Cadeon turned to approach them. As he made his way, she dimly heard the others... .
'Cade did what?' Rydstrom yelled. 'What the fuck did you say, Rök?'
'He's gutted the vampire's Bride,' Rök said. 'The leech is worthless to us now—you can't torture them any worse than this.'
'I didn't see her,' Cadeon told Conrad. 'I never saw her.'
She felt pity for him—after all, he'd saved Conrad's life. If only he hadn't taken her own.
Even Néomi shivered at Conrad's expression. With his eyes blazing red with malice, he said, 'A thousand times over, demon. Anything you love will die.' Then he traced her inside their room.
As he cradled her head, he mumbled his thoughts aloud. 'Hospital. Where? A human hospital... ' His eyes darted wildly. His face was beaten by the Kapsliga, his jaw swollen and lip busted. 'You stay with me,' he pleaded down to her in a tormented voice. 'J-just hold on for me! Need to think... '
She wanted so badly to stroke him to comfort him, but her arms hung useless. I know this feeling. So cold.
Dying. Just as Nïx had predicted. On the day I told Conrad the secret, but not as they'd expected. Fate could be so cruel.
'Need to find a hospital... '
She shook her head as much as she could. She wouldn't make it to the hospital—it was too late for her. But she had to explain, so he didn't think this was his fault. 'Conrad... was dying anyway.'
'Don't talk!' His voice was raw.
Sounds were dimming. Blood left her body so swiftly, like it had just been awaiting the chance. 'I called a witch... she came through... the studio mirror.' Sight going blurry. 'Made me alive... but only for a short time. Knew this... couldn't tell you.'
'Your death was the deal with the devil?' He was quaking beside her. 'And you got just two goddamned weeks?'
'Worth it!' She weakly coughed. 'Love you.'
At that, blood tracked from his eyes like tears... . But then his body suddenly grew still. 'What witch, koeri?'
'Mariketa.'
Clutching her to his chest, he traced them into the studio. 'Just stay alive, Néomi!'
After easing her to the cot by the mirror, he found a blanket and pressed it to her wound. 'My brave girl,' he rasped, 'you stay with me.' Then he faced the glass. 'Witch!' he roared. 'Come to me!'
As he continued to yell for Mari, Néomi fought to remain conscious, wanting to tell him that Mari couldn't help, that he was getting his hopes up only to have them crushed. But with each attempt, she coughed up more blood.
'Mariketa!' He punched the mirror in a frenzy, battering his hand. 'Come to me!'
When there was no response, he sank to his knees beside Néomi. 'Ah, God, come to us!'
39
'Forgodsakes, lay off!' Mari's voice sounded from the mirror minutes later. 'We're coming!'
Néomi cracked open her lids when Conrad sank down beside her on the cot. He gently cradled her head in his lap.
'Why do you always get to go first?' Mari's voice demanded.
'Because I'm bigger than you are,' came Bowen's reply.
When the Lykae emerged from the glass, with Mari following, their eyes went wide.
Mari started for Néomi, but Bowen's hand shot out for her arm, shoving her behind him. After he scanned the area and scented the air, he turned to Conrad. 'Who did this to your female?'
'Demon,' Conrad answered, his voice hoarse from yelling. 'Named Cadeon.'
'That bastard!' Bowen snapped, drawing Mari to his side. 'You should've let me smash him in the jungle!'
'Cade? Oh, Hekate, you can't be serious!' Mari hurried to Néomi. 'So that's who's been trying to call me. It had to have been an accident.'
Néomi weakly nodded, then coughed up more blood.
Conrad squeezed her hand too forcefully, looking to be teetering on the brink.
Mari's gaze landed on Néomi's neck. 'You bit her. Did you see her memories?'
'No, it was just hours ago—'
'Then how did you know to contact me through the mirror?'
'Néomi told me after... after she was... Damn it, what does it matter? Just fix this spell, witch.'
'I'm so sorry.' Mari shook her head sadly. 'I can't fix it. I told Néomi this going in.'
'Heal—this—body.'
'It's just a shell. Even if I could heal her, she'd just get killed again and again.'
'If all she needs is a real body—I'll return directly!'
That's my Conrad. So intense.
'The conditions for the assumption of another's body are lengthy,' Mari said. 'Chiefly among them—the body has to be donated by its owner. Not, er, commandeered.'
'Restore her old one. I knew warlocks who could revivify flesh, creating a body from a strand of hair.' He was clearly trying so hard, struggling to say the right words. 'You could do that with Néomi,' he said, his voice breaking on her name.
Mari answered, 'That's how they make soulless zombies.'
Conrad said, 'We have a soul, waiting right here.' When Néomi felt herself becoming less substantial, he murmured, 'Stay with me, Néomi. Please, baby.'
'Embodying a spirit isn't a science. It's an art, and it'd be outside my skill set as it is, much less if I have to revivify her dead body as well. Normally, a witch would heal the body in one step, then implant the spirit in another step. Now you want me to do both at the same time? Even though I've never done either before?'
'Yes—you must!' Inhaling deeply for control, he grated, 'A dream demon marked me. I think that curse had something to do with her injury. This happened to Néomi just before the demon was killed tonight.'
Mari's eyes narrowed. 'You mean a dream demon hijacked my subject to give you a nightmare? My mystickal signature was all over her. And some tool just ignored that?'
Bowen put his hand on her shoulder. 'He might no' have seen it, Mari.'
'Anyone immersed in magick of this sort would have seen it. That really pisses me off. I'm supposed to be the most powerful witch, and my spell got owned in two weeks.'
Think... think.
Control—never had Conrad needed it more; never had he been more in danger of losing it completely.
Wait... 'Witch, if you don't do something about this, everyone will think they can overturn your spells at will. Who would pay you for spells that don't take?'
MacRieve growled, just as Mariketa said, 'You think I can't see what you're doing? Unfortunately, it's working.'
'You canna think of this!' MacRieve snapped.
Mariketa cast the Lykae a troubled glance, then told Conrad, 'Vampire, understand that I've never done this on a human. And another problem—I don't even have her body. I'd need to scry for the location of it, again while I'm doing everything else!'
'She's fading.' Conrad raked his fingers through his hair. 'Time's running out! What do we have to lose?'
MacRieve said, 'She could come back wrong.'
Conrad met his eyes. 'I'll do what's necessary if she does.'
'It's no' only that,' the Lykae said. 'Mari can enthrall herself in the mirror. Her eyes will incinerate anything that comes between her and her reflection, and she'll get stuck in an eternal trance. I feel for you, vampire, but I
