“Or,” Faith said quietly, “Giving him those antibodies from your blood might kill him. Right now, in a coma, maybe he can fight. We just don’t know, Grace.”
Melted snow from Benny’s boots was spreading all over the floor. “Let’s give him more blood. More is always good.”
“Agreed,” Ronan said.
Grace took a deep breath. “When do we have to decide?”
Faith reached for her arm and rubbed it reassuringly. “Not tonight. We don’t have to make any decisions tonight.”
“Not true.” Looking pissed, the king of the Realm strode down the hallway, his gaze an intense silver.
Grace took a step back out of pure instinct. Dage Kayrs wasn’t somebody you wanted mad at you. Ever. She’d only met him a couple of times, but the guy was as intimidating as anybody could ever get.
He stopped near his mate. “Ronan and Benny? Would you care to explain what you were doing in an unsanctioned Realm op this morning that pretty much blew up an entire Kurjan compound?”
“Wasn’t us,” Benny said, moving slightly to shield Grace.
“We don’t work for the Realm,” Ronan added, also shifting his weight to protect her.
The king watched the interplay without expression. “Yet here you are, asking for help.” His voice was so low and silky that the room chilled several degrees.
Ronan straightened. “We’re family, whether you like it or not.”
Dage stepped right up to him, toe-to-toe, just as big and broad. “Then you be the king, Great Uncle.”
Huh. That was weird. Sometimes Grace forgot they were related, although Dage had never heard of Ronan or the Seven until recently. Well, five years ago.
“But you’re so suited to it,” Ronan returned, his back teeth grinding.
“All right. Enough, boys.” Emma grabbed Dage by the arm while Faith set her hand on Ronan’s elbow, each woman taking her mate in hand.
Grace sighed, her legs shaking.
Benny nodded. “That’s why I don’t have a mate. It’s way too complicated.”
“Right, Benny,” the king drawled. “That’s why you don’t have a mate.”
Grace edged out from behind Benny, the tension in the room giving her a headache. “Can I see Adare?” she asked her sister.
Faith nodded. “Go ahead. We’ll handle things here.”
It might have been cowardly, but Grace took the out and all but ran inside the trauma room. Adare slept in a bed at the far end, hooked up to liquids and medical equipment. It was a sight she’d never imagined seeing. The bed was extra-large and long, no doubt created for the immortal soldiers.
Her legs faltered, but she approached the bed, taking a chair close to his head. Somebody had cleaned him up. No dirt or blood remained on his skin, and he wore a thick white T-shirt over his immortal chest. His lashes were dark against his skin, and his dark hair pillowed around him. Even his lips were paler than usual.
The soft beeping of the machinery made her want to cry. She took his hand, slipping hers into his, but he didn’t curl his fingers around it. He didn’t move at all.
The door opened, and Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood slipped inside, holding a pretty plant in her hands. Grace had met her a couple of times, and the young teenager had always been polite and ready with a smile. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Hope set the plant on the granite counter by a sink and took the other chair. “I thought you might want some company. Everyone seems so mad out there, and as usual, nobody tells me what’s going on, so I thought I’d bring you a plant.” She stared at Adare. “Immortals aren’t supposed to go into comas.”
“I know.” Grace sat back, keeping Adare’s hand. The young girl was supposedly a prophet, whatever that meant. “Do you know anything? I mean, can you read his mind?”
Hope didn’t laugh at her. “No. I can’t read minds, and I don’t know anything about Adare. Sometimes fate whispers to me, but it’s usually not helpful, not anything I want to know about. I honestly just thought I’d check on you.”
It was a kindness, that was for sure. The girl seemed older than thirteen. Maybe it was her pretty blue eyes. There was an ancient wisdom in them, tinged with a sadness most people probably never noticed. Her slim shoulders also looked as if a heavy weight pressed down on them, even though her posture was good. Perhaps Grace did see things nobody else did. She should probably spend more time on that skill, after Adare got healthy. “I want to help him, but I don’t know how.”