Datura Read online

  “I guess it’s not up to me to understand his crazy mind. Hell, Lily spent years with him and still didn’t understand him.”

  “I honestly don’t think Ian understood himself. Not only did he have nothing as a child, but he was physically and mentally abused in that orphanage. Ian couldn’t stand to be in his own head. That’s why he never truly let anyone else in. He may have been a tough vampire on the outside, but on the inside, he was just a scared little boy.”

  “That doesn’t make a difference to me now. He caused a lot of damage and I’m glad he’s gone,” Christian said and took a deep breath. “To get back to your question, I do not hate you.”

  “Then what is it? I know you don’t want me here, or anywhere near you.”

  “It’s not me I don’t want you near,” Christian said, his voice quieter. “It’s her.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t want you near her.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” By the sounds of it, she started pacing again.

  “You think I’m stupid? You think I don’t see the way you look at her? The way you come running every time she’s even remotely in danger? The way you say her name, as if it was your favorite word?” Christian said.

  “That’s ridiculous. She’s my friend!”

  “But you’d rather that weren’t the case. Am I wrong?”

  Christian, that’s insane…she’s my friend…

  It was silent for far too long and I could do absolutely nothing. I couldn’t even see their faces. Please don’t get physical because I can’t stop you. I don’t want you hurting each other.

  “No!” Fiore yelled. “You’re not wrong. Are you happy now?”

  No, no, no! What are you saying?

  “Of course I’m not happy, but I needed to finally hear you say it,” Christian said.

  Fiore took a deep breath but her voice still sounded shaky. “I’m in love with her! There, I said it. Is that what you wanted?”

  “Thank you for finally telling me the truth. At least now I know I’m not crazy, that I didn’t imagine it.”

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. It doesn’t change anything, at least not for me. She loves you. She married you. I’m just her friend and I know I will never be more.”

  “I know she married me. That was the happiest day of my life. But I also know she loves you. Maybe as a friend, maybe more, but you’re right. She married me. Still, I’m not sure I like how connected she is to you.” Christian sat back down next to me. He draped his arm over my chest.

  “What do you mean?” Fiore asked.

  “I’m not sure. I get the feeling that there is something deep passing between you sometimes. Like you know what each other is feeling.”

  “That’s because she has my blood running through her veins,” Fiore said and started her nervous pacing again.

  “I know. I watched you feed her, remember?”

  “No. Not just now.” She took a deep breath. “It happened in the cabin. I gave her my blood to make her stronger for the fight.”

  “What? Where the hell was I?”

  “You had fallen asleep on the sofa.”

  “Both of you went behind my back? What else happened?”

  “Nothing! She had no idea what I was doing until I did it. I didn’t want to take any chances so I made her stronger. That is all, I swear.”

  “I wish you would’ve told me.”

  “You were human then. I guess we didn’t think you’d understand,” Fiore said.

  “So you’ve been connected that long? I guess I should be thankful because she was strong enough to fight Ian, but I can’t help but feel a little uncomfortable with it.”

  “Well, don’t. Because of our connection, I can feel how much she loves you, not me.”

  Fiore sighed and sat on my other side. She sniffled as if she was crying. Christian’s hand moved on my chest and he leaned farther over me. I lowered my eyes as best I could. Across my chest, Christian’s hand was wrapped around Fiore’s. So this is what it took to get them to stop fighting? Me dying?

  I had known Christian was uncomfortable with Fiore but I had no idea why. The reason was clear now, but how did I face Fiore because of it? How could I go back to the way it had been, knowing how she felt? I wished I hadn’t heard any of that argument.

  “Do you think she heard all that?” Fiore asked.

  “I have a feeling she did. She’s kept her eyes open the whole time.”

  “So now what?”

  “I don’t know. I guess we just take it one day at a time. We have to deal with this mess.”

  “Do you want me to leave when this is all over?”

  No! Don’t even think that!

  “I want Lily to be happy. If you leave, she won’t be happy.” He planted a kiss as soft as a feather on my forehead. “I think we can be adult about this. After all, I can’t blame you for falling in love with her. Look how hard I fell.”

  “I will do my best to stay out of your way.”

  “That’s not going to happen. We live together. I don’t know if anyone else noticed what I did so there’s really no reason for you to act any different, just keep being her friend. She needs that,” Christian said.

  Needles suddenly poked my feet. My legs felt like they wanted to leave the room without me. The poking started in my fingertips next. Was this a good sign?

  “Thank you, Christian, for being so understanding. I guess I expected worse.”

  “I was raised this way,” Christian said. He stood looking down at me. My breaths came faster and faster as my body started feeling like a human pincushion.

  “Well, your parents did a great job. You’re a great man, did you know that?”

  Christian laughed. “I never thought of myself that way, but thank you.”

  “You’ll be a great husband to her. I know she’ll always be happy as long as she has you.”

  “I want to get her out of these bloody clothes,” Christian said as he stood.

  “I can help you. Which dresser has her clothes?”

  “I’m afraid I will need help,” Christian said. “I don’t want to hurt her. Hers is the one by the window.”

  Drawers opened and closed as Christian gingerly unbuttoned my shirt. His eyes never left my face. His pained expression made me want to wrap my arms around him but they felt like lead. Was it possible to prick lead with needles?

  “These flannel pants should be more comfortable for her. Do you have a loose cotton shirt?”

  “Check the closet. I’ll get this one off. I hope she wasn’t too attached to this outfit. I don’t think it’s salvageable.” Christian lifted my head and slid the shirt down my back. He pulled my jeans down my legs and slid them off. “I need help getting the shirt on. I don’t want to move her more than I have to.”

  “Okay,” Fiore said as she came to my side. It was nice to know they were working together for once instead of against each other.

  “What are you looking at?” Christian snapped.

  “Just…um…her wound. It’s closing nicely.”

  “Yeah…” He slid the shirt over my head as she waited, then pulled my arms into the sleeves. Fiore pulled the new shirt down as Christian held me up, and then lay me back down on the soft pillow. “I can do the pants myself.”

  “Nonsense. Nice underwear,” Fiore said with a laugh.

  “Don’t push it!”

  “Women notice these things.”

  The pants slid up to my waist, making it feel like someone was pushing the needles deeper into my skin. I groaned.

  ~ Twenty-Seven ~

  “Lily?” Christian rushed to stand by my face. “How do you feel?”

  My voice refused to work and I tried to blink but couldn’t. I can’t talk…

  “I heard her.” Fiore rushed to my other side.

  “Me too. Thank God!”

  “You watch her, look after her. I’m going to go get flowers or something, something to make the room nice for her,” Fiore said as she we
nt to the door. “Need anything?”

  “I’m good. If you see Aloysius, see what’s keeping him.”

  “Will do,” she said before she stepped out. I heard her heels clicking down the hall.

  I don’t know which pain was worse: the horrible burning or the pins and needles poking my whole body. The feeling spread to my face and I could do nothing to stop it. Not being in control over my own body was disconcerting.

  I need you, Christian. Please make this stop…

  “What can I do? Please tell me. I want to help. This is killing me!”

  “Fff…bb…” Oh, forget it! Blood. I need your blood.

  “Yes, of course.” He got on the bed on his knees and leaned over me. “Think you can do it or should I?” His neck was already at my mouth and I inhaled his sweet, warm scent, the scent that attracted me to him and kept me hooked since the first time I laid eyes on him.

  Me…I think I can…let me try…My lips caressed the tender flesh where his neck joined his shoulder. My face tingled even more. He leaned in closer, pushing against my mouth. My fangs made a painful descent through my gums and punctured his flesh without hesitation. I didn’t even need to think about it. The warm sweetness poured into my mouth and down my throat, making my head spin. No other blood had ever had that powerful of an effect on me as his did. It awakened all of my senses. I grabbed his head, tangling my fingers in his silky hair. He moaned. His body relaxed against mine as his blood filled my veins and repaired my wounded body. The tingling was subsiding in my limbs but increasing in my chest, face, and head. I grabbed his head harder and pushed him to me, trying to melt into his body. Lily, Aloysius said not too much…though…

  Please, don’t…I need this…I need you…all of you…

  He pushed his hands under my back and held me tightly as I continued to drink and run my fingers through his hair. “I love you, Lily.”

  “I love you too,” I said as I dropped my head to the pillow and gasped for air. Of all the times for my body to decide it wanted to breathe again.

  “You’re talking,” He backed off me to look at my face, his hand covering the still-oozing wound on his neck. “Thank God!”

  “What’s going on?” Fiore entered the bedroom, her arms full of something with an overpowering, but beautiful scent.

  “She’s talking…and moving, sort of,” Christian explained.

  “Really? What did you do?” she asked and set the bundle down on the nightstand. I turned my head toward the wonderful fragrance.

  “Nothing. I just fed her and she put her fingers in my hair, now she’s talking.”

  “What happened? Can someone help me sit up?” I said.

  They both ran to either side of the bed. Christian held me up and Fiore moved the pillows, fluffing them, so I could lean against them. The tingling in my body was gone but replaced by a feeling of heaviness, as if my limbs were made of lead. Christian pulled the sheet up to my waist and placed my hands on my lap.

  “Melinda tried to stab you in the heart with a stake. I grabbed her and she missed your heart but got you pretty good anyway,” Christian explained, taking a hold of my hand.

  “Not that part. I remember all that. I meant, what happened with Maia?” I asked, trying not to look at Fiore.

  “We don’t know. We were too worried about trying to help you. We lost track of her. Fiore lost Jose Luis since they were in a car and she was on foot. Melinda disappeared too, after I ripped her off you.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find Maia. I don’t think they will kill her. They still need her,” Fiore said. I finally turned to look at her, met her eyes for a second, but this time it was she who looked away.

  “I think she’s been with them all along,” I explained.

  “What do you mean?” Christian asked.

  “I think she’s working with them. I think her kidnapping was just a trap.”

  “What makes you think that?” Fiore asked. She kept her eyes on Christian and I knew both were wondering if I’d really heard their argument.

  “My memories are hazy, but I think she handed Melinda the stake.”

  “That can’t be right,” Christian said and squeezed my hand. “It looked more like a real kidnapping to me.”

  Great. Now they don’t believe me. It didn’t matter. Until we found her, and Jose Luis, our questions would remain unanswered. I felt too tired to argue. “What is that wonderful smell?” I asked to drop the subject for the time being.

  “Oh,” Fiore jumped up to grab the vase. “Aren’t they wonderful? They call them floripondio.”

  “I’ve heard of these,” Christian said as he inhaled the sweet fragrance. “Datura in English, I think. Aren’t they supposed to be poisonous?”

  “Hmm…beautiful and poisonous? I know someone like that,” I said then regretted it.

  “What do you mean?” Fiore asked, still holding the vase.

  “Never mind. I highly doubt the flowers will hurt us since we’re not human. Where is Aloysius?” I asked.

  “He went to see if he can find out why the hunters and vampires are working together, but that was a long time ago. I wonder what’s keeping him.” Christian said and took the vase from Fiore, placing it gently on the nightstand next to me. “These are gorgeous.”

  “Yeah.” Just like Maia, I thought.

  “I don’t know but I have a bad feeling about it,” I said and took Christian’s hand. “He should’ve returned by now.”

  “I know. Oh, I almost forgot, Kalia and Aaron are on their way. Aaron called while I was out,” Fiore announced.

  “What did you tell them?” I didn’t want them to have to run to my rescue again.

  “The truth,” Fiore said.

  “We don’t even know what the truth is!” I sat up straighter, happy that I could move on my own again, even though I felt clumsy.

  “Fiore, can you please give us a minute?” Christian reached out and squeezed her shoulder. I’d never expected affection between them but it was better than the constant anger.

  “Sure. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

  “Are you okay? I mean, aside from being…” Christian kept his voice down.

  “No, I’m not okay. I’m fed up! I’m tired of the constant chaos!” I pulled my hand away from his.

  “I know. We’ll get all this straightened out, you’ll see.”

  “I just wanted a normal honeymoon, or at least something close to normal. Is that too much to ask for?” I folded my arms over my chest and realized how childish I must look.

  “I know, me too, and I promised you another honeymoon and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine.

  “About Fiore,” I started.

  He put a finger to my lips. “Shh…We don’t need to talk about that right now. I just needed to understand her.”

  I nodded. He was right; we had too many more urgent problems. They seemed to have come to some kind of understand between them without any help from me.

  “Help me get up, please.” I pushed the sheet off my legs.

  “You need to rest for a while yet. You’ve been through too much.”

  “I feel fine,” I argued, trying to get my legs to the floor, though they felt too heavy to move.

  “You are one stubborn woman.” He laughed.

  “I know. I’ve heard that before. I can’t just sit around here and do nothing, especially not when it’s time to kick some ass!”

  He shook his head but his smile contradicted the motion. “You’ll never change, will you?” He helped me to my feet. “No, don’t answer that. I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

  “Are you sure about that?” I asked as he picked up off the bed.

  “I’m positive. What would I be doing if I hadn’t met you? Teaching a bunch of teenagers, going home by myself every night, doing it all over again the next day? No, this is much more exciting.”

  “You’re nuts, you know that?”

  “I have he
ard that before.”

  ~ Twenty-Eight ~

  “What are you doing out of bed?” Fiore jumped up from the sofa, giving Christian a look of disapproval.

  “You know she’s not going to listen to anything we say. Besides, a change of scenery might do her some good.”

  “Why are you talking about me like I’m not standing here?” Not that I was standing very well. My head spun and my legs felt like rubber so Christian supported most of my weight. I looked at both of them with resign. “Okay, so I’m not quite strong enough to kick ass yet.”

  “I’m glad you know that. Besides, Kalia and Aaron will be here tomorrow afternoon. I told them we’d meet them,” Fiore said as she and Christian led me to the sofa.

  “We’re going shopping then, as soon as my head stops spinning.”

  “Do you need more blood?” Christian asked.

  “I don’t think so. It should pass once I’m moving around.”

  “Ooh, shopping! I love shopping, but what are we shopping for?” Fiore asked.

  “Weapons,” I said and both raised their eyebrows.

  “What kind of weapons are we talking about?” Fiore asked.

  “Whatever we can get our hands on: knives, guns, swords, stakes, I don’t care if we have to use baseball bats. Wait, do they even play baseball here?”

  “I don’t think so…soccer. Would soccer balls make good weapons?” Fiore laughed.

  “Where do you propose we get weapons?” Christian asked.

  “The same place we feed. If we’re dealing with hunters, they’ll have weapons; hell, Melinda and Maia used one.” I leaned my head back on the sofa and closed my eyes. The room spun faster. I opened them. “We have humans and vampires to deal with. Who knows how many? I’d rather not show up empty handed.”

  “I can understand that, but do you really think we’ll be able to buy those things?” Fiore asked and sat next to me. Christian rushed to sit on my other side.

  “When money talks, I’m sure we can get anything we want. I really don’t care what we get as long as we have something. I don’t even care if we gather piles of rocks.” They both laughed.