Bo crawled to Raven and took her into his arms. “Oh, my love…I’m so sorry.” He sobbed as he held her, her body limp, blood dripping from her lips.
“Tobias!” Nicolette called from Jade’s mouth.
Bo watched as Tobias loomed inches away from Laroque, his sights locked on Jade. His fangs were fully extended and ready to sink into the man’s neck to avenge his daughter’s attack. His eyes were now red with the call of death. His body appeared rigid.
Nicolette’s spirit lamented. “This hatred has to end. Don’t, my love-don’t take Jade’s father from her, please.”
His anger was palpable. “What of your other daughter?”
She whispered only for him. “Do you trust me, love?”
Tobias pleaded for an answer. “H-how did this happen? I don’t understand.”
“I love you, Tobias. I’ll always love you.”
“
Before collapsing into Mick’s arms, Jade struggled to speak. “Get Raven to the hospital.”
Philippe Laroque rode the mists off the island, followed by Henri.
“Emerald, go with them. I’ll meet you all there,” Tobias ordered before he disappeared.
“She’s still with us,” Bo murmured, carrying Raven to his car. “I feel her heart beating.”
They piled into the car left by Jade’s father. The keys were still in the ignition. Mick drove while Bo held Raven’s nearly lifeless body in the backseat, whispering words of his never-ending love for her, pleading for her not to leave him, promising he would follow wherever she went. Even to death’s door.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Tobias traveled the mists, following the blood scent of Henri Rioux. It brought the three of them to Hannah’s Vineyard, to Laroque’s home. Henri held his hand on the spot where Bo had ripped a chunk of flesh. It was healing quickly. Laroque opened the sliding glass doors and walked in to face Tobias.
With fisted hands, he declared, “If my daughter dies, you die. I don’t care what Nicki asked of me. Do you understand, Philippe?” His voice echoed through the house.
Henri came at Tobias from the side, his fangs exposed. The ancient one simply flicked his hand as if swatting a fly. Henri flew across the room and crashed into the wall.
Laroque stood there, his whole body slumped in despair.
Tobias seethed with untamable ferocity. “I see your friend here changed you so you could have the pleasure of killing my daughter-who, by the way, saved your miserable ass,” he raged.
Laroque’s voice was low. “She saved my ass for Jade’s sake. She knew what she’d done to Jade and had to make it up to her somehow.” He paused a moment. “I simply was the one to benefit from her guilt.”
Tobias’s chest heaved with angry breaths. “You better pray she doesn’t die.”
Laroque nodded. “I do.”
“Lucky for you,
Laroque was silent for a moment. Tobias attempted to quiet the madness screaming inside his head for revenge.
“Tobias, is it true that Frank killed Nicki?”
“Yes.” Tobias ran his hand through his hair. “He was in love with her since they were both young, but he managed to hide that fact-and his talents as a sorcerer- from everyone.”
“How do you know?” Laroque asked.
Tobias’s voice was hollow. “Because I killed him, with your daughter’s help-Jade found out and confronted him. We both saw Nicolette’s murder through the blood memory of Frank Dubois-what really transpired. She and I both killed him. Now I know the truth, and so do you.”
Laroque was still. He embraced his fate. “Kill me, then, if you must. I am suddenly very tired of this existence.”
Tobias narrowed his gaze at the
“Then do it.”
“Sorry to have to inform you of this, but you’ll probably be around for a long time now that you’re Lamai. That is, as long as Raven stays alive,” Tobias threatened. “Perhaps that’s punishment enough.”
The ER attendants wheeled Raven into a private room and hooked her up immediately to heart monitors, as well as a pulse oximeter, sphygmomanometer and IVs. It was a whirlwind of activity. Bo never left her side.
Her heartbeat remained regular-for a Lamai, anyway.
Tracy entered the room with tears flowing down her face.
“What the hell happened?” she cried.
“Laroque,” Bo said with a sigh as he clutched Raven’s hand.
“Dr. Odin will be here in a minute. He wants a full blood work-up done on Raven.” Tracy checked her pulse. Bianca and Gary Davis soon joined them. “Get her some O negative.”
“I can’t believe this is happening. She’s still alive, though, so that’s good news,” Bianca said, full of hope.
Davis ’s face was pasty white. “Yeah, I thought… W-well…I’d heard that if she was t-turned-sh-she’d…”
Bo was lost in thoughts of Raven. He caressed Raven’s arm and brushed his fingertips across the porcelain planes of her face. The color had drained from her cheeks, and she appeared as Bo had always known her.
Raven moaned and fidgeted in the bed where she lay. Ian Odin came storming through the doors with Maureen, the on-duty nurse, at his side. He was a white cloud of fury as he snarled out orders.
“I want the works. A full blood panel-
Maureen had already begun to draw the first vial of blood from Raven before Ian finished speaking.
His voice softened. “How are you, Bo?” Ian asked as he put his hand on Bo’s shoulder.
Bo had tears in his eyes, which he tried to wipe away. “I’m scared for her.”
“Bo, something else has to be going on. I’m not exactly sure, but if Raven was supposed to die,” he paused. “She’d be dead. Hekate doesn’t mess around. If she told Raven she would die if anyone tried to turn her, then that’s what would happen. Be thankful she’s made it this far.”
“Should I set up for transfusions, Dr. Odin?” Maureen asked.
“No, continue with the O negative. I want to get a clearer picture first. Let’s get all the results back, and then I’ll decide the next course of action.”
Bianca kissed Raven’s cheek while Davis stood by speechless.
“Jade wants to come in. I’ll go wait outside,” Bianca offered, but Bo wasn’t listening. He was waiting for Dr. Odin to tell him Raven would be all right.
Then he would exhale.
Tobias took one long last look at Philippe Laroque. His eyes flashed red. His posture resembled Queen Rhia’s. “I promise you, if anything unfortunate happens to Raven, I will hunt you down. You will die a slow and agonizing death.”
Laroque sat at his desk with his head in his hands, undoubtedly thinking of Nicki and Jade. He didn’t seem to know what to say. Perhaps there was nothing to say. He couldn’t even have the pleasure of torturing Frank Dubois.
“I hope you got some gratification from killing Frank,” Laroque finally said.
Tobias stared at him. “Almost as much as I would derive from killing you.”
“Then just do it,” Laroque begged.
Instead, Tobias reared his fist back and smashed Laroque’s face. Every bone shattered. For a while, at least.
“To answer your question, all I felt was Nicolette’s pain,” he admitted.
With that, Tobias shimmered back to Mirabelle.
Tobias appeared in the corner of Raven’s room at the precise moment Ian Odin walked in grinning from ear to ear. Solaris followed right behind him with Tracy at her heels. Solaris went straight to Bo and hugged him tightly.
“You can breathe now,” she said.
“What is it?”
Ian stood there for another moment, brimming with joy as he noticed Tobias in the room.
“Good, you’re all here.”
“What is it, Ian?” Tobias asked.
Ian smacked Bo on the back. “Bo, you’re going to be a father,” he said, almost too matter-of-factly.
Bo looked wide eyed at the doctor, shaking his head.
“I-what? I-I-don’t…”
“Raven is pregnant with your baby. I assume it’s yours,” Ian began to explain.
“Of course it’s his,” Raven muttered. Her eyes fluttered opened. She looked over to her father, then to Bo. “What’s going on? Where am I? Am I dead?”
Bo gathered her in his arms and embraced her tightly. “No, my love, you are very much alive.”
Not missing a beat, Ian continued. “That’s what saved her when she was turned. The baby’s mystical DNA from you saved her life. I would guess she’s about four
