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.We can't take him to the hospital.I'm going to let him recover at myhouse."Gist searched her face in the dim moonlight, then nodded."Think he'll be okay?""I hope so.""Need a hand?""Probably." She led him over to where Llyr lay.The Sidhe king didn't move."Llyr?"Gist dropped to one knee beside him as Diana knelt at his shoulders."Jesus, don't these peopleown clothes? He looks like somebody chewed him up and spit him out.And that wound in his armis ugly.You sure you don't want to take him to the doctor?""Yes." She bent to listen to his broad chest.To her relief, he was still breathing, his heartbeatsteady if a little fast."Llyr? Come on, Your Majesty, we've got to get you into the car.""Your Majesty?"She ignored the chief's incredulous stare and shook the Sidhe by one broad shoulder.Opalescenteyes opened."There you are.Think you can get up? We've got to get you into the car."He groaned something that sounded like a Sidhe curse and rolled over onto his hands and knees,his wounded arm tucked against his body.Even bruised and bloody, his broad back wasmagnificent.As he started to push himself to his feet, Diana crouched to help.The chief took theother side, then hastily shifted his grip to the king's waist as Llyr hissed in pain.He eyed Gist woozily."You are her policeman.What are you doing here?""It's okay, Llyr, the chief can keep his mouth shot," Diana said.Gist snorted."Wouldn't keep this job long if I couldn't."Between the two of them, they managed to get the Sidhe into Diana's car.Judging from the tight,pale line of his mouth, it hurt.A lot.Diana buckled him in he tolerated the process in stonysilence and hurried around to the driver's side.As she opened the door, Gist stepped up and caught it to stop her."I don't like this, Diana," hesaid in a low voice."I think you're in over your head.I know for damn sure I'm in over mine.Whatthe hell are we fighting here?"She looked at him, weighing what to tell him."It's a vampire, Bill."His eyes widened."Shit.""Yeah." Diana got in and started the car, then drove across the yard.The car bumped over thecurb and back onto the street.She hit the gas and headed for home.Llyr, sitting pale and silent, suddenly spoke."It is not a good idea for mortals to know so muchabout us, Diana.""I told you, the chief can keep his mouth shut.""Not if someone casts the right spell on him.""Okay, that's a point," Diana admitted."But when I first told him about me, I never expected toencounter any other magical beings.Direkind rarely have any contact with the Mageverse."He nodded reluctantly."I suppose not."She stole a glance at him.To her hyperacute senses, he didn't smell healthy."How are you?""Half blind.My head feels as though someone has driven an iron spike into each eye, and myshoulder feels like raw meat." His voice dropped."But I am still far better off than the men whodied for me."Diana winced."I'm sorry about your guards.""I should have protected them.I& ""Llyr, who was whose bodyguard?"He threw her an impatient look."They were my guards, but I was their king.It's my responsibilityto protect my people against magical threats.""Isn't that a little unrealistic? The President of the United States doesn't expect to protect theSecret Service.""Your president does not have my power." He turned a brooding gaze out the window."Yet Iallowed my men to be separated and butchered because I was so intent on creating that spell, Ididn't realize what was happening.""What spell?"He shrugged."Something that would have allowed me to sense when the vampire appeared sowe could stop her.""Damn, I wish you'd been able to complete that.It would have come in handy.""Yes." He sucked in a breath as they bounced over a pothole.He must be in serious pain.Sheonly wished she could do something for him."How fast do you guys heal on your own?"The car rounded a curve and he hissed as the shoulder belt put pressure on his arm."I do notknow from personal experience, but I'm told it's fairly quickly.With any luck" Llyr blew out abreath "the shoulder should be fine by tomorrow.""It had better, or I'm taking your ass to the hospital," she told him grimly."A one-armed kingwouldn't be much good to the Cachamwri.""Let's hope it does not come to that," Llyr said."Going to your hospital would make mattersentirely too complicated.Once my powers return, it's possible I could bespell the mortals intoforgetting about me, but I would prefer to avoid the problem altogether."Diana drummed her fingers on the wheel."When do you think your people will realizesomething's wrong and come looking for you?"He started to shrug, then froze with a wince."That depends on whether someone has a vision thatI'm in need of help.If that were to happen, they could locate me almost immediately.Unfortunately,my advisors knew I intended to remain in Verdaville for several days while we searched for thevampire, so it could be some time before they start looking.""And in the meantime, I've got to keep the vampire from killing you."He sent her an icy look."I am more than capable of protecting myself.""Thus the ten-man bodyguard team." She snapped her teeth closed.Great going, Diana.Stompthe man's ego."I am alive, am I not?" Llyr growled.He immediately looked stricken.She knew he was thinkingabout the men he'd lost.Diana pulled the car into her driveway and pulled as close to the door as she could get beforeshe went to help Llyr.By the time she reached the passenger side, however, he'd already opened the door and waslevering his way grimly to his feet.His expression was set and white, and from the stiff, too-careful way he moved, she knew he was in a great deal of pain.She reached for his waist, but hewarned her off with an icy glare."I can walk.""You can also fall on your face.""If I do, it's my affair."She scowled at him in frustration."You're being impossible.You know that, right?""Yes, but I don't particularly care." He started toward the door, his steps much shorter than hisusual confident stride.Diana huffed, bit back the half dozen comments on male pigheadedness that leaped to mind, andwent to open the door for him.He hobbled past her."It's a good thing it's four o'clock in the morning," she said, trying for a mild joke."Otherwise itwould be all over town tomorrow that the city administrator brought a naked man home."He grunted.Okaaay , Diana thought.We're definitely not in the mood for humor.She directed him through the living room and down the hall to her bedroom.Flipping the coversback, she watched him gingerly lower himself onto the mattress.Bruises had begun to bloomacross his body like huge purple flowers.The gash in his shoulder had stopped bleeding, butdrying blood covered his left side.She frowned, looking down at him."I have got to get you cleaned up.You can't sleep that way.""I'll& " He lifted one hand as though about to cast a spell, then lowered it with an expression ofdisgust."Still nothing.""So we'll do it the old-fashioned way [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]