I know,” Ronan said quietly. “But in this case it had to be mine.”
“Why?” Would he have to fight Ronan for her now?
“I have immunities you don’t have.” His jaw clenched. “I was bitten by a vampire.”
“During the battle?” Cody asked.
“Not at the castle. Two years ago, and I suspect a vampire killed my brother, Cam.”
“Oh my,” Coira said, putting gauze on Shay’s arm.
A harsh breath sounded at the door. Declan stood frozen, staring at his twin. “A vampire? You think a vampire killed Cam? And you didn’t say anything?”
“You knew there were vampires two years ago? Why didn’t you warn the clan?” Faelan asked.
“I didn’t know it was a vampire, then. Nobody believed vampires existed in this day and age. When we saw the vampires at Druan’s castle, I knew I’d made a mistake.”
“Mistake? How could you not know you’ve been bitten by a vampire?” Faelan asked.
“Cam and I were hunting. We destroyed four demons. Something attacked our camp that night. I’d gone to take a piss when I heard Cam scream. The night was so black I couldn’t see what it was, but it was fast and strong. I attacked it, and I don’t know what happened. When I woke up, Cam was gone. I saw the blood where it dragged him off, but the trail disappeared.”
“You never found the body?” Cody asked, slipping his hand over Shay’s. He felt her pulse throbbing softly under his finger. It must be his imagination, but he thought it sped up.
“No. We looked, Declan and I, and a lot of others, but there was no trace of him. At first I didn’t notice the marks on my neck. They were small. When they started burning, I thought they must be scratches from a demon.”
“Damn it! Why didn’t you tell me at Druan’s castle?” Declan asked, face tight with anger.
“I wanted more information first. I think that blond is important. He can give us answers.”
“Why would being bitten by a vampire make you better suited for Shay’s transfusion?” Cody asked. “Isn’t getting bitten a bad thing?”
“I think if you don’t die, you develop immunities to their poison,” Ronan said. “I don’t understand it, but there’s more to it than just draining a victim’s blood. I think I got stronger afterward. My eyesight and my hearing seem sharper.”
“You’re my bloody twin, and you’re just now telling me?” Declan slammed his fist against the wall and stalked out, passing Jamie on the way in. He wasn’t moving fast, but he looked a lot better than he had before.
“What’s wrong with Shay?”
“Jamie Waters, what are you doing out of bed?” Coira hurried over to him and checked his bandage.
“Sorry, Coira, I remembered something I needed to tell Cody.” Jamie walked to Shay’s bed. “Is she okay?” When he saw Cody holding Shay’s hand, his jaw tightened, and he looked away.
“She had what we thought was a scratch on her arm,” Cody said, pulling his hand from Shay’s. He didn’t want to make things harder on Jamie than it already was. “Bree said a vampire marked her. Ronan gave her some blood.”
“A vampire? She’s marked by a demon and a vampire? Is she okay?” Jamie asked, worry shadowing his eyes.
Coira nodded. “Much better.”
“What did you want to tell me?” Cody asked.
“I remember where I heard the name Anson Masters. He was Renee’s client.”
“Are you sure?” Cody asked. “The police didn’t mention it.”
“Yeah. I called Renee a few days ago, to see how Shay was doing. She sounded uneasy. I asked if she was okay. She said she had to deliver a chair to a client, Anson Masters. She didn’t say anything else. I figured she was just in a rush.”
