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Helen answered on the first ring. “How’s Iain?”
“Poisoned. ”
“What?” gasped Helen. “What happened?”
“Demons found us in our hotel room. Iain got poisoned. I don’t know how. I didn’t see it. I was running for the truck, but he said that’s what happened. ”
“How long ago did he get poisoned?”
“Maybe five, ten minutes. It’s hard to say. I’m a little freaked-out here—not really watching the clock. ”
Helen’s tone was confident, giving Jackie a bit of relief. “I’ll send help, but you need to do what you can to slow the poison. ”
“How?”
“Magic. ”
“I don’t have any. I keep telling you that. ”
“You have to take his luceria. ”
Jackie closed her eyes, seeking for some reason to deny her sister’s advice. “I can’t do that. ”
“He could die, Jackie. I know you don’t want that. ”
“Of course I don’t, but this is too much to ask. ”
“There’s no time to argue,” said Helen. “It doesn’t have to be permanent. All you have to do is promise him you’ll wear it for a little while. Tap into his power and hold off the poison until help arrives. The Sanguinar can patch him up, good as new. ”
“You really think this is possible. ”
“I know it is. You can do this. ”
There really was no other choice. Iain was dying as she spoke. His pulse had slowed even more since she’d stopped the truck. “Okay. Tell me what I need to do. And then send help. I may not be able to do anything for him. ”
“It will all be fine. I know it will. ”
Jackie wished she were half as sure as her sister.
She listened to Helen’s instructions, then hung up the phone. She could do this. It was only a small thing—not even as hard as most of what she’d had to do in those caves to keep the kids alive. By comparison, this was going to be a walk in the park.
Her fingers shook as she reached one hand to his throat, where the shimmering band lay close to his skin. She could feel it humming, leaping toward her as she neared.
It really was beautiful. Simple. Elegant. The slippery length felt warm. She hadn’t worn a necklace since before her capture. The ugly scars around her neck made it seem silly. Why bring attention to something she wanted to hide? She used to wear them all the time, and she suffered through a momentary, ridiculous flash of mourning for what she’d lost.
Helen said she had to want it to make the luceria come off, so she closed her eyes and pretended that her throat was lovely and smooth, and that the pale iridescence of it would glow against her skin.
The luceria opened, coming loose from his neck easily. She held it for a moment, marveling over whatever magic made the thing function, feeling the slick heat of its surface as it draped between her fingers.
She just hoped that this worked, for Iain’s sake.
There was no way she could put it on without both hands, and she didn’t dare stop touching Iain for fear that she’d hurt him more. The only option she could think of was to tuck his hand in the waistband of her slacks, hoping the contact worked both ways.
As soon as his thick fingers were lodged at her waist, she slowly removed her hands from him. She saw no sign that there were any ill effects of her solution, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The luceria went around her neck, the ends snapping together like magnets. She opened her collar enough that it could lie close to her skin, then went on to step two—the one she dreaded the most.
She had to cut him. Helen said there was no other way. Normally, the man would cut himself, but that wasn’t going to happen here. So, Jackie was left with no choice but to get the distasteful task over with as fast as possible.
She cleaned his sword with an alcohol wipe she found in the first aid kit under the seat. Cringing, she drew the sharp steel across his chest, barely nicking the skin. A few drops of blood welled up, and she used her finger to smear some across the luceria.
Now for the tricky part. Somehow, she had to get Iain to wake up and give her his vow. He’d already done it once, but Helen said she wasn’t sure if it would work, so it was best not to risk messing things up.
She leaned over him and patted his cheek. “Iain. Wake up. ”
He let out a moan, but that’s all she got.
“Iain,” she said louder, adding a bit of force behind her pats against his smooth cheek. “I need you. Wake up. ”
His eyes fluttered open, but she could see that he wasn’t aware of what was going on. His gaze slid around as if he couldn’t focus and his eyes started to close again.
“Give me your vow,” she ordered. “I need it. Give it to me. ”
He blinked a few times, confusion plain on his face. “Jackie?” Her name was barely recognizable.
“That’s right. My life for yours. Say it. ”
“No. Too late. ”
She grabbed his jaw and gave it a shake. “You listen to me, mister. You’re poisoned. I just cut you, which means the demons can smell your blood. If you don’t give me your vow, I won’t be able to help you. ” She swallowed hard, forcing herself to say the rest. “They’ll take me again, Iain. They’ll take me back to those caves. I can’t let that happen. ”
His eyes widened. Then rage painted his features, hardening them into a snarl. “No!”
“They’re coming. Give me your vow. Now, before it’s too late. ”
His nostrils flared, and his lips twisted as he struggled to get the words out. “My life…yours. ”
Relief wrapped around her, making her sway. Now there was only one thing left: her vow to him.
She’d had little time to think about her promise with all that had happened, and her mind raced now, trying to think of exactly the right thing to say. She knew this was binding, and she didn’t want to mess it up. But she also didn’t want the luceria to fall off too soon—before the Sanguinar showed and he had a chance to fully heal. She wasn’t sure he’d be up to another round of this. She was certain she wouldn’t be.
Jackie pulled in a deep breath. Iain was staring at her, but his eyes were closing under their own weight. There was a warning there, but she didn’t have the time or mental space to translate what it might be. He was hardly even conscious, mostly incoherent, so whatever warning he gave, she’d likely already considered it herself.
“I won’t let you die, Iain. I promise to stay with you until you’re as good as new. ” Just like Helen had said.
The luceria slid against her skin, shrinking to fit close. His eyes opened wide, and she swore she saw fear reflected in his gaze. And then she saw nothing at all, as the world dissolved and melted away.
Jackie tried to figure out what had gone wrong. She’d done everything Helen had said, but somehow, she’d been flung away from Iain, landing inside an old farmhouse.
She stood there for a long moment, trying to get her bearings. She spun around, not recognizing anything. Where was she? Where was Iain?
Lanterns lit the space, showing her she was in an old kitchen. On a small table was a single candle flickering over a simple meal. Some kind of soup steamed in the bowls, and a loaf of bread sat between them.
The back door opened and Iain walked in.
Relief settled over her, making her sag. “You’re okay. ” But how could he be? She hadn’t done anything yet.
Iain said nothing to her. His clothing was different. Old-fashioned. His hair was longer. He removed a hat and set it on a bench by the back door. He didn’t even glance at her.
“Serena? I’m back,” he called.
“Coming!” said a woman’s voice from upstairs.
“What’s going on, Iain?” asked Jackie. “Where are we?”
He said nothing, completely ignoring her.
“How did you get rid of the poison?” she asked.
The woman came down the steps an
d Jackie turned around. The breath left her body and the whole world seemed to grow dim by comparison.
Serena was the most beautiful woman Jackie had ever seen. She was almost ethereal, so perfect that there was no way she could be real. Her red hair fell in loose curls to her tiny waist. The dress she wore was also old-fashioned, but accentuated her curves perfectly, especially her bust, which rose up from the tight bodice. Her skin was flawless, her features feminine and elegant, and her mouth was a deep, rosy pink.
She raced forward as if Jackie wasn’t even there. Jackie tried to move out of the doorway, but there was no room. She braced herself for an impact, but none came. Serena moved right through her and threw herself into Iain’s waiting embrace.
Serena had passed through Jackie, as if she were some kind of ghost.
Jackie was distracted by shock for a second before she realized that this wasn’t real. This was a vision. Helen had mentioned it, but Jackie had been so busy memorizing the steps to tap into Iain’s magic, she hadn’t really digested every last detail.
Jackie forced herself to relax. All she wanted was to get back to the real Iain and try to find a way to slow the poison. She didn’t have time for visions or dreams, especially of Iain alone with a woman too beautiful to be real.
Iain pulled back from their hug, smiling down at Serena as if she were the center of his universe. And that smile made him simply gorgeous. He had a dimple in his left cheek—one Jackie had never seen before. Jealousy hit her before she had time to realize it had happened. Iain was hers now. She’d dragged his heavy body into the truck, done that stupid ceremony, and tied herself to him. How dare he go hugging another woman like that? Smiling at her? He’d never smiled at Jackie. Not even once. And he sure as hell had never looked at her the way he was looking at Serena. If it hadn’t been so sweet, it would have been nauseating.
“Tonight?” he asked her, eagerness clear in his voice.
She nodded, grinning up at him. “Tonight. We’ve waited long enough, don’t you think?”
“More than,” he agreed, and stepped back, pulling his sword.
“Oh, no. You’re not going to ruin this for me by rushing things. First dinner. You haven’t eaten all day. ”
“Dinner can wait. I want to see you wear it now. ” He traced a finger over Serena’s neck. “It’s going to look so pretty here. ”
It took Jackie a minute to catch up, but she realized they were talking about Serena taking his luceria. This was all in the past. That explained the old clothes and lack of electric lighting.
Iain bowed his head and kissed her. She rose to him as if she’d been dying for a taste of him. His hands slid around her.
A sour churning started in Jackie’s stomach.
Serena pressed her palms against his chest. “If we don’t stop, we’ll ruin all of my plans. ”
“Your plans? I’ve been trying to get you to do this for three years. ”
“You know how Mother felt about us. But I shall be worth the wait. You’ll see. ”
He set her back down with a begrudging sigh. “I want this to be perfect for you—a night you’ll always remember with fondness. ”