God, he felt like death.
"Pool, anyone?" he said numbly.
"Fuck, yeah."
"Absolutely."
Jane stepped in and gave him a quick hug. "Count me in."
Guess he wasn't the only one desperate for a distraction.
Chapter Fifty-five
As Payne sat on something padded with her hands in her lap, she surmised that she was in a car because the subtle vibrating sensation was similar to what she had felt when she had traveled beside Manuel in his Porsche. She could not visually confirm such, however, because just as the Bloodletter's soldier had promised, she was blindfolded. The scent of the male in charge was beside her, however; although he was frozen in place, so someone else had to be piloting the vehicle.
Naught had happened to her in the intervening hours betwixt their confrontation and this ride now: She had passed the daylight time sitting on the leader's bed, knees tucked in against her chest, both of the guns next to her on the rough blanket. No one had bothered her, however, so after a while she'd stopped prickling at each noise from above and relaxed some.
Thoughts of Manuel had soon commanded the majority of her attention, and she had played and replayed scenes from their tooshort time together until her heart ached from the agony. Before she'd known it, though, the leader came back down to her and asked her if she required a repast before they left.
No, she hadn't wanted to eat.
Thereafter, he had blindfolded her with a pristine white cloth - one so clean and lovely that it made her wonder where he had come up with it. And then he took her elbow in a firm grip and led her slowly up the stairs he had carried her down previously.
It was hard to know exactly how long they had been in the car. Twenty minutes? Maybe a half hour?
"Here," the leader said eventually.
Upon his command, whatever they were in slowed, then stopped, and a door was unlatched. As fresh, cool air wafted in, her elbow was taken once again and she was steadied as she stepped out. The door shut and there was a bang - as if a fist had been knocked on a part of the vehicle.
Spinning tires kicked up dirt onto her robe.
And then she was alone with the leader.
Although he was silent, she sensed him moving behind her, and the fabric about her head was loosened. As it fell free, her breath caught.
"I thought if you were to be released, it should be upon a view worthy of your pale eyes."
The entire city of Caldwell was revealed down below them, its twinkling lights and streaming traffic a glorious feast for her vision. Indeed, they were upon the shoulders of a small mountain rise, with the city sprawling out at their veritable feet by the banks of the river.
"This is lovely," she whispered, glancing over at the soldier.
As he stood a ways away, he was remote to the point of being removed, his disfigurement hidden in the shadows he had stepped back into. "Fare thee well, Chosen."
"And you ... I still know not your name."
"True enough." He gave her a half bow. "Good evening."
With that he was gone, dematerializing away from her.
After a moment, she turned back to the view, and wondered where in the city Manuel was. It would be in the thicket of tall buildings, so going by the bridge's location, it would be ... there.
Yes, there.
Lifting her hand, she drew an invisible circle around the tall, thin construction of glass and steel that she was certain was where he lived.
As her chest pained her and she became breathless, she tarried a moment longer and then scattered north and east, toward the Brotherhood's compound. There was no enthusiasm to the trip, just an abiding obligation to inform her twin that she was in fact alive and unharmed.
When she took form on the stone steps of the vast mansion, she approached the double doors with a strange dread. She was grateful to be back to a home of sorts, but the absence of her male hollowed out any of the joy she should have felt at the reconnections that were to come.
After she rang the bell, the door into the vestibule immediately unlatched and she was able to step out of the night -
The second, inner door was opened even quicker by the smiling butler.
"Madam!" he cried out.
As she entered a foyer that had charmed her from the moment she'd first seen it days ago, she had a brief impression of her shocked twin leaping into the archway of the billiards room.
Brief was all she got of him, however.
Some great force knocked Vishous out of the way so hard he went flying, the glass in his hand popping out of his hold, whatever drink was in it spraying into the air.
Manuel ripped into the foyer, his body surging forth, the expression on his face one of disbelief and terror and relief all at once.
Except it made no sense that he was running toward her, no sense that he was here in the -
He had her in his arms before she could finish the thought, and oh, fate, he smelled the same, that dark spice that was unique to him and him alone flooding her senses. And his shoulders were just as wide as she remembered. And his waist just as lean. And his embrace just as wonderful about her.
His strong body shook as he held her tightly for a moment and then he backed off as if he were afraid he was injuring her.
His eyes were frantic. "Are you all right? What can I do for you? Do you need a doctor? Are you hurt - I'm asking too many questions - I'm sorry. God ... what happened? Where did you go? Shit, I have to stop ..."
As romantic reunions went, perhaps those were not the flowery words some females would want to hear, but to her, they meant everything in the world.
"Why ever are you here?" she whispered, putting her hands to his face.
"Because I love you."
In so many ways, that explained nothing ... and told her everything she needed to know.
Abruptly, she jerked her hands back. "But what about what I've done to your body - "
"I don't care. We'll work with it - figure it out - but I was wrong about you and me. I was a pu**y - a coward, and I was wrong and I'm so f**k - damned sorry. Shit." He shook his head. "I have to stop cursing. Oh, God, your robe ..."
She glanced down and saw the black blood of the slayers she'd killed, as well as the red stain that was of her own.
"I am whole and I am well," she said clearly. "And I love you - "
Cutting her off, he kissed her on the mouth solemnly. "Say that again. Please."
"I love you."
As he groaned and wrapped his arms back around her, Payne felt within her heart a great welling of warmth and gratitude, and she let the emotion carry her against him. And whilst they embraced, she looked over the shoulder of her male. Her brother was standing with his own shellan at his side.
Meeting the eyes of her twin, she read all of the questions and fears in his stare.
"I am uninjured," she told both her male and her twin.
"What happened?" Manuel asked against her hair. "I found your phone smashed up."
"You were looking for me?"
"Of course I was." He inched back. "Your brother called me at dawn."
All at once she was surrounded by people, as if some gong had gone off and called into the foyer all the males and females of the house. No doubt the commotion of her arrival had summoned them, and they had stayed in the periphery out of respect.
It was clear there were more than just two minds to put at rest.
And that made her feel as if she were a part of this family.
"I was down at the river," she said loudly enough so that all could hear, "when I caught the scent of the enemy. Drawn to them, I traversed the alleyways and set upon two lessers." She felt Manuel stiffen and saw her brother do likewise. "It felt good to fight - "
At this, she hesitated. Except the king nodded. And so did a powerful female with short hair - as if she, too, fought in the war and knew both the drive and the satisfaction. The Brothers, however, clearly felt uncomfortable.
She continued. "Upon me there arrived a group of males - strong backed, well-weaponed, indeed, a squadron of soldiers. The leader was very tall, with dark eyes and dark hair and a" - she put her hand to her mouth - "defect of his upper lip."
Now the cursing started - and as it did, she wished she'd been able to use the seeing bowls on the Other Side more before she'd left. Clearly, the male she described was not unknown to them, and not welcomed in her narrative.
"He apprehended me - " There were not one, but two growls at that - from her twin and from Manuel. And as she soothed the male who stood so close to her, she looked at her brother. "He was under the misunderstanding that I had wrought a calamity upon his bloodline. He believed he was the Bloodletter's son - and he'd been a witness to the night I brought death upon our sire. Verily, he had searched for me with vengeance for centuries."