Again, he made the smallest possible movement with his head but she could see he was trying to nod. “Your nurse guy… the one with the funny name, he told me. I’m back at Sanctuary. And you saved my life, Grace.”
His fingers brushed hers gently. The smallness of the movement and the simplicity of his words drew tears from her eyes.
“Hey, don’t cry!” he said.
“Sorry.” She brushed her free hand across her face, trying to mop up the tears. “I’m just so relieved that you’re back, that you’re going to make it through.”
“It’s all thanks to you,” he said. “I wouldn’t be seeing or touching you if you hadn’t worked your healing magic on me, sugar.” He paused to summon up more energy. “For that, I will be eternally grateful. In fact…”
Grace held up her hand. “You’re still in critical condition, Johnny. You mustn’t tire yourself through talking.”
Once more, he attempted a nod. “All right, I’ll shut up and you can do the talking. I like it when you talk to me.” He smiled and, once again, she noted how blistered his lips were.
“You can’t stay here,” Grace said. “If the Alliance has the merest suspicion that you survived the attack, they’ll dispatch someone else to finish the job. We need to get you away from here.”
“Okay,” Johnny said. “But where? How?”
“I don’t want you to worry about that,” Grace said. “It’s all under control. I just need you to concentrate all your energy on recovering.” She let go of his hand. “I’m going to conduct a fresh healing session with you now. It will send you into a deep sleep. When you wake, you might already be on your way home.”
“Home?” he said, as if the word had no meaning for him.
“I know your ship is… gone,” Grace said. “But you’re going back to your comrades.” She began to stand up.
“Wait!” His voice was hoarse. “Can’t I stay here with you a little longer?”
Grace thought about it. For so long, she had hoped that he would choose the Nocturnals rather than the Vampirates. But, whatever he might say now, in truth that decision had been made long ago. Now it wasn’t safe for him to stay. Sadly, she shook her head. “I’ll always be here for you, Johnny, but, for now, I think it’s best you go back to Stukeley and the others as soon as possible.”
Johnny tried to sit up in bed but found the movement too much for him. “I don’t understand, Grace. If I’m still the enemy, why did you bother saving me?”
Grace shook her head once more. “You’re not
“Like what?” he asked.
“Like dear, old friends,” she said, lifting his hand and very gently kissing it. “Now, I need you to be quiet and still and let me do the job I’m here to do.”
Johnny smiled and his dark eyes sparkled momentarily. Grace knew then that she’d done the right thing. Whatever anyone else said. Whatever the repercussions.
After Johnny was settled into a deep, restorative sleep, Grace slipped back out of his room and into the corridor. Checking once more that she hadn’t been seen, she locked the door behind her, pocketed the key, and strode briskly away along the corridor.
The second healing session had left her thoroughly depleted of energy and she knew that it was vital she now got some rest. She pushed open the door to her room, grateful to find that Darcy had not yet returned from her own labors. But, though it was tempting, she did not settle down to bed right away.
There was one more thing she had to do before she could rest.
On board
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” he said. “Johnny and me, we were like brothers. Blood brothers.” His body began to shake. It was a familiar sensation. “I can’t bear it, Mim. I’ve lost too many others. But not Johnny. Not John…”
“I know,” Mimma said, stroking his hair tenderly. “I know how close you were and I can imagine how I’d feel if I lost Nathalie or Jacqui.”
Stukeley rearranged himself on the bunk and pulled Mimma in closer to kiss her. As their lips parted, he held her close. “Thank you for agreeing to stay,” he said. “I’m not sure I could get through this without you.”
“Hush now!” Mimma said. “Don’t say such things. We’ll get through this, together.” As she spoke she interlaced her fingers with Stukeley’s. She was strong, like a force of nature. Stukeley looked into her fiery eyes, then found his attention diverted. If he wasn’t very much mistaken, Grace Tempest was standing at the foot of his bed, dressed in a very strange pinafore creation.
“Grace,” he blustered, starting to sit up. “What on oceans are you doing here?”
Mimma turned around, equally dumbstruck to find Grace in the cabin.
Grace’s eyes coolly met Mimma’s, then turned back to Stukeley.
“I’ll fast-track this,” she said, “because time is of the essence. I’m not physically here. This is an astral visit…”
“Of course!” Stukeley nodded in understanding. “Johnny told me you could do that.” His face fell. “Are you here because of him? You’ve heard the news, then? That he’s dead?”
Grace shook her head. “He’s not dead,” she said.
“What?” chorused Stukeley and Mimma, both clambering out of bed, while trying to protect their modesty.
“He’s here at Sanctuary,” Grace said. “I’m sure you know by now that we have a treatment facility here for wounded Nocturnals. One of our rescue squads picked Johnny up by mistake this morning, after the attack on
“I’ve begun his healing, but he can’t stay. Stukeley, I need you to come and fetch him tonight.”
Stukeley was already standing up and buttoning his shirt. “I’ll come right away,” he said.
“Come alone,” Grace said. “And don’t try anything clever. I’m doing this for Johnny’s sake, you understand? Don’t make me regret this.”
Mimma couldn’t believe her ears. “
“I didn’t have any choice,” Grace said, turning her attention back to Stukeley. “Now listen carefully. This is what I need you to do…”
22
BRIEF ENCOUNTER
At the appointed hour, Grace and Noijon walked side by side along the Corridor of Ribbons, then turned into the Corridor of Discards. As they passed Dani, Grace nodded politely and exchanged a relieved glance with her trusted nurse. Noijon smiled back at her. She rather thought he was enjoying their clandestine mission. She
