Tossing it onto the gas soaked deck the flames erupt with a whoosh of heat and light. The snakes race back to the creature. A blood curdling scream of pain escapes its lips as the volatile fuel burns its flesh with bright flames and inky black smoke.
“Stop playing boys, we have to go now! That won’t hold it for long!” The boat is moving when they all leap down to the deck. As they pull away from the dock a splash and hiss of steam echoes across the night as the creature drops itself into the water below the docks, extinguishing the flames and cooling its burning body.
Brody stumbles to his knees, still clutching Magdalene when his father steps beside him. “What the hell was that?” he demands over the roar of the twin engines as they watch the creature fade from sight.
“I don’t know but let’s pray it can’t swim or fly,” he looks up at his father and grins.
“It’s good to see you son.” His father grips his arm and helps him stand. “What treasure have you brought home?”
“She’s hurt, Pop. The bastard tortured her. He damn near killed her in the process. Is Eric ready?” he asks moving quickly to the cabin doors.
“He is.” Opening the door, he follows Brody below deck and smiles when his boys greet each other. Eric looks his brother over, before turning to look at his patient.
“Eric, he poisoned her. I used a shot of adrenalin to help us escape, but she isn’t waking up. You have to help her.”
Magdalene has lost all color and if not for the rapid breathing of her chest, Eric would have thought her dead. “Brody, tell me what the poison looked like? What color and how much? How long ego?” Brody quickly explains what he saw and how Mag’s tried to drain her body of the contaminated blood.
“Clever girl,” Eric turns and grabs his medical scissors. “Neurotoxins destroy brain cells, Brody. She stopped the path to the brain, but her body will need to rid itself of the remaining poison. If even one drop remains in her system, it will kill her. You go and get cleaned up. Dress your wounds. I will call you as soon as I’m done.”
Brody grabs his brother’s upper arm and struggles to calm his anger. “I’m not leaving her,” his eyes flash from tiger to human and back again.
Shock flickers across Eric’s face but only for a moment. “Let me go, she doesn’t have much time left. I will drain her of all the blood in her body, which judging by the look of her shouldn’t take long, then we will give her as much fresh blood as we can.”
Brody’ snarls fighting back the beast inside of him and stumbles backward. He takes a seat next to Magdalene and watches as his father and brother, strap Magdalene down and begins the process of draining her body. With every drop of her blood, that spills her heart rate begins to slow. His body trembles with the need to help, he grips her small hand, rubbing the pale skin and his family watches with growing concern.
“Drink this,” Brody’s dad gives him a bottle of vodka. “Who would’ve thought your mate would be a vampire.” His father grins and stares at the stupefied expression on Brody’s face.
“Mate?” both brothers exclaim at the same time.
The old man laughs out loud and grabs the bottle from his son to take a pull. His smile fades when he glances at Magdalene. “It was the same man, wasn’t it? The same man who hunted our people, killed your mother and did this to her?”
Brody pushes his long blonde hair out of his eyes and glances at his father. “Yes, and he did much worse than that. He has secret facilities all over the world which house creatures like the one hunting us or worse. It will not stop until it kills us, or we destroy it.”
“Let it come, we will be put it out of its misery,” his father snarls.
Eric works quickly setting up an I.V. and begins the long process of a transfusion. “Brody, this will take about four hours. I added a sedative to this bag to help her rest. You should sleep while you can.”
“Thank you,” he says staring at Magdalene. “Her heart is pounding hard, is that normal?”
Eric glances at her and shrugs his shoulders. “She’s not human, Brody. Vampires heal rapidly. Their strength mirrors our own,” Eric’s voice fades as he glances at his father.
“His sins are not hers,” Brody snaps. “He tortured her and when he couldn’t break her, he sent me in to kill her. She will be protected.”
Eric nods back. “It will be so, brother.” He scrubs his hands in the sink and cleans up his instruments before turning back. “So, you’re telling me that this tiny female whipped your ass.” He grins and grabs the vodka to drink. “I look forward to hearing her side of the story.
The three men laugh, and Brody stretches out on a bunk to sleep until they dock.
Chapter 29
Vampires don’t dream, but Magdalene is different. She dreams in rich, vibrant, colors, sounds, and scents. When the call of a seagull registers a sigh flutters from her lips. A frown creases her porcelain brow and she turns her face towards the source of her confusion.
A balmy breeze blows the sheer curtains and the wave’s crash on the salty shore outside her bedroom door. Ocean? “Sea,” she murmurs without opening her eyes. Her first attempt to pry her eyes open
