All Wounds (31 page)

Something moved inside her, warm and soothing. It called to her, whispering in her mind.

It was wonderful. She wanted to go to it, embrace it, dive into it. It was luxurious.

Now you see. And it’s only just begun
, said an unfamiliar voice in her mind.

Rebecca glanced at the older Healer beside her and knew it had been she who’d spoken in her mind.

Is this what it’s like for you? Is this what you carry inside you? Is this what your
power feels like? Is this what I restore to Syd, when he feeds from me?
She asked the questions all at once.

Yes. It will grow stronger as well,
she heard the woman reply.

She heard Syd again.
Remember my cautions, Acolyte. It will consume you, if
you do not bring it to heel. It is
your
power. Do not let it rule you
.

Rebecca tried to pay attention to Syd’s voice and not the feeling inside her growing faster than she could accept.

“Yes,” she heard Armaros say. “Let it wash over you, Acolyte. Let it consume you. Accept it.”

Rebecca moaned again and closed her eyes. She couldn’t blame the demons for wanting this for themselves. Who wouldn’t want a feeling like this? It was indescribable. It was as though she’d waited her whole life for this feeling. This was who she was and what she was meant for. It was beyond imagination.

And there were already those who wanted to take it away from her.

But...what would they do with it? Why were they doing this to her, if it would be gone once they took it from her?

She found the presence of mind to ask the question aloud.

“Our kind have rare use for a Healer’s abilities,” Armaros answered.

“But there is always a use for the power that’s behind them. Further, taking the power of a Healer denies those abilities to others, namely our enemies.”

“So you’re going to kill all the Healers, and me, because you don’t need the whole of us, but can use some of our parts?”

“Precisely,” Armaros said. “Such will also keep those we intend to slaughter from obtaining aid or asylum.”

There was something beneath the demon’s words. Rebecca stared hard at him and forced her way into his mind.

“But you needed a Healer once,” Rebecca said, tilting her head to look at him. “And so did your wife. How are your sons, by the way?” She turned her head to the other side and looked at the other demons surrounding Armaros. “Are these some of them? You want to have them watch as you kill the daughter of the woman who saved their own mother?

Or didn’t he tell you he killed my mother?”

“You assume such would make a difference to us,” one of the demons replied.

“If demons didn’t have feelings, why did it matter to your father if your mother was going to die attempting to give birth to you?” Rebecca asked.

Another bolt of the amazing feeling of her power surged through her and she fell silent with a groan.

She could feel warmth—
fire
—raging within her. It was as though a tril-lion little drops of water had been thrown upon a hot surface and bubbled and burst, just beneath her skin.

How could one person be overjoyed and petrified at the same time? She understood now why Syd worried this feeling could kill her. It was frightening.

And exhilarating. Oh, she wanted this.

More. Yes, more. Don’t leave
...

But the feeling ebbed, and when it was over she opened her eyes and looked at Armaros again. She smiled, and knew.

“She didn’t live, did she?” Rebecca asked. “My mother...saved your sons, but not your wife, and you’ve spent all this time since making sure no Healer ever helps anyone else. That’s it, isn’t it?” Armaros didn’t reply. He looked to the two youngest demons—twin boys—and remained silent. He gestured at Rebecca, and she knew she’d been silenced just like the older woman.

Rebecca felt Syd grasp her hand. While she still had the presence of mind to do so, Rebecca reached for the hand of the woman on the other side of her and clutched it.

“We’ll drain the vampire first, just to ensure the Acolyte’s cooperation,” Armaros said. “We’ll do it now, before the acceptance is complete.” The demon moved toward Syd and pressed the large knife he held into his neck.

“NO!” Rebecca shouted.

“She spoke against your bond of silence!” one of the demons behind Armaros whispered in awe. “How is that possible?!” Armaros ignored the question and looked hard at Rebecca.

“You offer yourself in his place?” Armaros asked, halting his blade.

Rebecca nodded.

NO!
Syd shouted in her mind.

I have to,
she replied.

Rebecca looked at Armaros and smiled.

Armaros continued to hold his knife to Syd’s throat. “A demon knows a lie when he hears one, and you are attempting one of your little human

‘bluffs’. That was your only trick, and you think you are clever in using it, or that you have avoided the transfer of his power. I assure you, you have not.

However, you have indeed consented.”

“Let him go,” Rebecca said.

Armaros left Syd’s side and glared down at Rebecca. “You agreed that you would take his place—as first to be drained, not that you would take his place entirely. You do not give orders here.”

Rebecca closed her eyes as the feeling inside her roared to life again, even stronger than before. Wow, she felt great. This was amazing. This was fun. This must be what it was like to be drunk, or high, or anything else people did that made them feel good. This was beyond fantastic.

“Unnnn-uh!” she groaned again, and her bonds snapped loose.

She heard a collective gasp as she sat up.

The demons standing interspersed between the bound Healers in the stone circle all took steps backward.

She looked up at Armaros and shook her head as she gave him a goofy smile. “I can see inside your head...”

Armaros looked at Rebecca for a long moment before he turned to the others. “She’s lost her mind.”

“I can see inside your head,” Rebecca said again. “You’re going to kill us all, no matter what I say, and if I’m going to die, you’re not going to get any part of me, no matter what you do.”

“When you hear the screams of your colleagues begging you to consent, you’ll do it,” Armaros said.

“I won’t,” Rebecca said. “Because I know it won’t really be them talking, and they wouldn’t really want me to, not even to save themselves. Certainly not to help
you
.”

Armaros scowled and raised his knife above his head. “Then you die now, and so do they.”

Rebecca closed her eyes and let her head fall back. Her hands tightened on those of Syd and the woman beside her.

The golden light inside her burst from the hollow of her throat, below her breastbone and from each wrist.

Armaros howled as bands of pure light surrounded him.

Rebecca raised her head and stared at him.

Another whimper of pain infused with terrible pleasure escaped Rebecca as she let go of the hands she held. She brought her palms together and cupped the golden light emanating from her middle.

She slid from the stone altar and brought the harnessed power above her head. She spread her fingers and it arced from them to each woman’s bonds, freeing them.

As each Healer slid from their captivity, they ran to gather behind Rebecca. One woman put a hand on Rebecca’s shoulder, then another, until each woman was connected to her through the touch of another.

Syd stood beside Rebecca, and she reached to grasp his hand.

Armaros howled again and shook off the light binding him.

Rebecca held up her hand and spread her fingers wide. She knew now what the gesture she’d seen Syd and her nana use so often meant. It was an invocation of power.

Power
she
could now invoke.

“Don’t,” she commanded. “I thought you’d figured out by now that I’m not your average Healer. I’m not going to let you hurt anyone else.”

“And just what do you plan on doing?” Armaros asked.

“I’m not sure what will happen if I tap whatever reserves of power I have standing behind me, in addition to that of a Master vampire. I do know that
we
will still be standing. Not sure about you or your little playground here. Now back off like your little buddies were already smart enough to do,” Rebecca replied.

Armaros snarled at her.

“Oh, please. I am so done being afraid, of you or anything else. Now go away before you
really
piss me off. And if you ever,
ever
even think of coming after a Healer again—”

Armaros ignored her and moved faster than anything Rebecca had ever seen.

Before she could ready another concentrated bolt of energy, Rebecca felt the familiar nauseous sensation of being jerked from one place to another.

She blinked rapidly, clearing her vision. It was a familiar room, lit only with a single candle. She and the other captive Healers, as well as Syd, were standing back in the enclave, facing a very large, very angry man-wolf.

Ryan looked even more livid than Billy did. No wonder he always got in trouble, if he looked at any of his teachers the way he was glaring at them.

“What—?” Syd looked from being to being, totally confused.

“Out of the way, ladies,” Billy snarled before he shoved the entire group aside with a sweep of his large furry arm. He took the mirror portal into his huge paws. He ripped it from its stand and broke it over his knee like a piece of kindling. He threw the pieces to the floor and growled at them.

Syd eyed the large anubi standing over the pieces of the shattered mirror. “Billy, what do you think you’re doing?!”

“Protecting my Little Bit,” Billy rumbled. He turned to Rebecca. “You all right?”

Rebecca nodded then looked at Syd. “How did you get us back? I thought they said they’d shielded the...” She couldn’t bear to think about the altar she’d been tied to just moments before, let alone name it. “. .that place. “

“They did,” Syd said. “We were aided from outside.” Syd looked at Ryan.

Rebecca gaped at Ryan. He could hardly stand up on his own! How did he manage...? She couldn’t help but ask. “But you...how did you...?”

“You have to ask?” Ryan replied, raising an eyebrow. “Those...things used me like a surveillance camera. Works both ways. I could see you the whole time. It took me a while to figure out how to get to you. Besides that, I’ve been fed on nothing but a Healer’s blood since the moment I turned.

You honestly think that didn’t have an effect? I’ve had some time to figure out what I can and can’t do, and believe me, I’m just as surprised as Syd that it worked.”

“What worked?” Rebecca asked, still confused.

“He summoned you to his side,” Syd replied for Ryan, looking at him intently. Rebecca could tell he was impressed. “A Master can do such with his thralls. I’ve never heard of a thrall being able to do such.”

“Most thralls aren’t fed from a Healer,” Ryan said. He looked over at Rebecca. “Maybe I
am
special.”

Rebecca laughed and shook her head. “Supervamp.” Ryan’s lips twitched in a half-smile. “You were worth it.” Before she could ask what she meant, his eyes rolled back in his head.

He swayed forward and fell to the floor in a fit of violent convulsions as he began heaving. He wrapped his arms around his middle, holding his sides as black liquid left his mouth and nose.

“Ryan!” Rebecca broke free from Syd’s grasp and ran to her classmate’s side. Or she would have, had a strong hand on her arm stopped her.

“No!” Syd shook his head and grasped her by the shoulders.

Rebecca stared at him, open-mouthed. She struggled against Syd’s hold.

“What are you doing?! Let me go! Can’t you see he needs help?!”

“It’s too late,” Syd said. He pulled Rebecca closer and held her tight against his chest. “He’s used the whole of his power at the cost of his own existence. He sacrificed himself for you. Those are death throes. You can’t help him. He’ll rip you apart!”

“No!” Rebecca protested. Ryan braced himself against the floor with one hand as he heaved again. Rebecca pulled against Syd’s iron grip. “Let me go! I have to do something!”

The older woman Rebecca hadn’t noticed beside her took Rebecca’s hand. “Sydney is right. There’s nothing
to
do,
cher
.”

“Nothin’ but leave. Let’s get out of here before the stink starts,” Billy growled. “Sabine, you’re bleeding. Punk’s gonna go nutso before he kicks and that’s the last thing he needs to smell.”

The older woman nodded. She let go of Rebecca’s hand and moved toward the anubi.

“The rest of you gals, too, let’s go,” Billy said, gesturing to the enclave door.Murmurs and gasps echoed in the small room as the rescued Healers left the enclave with Billy.

Rebecca just watched in open-mouthed horror as they skirted the bed and the convulsing boy on the floor. Didn’t anyone besides her care that Ryan was dying?

She resisted Syd as he pulled her toward the enclave door. “I’m not leaving! Let me go! I can help him!”

Syd turned her around in his arms and stared directly into her eyes.

“Listen! I said no! I won’t let you! My thrall I will lose, and I will mourn, but I can’t lose
you
, Rebecca!”

It was the first time he’d ever called her by her name.

Rebecca realized he was looking into her eyes without the compulsion of his Master’s power behind them. What did that mean? She’d never heard Syd speak that way.

He was touching her. Touch.

She brought her thoughts into focus and let what he knew sink into her skin. It was then she knew he was afraid.

Of what? Of...?

Rebecca.

No. No, it wasn’t like that. He’d said... He just—

She looked to Ryan over her shoulder before she turned back to Syd.

“It’s okay,” Rebecca said. “You said—you told me—I can’t be drained here. I’m in my own enclave—a Healer can’t be harmed here. You said...”

“I’ve said a lot of things. What if I’m wrong?” Syd asked, his eyes narrowing as he reached for her shoulder again. He brought her closer to him, possessive and strong, though Rebecca knew he was using only a fraction of his strength to keep her by his side.