He had scarcely been aware of his wounds, blocking all pain until he could ensure Joie’s safety. He obliged Gary, mixing his healing saliva with the mineral rich soil of his homeland. Gary hastily made a paste, noting Gabrielle watched his every movement carefully.
“You’ll have to sit up for me,” Gary said. “I’ll put this in your chest and then on her neck. You’ll need to go inside her to heal from the inside out to stop her losing any more blood before you convert her.” He spoke the obvious to the Carpathian so that Joie’s siblings would understand what was about to take place.
Traian nodded tersely. “Hurry. Her spirit is moving away from me.”
Gary packed the wad of mud tight into the hole in Traian’s chest under Gabrielle’s watchful gaze.
“He has a healing agent in his saliva,” Gary informed her as he worked. “Teeth can inject the anticoagulant needed to keep the blood flowing and saliva can heal it. Combined with their natural soil, it is a better healing agent than anything we’ve got for them.”
“Joie isn’t Carpathian,” Gabrielle said. “The risk for her to get an infection could be very high.” There was more question than statement in her observation.
“Traian will have to bring her across to his world. She’s more than halfway there,” Gary said as he packed Joie’s wound. “He’s holding her to us through sheer will, which is why I’m explaining all this to you, not him. He can’t expend energy talking.”
He looked around him. They were in the hall with a good part of the inn damaged and people milling around in shock. Mirko Ostojic rushed down the hall toward them, a shotgun in his hands. Behind him, Slavica, his wife, and their daughter Angelina herded the guests away from the area.
“Tell us what to do to help,” Mirko said.
Gary answered him. “Tell your guests that the storm damaged this part of the inn and the noise was thunder and lightning hitting the roof and going through to the first story. You have to keep them away from here, Mirko. The bats living in the eaves in this area came in, frightened by the lightning.”
The innkeeper nodded and indicated Jubal and Joie. “Should I send for a doctor?”
Gary shook his head. “We’ve got this under control.” He turned his attention back to the Carpathian hunter as the innkeeper went back down the hall. “I’ll protect your body while you do your best to heal her wounds, Traian,” he said. “Mikhail is sending Falcon.”
“No,” Traian shook his head adamantly. “Tell Falcon to stay with the prince. There is another master close by, looking for a chance to kill Mikhail. Above all else, Falcon must protect him. We must do this ourselves.”
Gary sighed. “So be it. Jubal, get on the other side of the hall and keep everyone away from us. No more than twenty feet in.”
Traian blocked out all sound. Gary had shown remarkable knowledge of their ways and he had no other choice but to trust him. Still . . . Jubal, I will be out of my body. I do not know this man enough to put Joie’s life in his hands. Keep watch.
Will do. Just save her. Jubal glanced at his sister. “Gabrielle, come here by me.”
“I want to see what he’s doing,” Gabrielle said. “I’m a doctor.”
“I need you here,” Jubal reiterated firmly.
Gabrielle squeezed her sister’s cold hand. “Save her, Traian,” she whispered and reluctantly climbed to her feet to go to her brother.
Jubal touched her shoulder gently in reassurance. Tell me if anyone comes toward us. I’m going to keep an eye on Gary, just in case. I don’t know what’s about to happen, but Traian will be in some danger and he wants my protection.
Gabrielle gave him the briefest of nods. It was obvious she didn’t want to take her eyes from her sister, but Jubal made sense. She liked Gary, but she didn’t know him. They had thrown their lot in with Traian and only he appeared to be able to save Joie’s life.
Traian blocked out everything, the wreckage of the room, the few remaining insects buzzing around, the bat clinging to the ceiling and the three humans surrounding him. There was only Joie and her cold body, her life slipping away. He had to repair the damage done in order to give her the strength needed for the conversion. He left his own body, a mere shell, damaged and bleeding, behind, to become pure spirit. His body