them. We don’t want any artificial lights on, just the candles. Gabrielle, mix the herbs together in the bowl. We need the scents to blend.”
Traian rocked Joie gently, holding her close, murmuring softly to her in his mind. He had done his best to heal her body enough to get her through the conversion. This was their moment. The conversion could easily kill her if she was too weak.
Gary put his hand on Traian’s shoulder as if reading his thoughts. “She is strong. Her will is strong. Joie was a surprise to Valenteen. She was wonderful, unbelievable. She didn’t even hesitate. It never occurred to a vampire that a woman would stand between others and danger. And he certainly never thought she would be willing to plunge a knife into his heart.”
“She used my memories,” Traian explained as he mixed healing saliva into the soil and packed the wounds in Joie’s throat with fresh soil. “She flattered him and stalled him, hoping I would get there in time. And when I didn’t, she did what she always does, she courageously put herself in harm’s way in order to get close enough to make certain she destroyed him.”
Gary took handfuls of the mixture and packed more into Traian’s chest. “Even with all I know, the draw to go to him was so powerful, I doubt that we would have survived.”
“He was a master vampire and he ran with another much more powerful master.” Traian lifted his head to look at Gary. “I never saw the other one clearly. He took my blood in the cave, yet he stayed in the shadows. I saw him for one moment earlier and if it is the warrior I remember from long ago, he is extremely dangerous. Keep Jubal away from him. Protect Joie’s siblings. I cannot go near our prince. You will have to relay to him all information. Until the vampire is found, and I very much doubt that he will remain in this country now, I will stay away from Mikhail. We cannot take a chance with his life.”
“He won’t see it the same way,” Gary pointed out.
“You know I am right. He should not chance his life by entering into battles in the way that he does. His purpose is to serve and lead our people, not hunt the vampire. We have many hunters and only one leader. His brother is strong and powerful, but he has been damaged by the torture he endured. He cannot lead. If the vampire or humans managed to kill Mikhail, I fear our race would be mortally wounded.”
Traian smoothed his hand over Joie’s hair. He was reluctant to bring her over when she was so close to death. If he failed . . .
“You have no choice,” Gary said. “She will die either way.”
“Explain it to them. They shouldn’t be here,” Traian said.
Traian didn’t look up at Gary to see if he agreed or not. He gathered Joie into his arms. You must accept my blood, Joie. This will convert you to my race, and it is not a pleasant experience to go through.
He felt her touch, gentle, tender, on his face, yet she lay motionless in his arms. A faint smile appeared in his mind as if she found his warning amusing.
“He will take her blood and then give her his own,” Gary said. “Her human body will die and if this works, she will become fully Carpathian. The process can be brutal on the body. Once he starts, there is no turning back,” he added gently to Gabrielle. “It is best if you leave. This will be painful for you to watch.”
“We stay,” Jubal said. “The vampire may try to attack him again and in any case, if Joie goes through this, we stay to protect her.”
Gabrielle nodded. “We won’t interfere.”
Traian turned his body slightly, not wanting to drain his strength further by masking what he was doing from her siblings. If they chose to stay, they would see how very difficult the transition was regardless.
The soothing aroma from the herbs and candles mixed through the room, driving out the foul stench of the vampire. Gary began to softly chant in the ancient language of the Carpathian people. The sounds of chanting filled Traian’s mind as other voices, far away, joined on the common communication path in the age-old healing chant.
I offer life, Joie. Traian bent his head and sank his teeth above her breast, right where her pulse beat, shallow and slow.