“Is it possible to do this?” Destiny asked. “Did you know those things were there? Have you ever encountered them before?” She didn’t want it to be just her, that she was the only one tainted. “If Nicolae’s body is so infected, what must mine be like?”
Gregori’s peculiar eyes moved over her face, leaving behind a strange, warming calm. “No, I had no idea they were there. Certainly Alexandria had no such creatures in her blood when Aidan performed the healing ritual. This is far different, but I have no idea why. I will heal Nicolae, Destiny, and I will heal you. The vampire will not claim a victory here.” He spoke with complete confidence. Destiny couldn’t tell whether he believed his statement or not, but his words gave her a semblance of hope.
Without further hesitation, Gregori once more shed his physical body to become the healing light of his kind.
Destiny was aware on one level of Vikirnoff leaving the chamber, but she concentrated on watching Gregori’s meticulous assault on the vampire’s blood. The organs were harboring a few tiny, immature parasites. They seemed capable of tremendous damage, tunneling into the organs, burning as they did so.
The healer dispatched them wherever he found them, cleansing the organs and carefully reshaping them. Destiny watched with awe, respect for the man growing as he worked. She was aware of the difficulties, the amount of strength it took to be outside one’s body. She began to understand that the form of energy he was utilizing to heal was nearly impossible to maintain for any length of time. She was witnessing a miracle.
She was so engrossed in what he was doing, she nearly failed to notice the sudden stirring of the remaining creatures in Nicolae’s blood. They leapt, almost with excitement, wriggling like frenzied maggots. A dark shadow slipped across her soul.
The vampires are here, in this place with us, she told Gregori. She could not reach Vikirnoff without Nicolae. Her lifemate lay as still as death, and even if she awakened him, he would be drained of all strength, helpless. Gregori was in his brain, continuing his careful, meticulous healing.
I dare not stop; he would not survive.
I can hold them off. She spoke with complete confidence. You keep my lifemate safe and I will keep yours safe. It was a threat as well as a promise. If Gregori pulled out before he finished, Nicolae would die of a brain hemorrhage.
Gregori’s instincts were to save his lifemate from the vampires first, yet he would give Destiny an opportunity to protect them all. He had been immersed in Nicolae’s mind, read his many battles, his brilliant strategies, and knew he had passed his skills on to Destiny. Gregori could just as easily read the battles Destiny had fought. He was determined to give her the chance to save her lifemate by keeping his Savannah safe. If Savannah were in imminent danger, he could do no other than act in her behalf, but he was willing to allow Destiny to do what she did best, destroy the vampire.
Destiny understood that reasoning and accepted it, just as he accepted her own determination to save Nicolae.
Savannah was already moving to place her small body between the danger and her lifemate and his patient.
Destiny leapt upon her, one arm circling her throat, claws emerging to press tightly into her delicate skin. “Trust me.” She mouthed the words against Savannah’s neck, praying the healer would realize she was buying them time. Vikirnoff would be in the city now, taking much-needed blood. He would return with all haste.
“Brethren!” a vampire called. “Come to me in haste. I have the daughter of the Prince as a gift to buy my way into the alliance. Hurry before the other hunter returns and this one regains his strength. He is stuck in the body of the other. Our blood is strong and holds him there.”
Savannah struggled, looking as helpless as she could. Destiny dragged Savannah’s arm behind her back and placed a dagger in her palm, their bodies concealing the weapon between them.
The first intruder erupted from the ground, spewing dirt in a dark cloud as he rose. A second scaled the cavern wall, much like a human lizard, clinging to the rock above their heads. Destiny watched them, her mind assimilating the threat, choosing quickly which of the two was the more experienced and more dangerous.