so much I don't know, and no one to tell me what to do. Sometimes, I feel so lost." Her green eyes turned sad. "I just hope I'm making a difference."
Hearing someone of her power tell me she felt lost did not inspire me. Maybe that was why people in her position usually confused their companions with vague half-riddles, giving the impression of knowing everything, when, in reality, they didn't know what the hell was going on either. Nightliss had some answers, but nowhere near all of them. I suspected not even Daelissa had all the answers. It both reassured and frightened the padooky out of me.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Even if I couldn't save myself, I could ensure Felicia survived. "You are making a difference, Nightliss." I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Whatever happens, I have faith in you. Without you, Vadaemos would have killed me. We all owe you our lives."
Tears glistened in her eyes. "It means so much to know you believe in me, Justin."
Taking one last look at the little angel who could, I turned and left the cabin. Elyssa was on me the second I stepped outside.
"What did she say?"
"She can help Felicia."
Her expression froze, as if waiting for me to continue. When I didn't, her lips parted ever so slightly. "And you?"
I squeezed her hands and tried to speak, but my throat went dry at the pained look on her face.
"No," she said, her voice dead. "No, please." Tears gathered in her eyes.
"She can't help me," I said, wishing more than anything else it wasn't true.
"Why?" She shook her head and jerked away. "It doesn't make any sense!" Elyssa headed for the door. "She'd better have a damned good reason—"
I looped an arm around her waist and pulled her back. "Elyssa, don't. She needs to recover."
"She needs to cure you, damn it!"
"She can't, okay?" I took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "She can't, love. She can't." My hand moved of its own accord to tuck a loose strand of raven hair behind her ear. "Nightliss doesn't even know how the curse will affect me. And who knows? Maybe I'll fight it off since I'm not entirely human." A vile, cold feeling wormed its way up my leg as though the curse wanted a say in this conversation. "For now, I intend to help Felicia." I told her about our need for her sire.
"You're sick, possibly dying from the vampling virus, and you want to go for round two with Maximus?" She pushed me away. "What's wrong with you?"
"Aside from my general insanity? Nothing." My hands clenched at my sides. "Even if the curse kills me, I plan to help Felicia and kick Maximus's smug ass."
"That's your brilliant plan?"
I nodded. "Yep. Will you help me?"
Tears clouded her eyes, streaming silently down her cheeks. The anger in her face softened. She nodded. "You don't even have to ask." Her left hand took mine. Pressed it to her cheek. "I will be with you until the end, my love."
Her words brought back the image of that fateful dream, vision, or whatever it had been when I'd nearly died while Meghan used my blood to save Stacey from a festering hellhound bite. The angelic dream version of Elyssa had said that very thing. It burdened me with the foreknowledge of my own doom. And yet, it lightened my heart with comfort to know she would be there.
"What does your father plan to do about Maximus?" I asked, pulling my thoughts back on track.
"He's mobilizing. Michael," she said, her lip curling into a snarl at his name, "said Father had half of the Atlanta legion in Colombia to help with this assault. They're still performing perimeter duty to be sure the threat of a vampling outbreak is contained, but he's prepping to send them back to Atlanta today."
"Good. I hope he has plans for an urban assault. The area around Maximus's Atlanta lair won't be as easy to seal off. And if a news helicopter catches wind of a battle erupting, even the Custodians are gonna have a heck of a time containing it."
"It's tricky, but it's nothing new to my father."
"Was that a hint of pride I heard in your voice?" I asked, winking.
Elyssa rolled her eyes. "Maybe. He might be a crusty old bullheaded ass, but he's also pretty good at his job."