Page 45 of Crossing Between
The look on Kenji's face at finding us in such an intimate position might have been comical under other circumstances. His eyes widened, then narrowed, before settling on Zoey with such naked relief I was afraid the big guywould fall over.
We both loved her. And somehow, she seemed to care for all of us. Even though each of us had our own issues.
Varon pushed past him, kneeling beside me to examine Zoey. "How bad?" he was already rolling up his sleeve.
"She'll live." My eyes never left Zoey's face. "But she's going to need time to heal."
I held Zoey's hand as Varon knelt beside us, his eyes intense with concentration as he assessed her condition. His centuries of existence had given him medical knowledge that rivaled my own, though in different areas. Where I understood the healing of physical wounds, Varon understood life force itself.
"She's dangerously depleted," he confirmed, his voice low and tense. His fingers touched her wrist, checking her pulse with unnecessary precision, we both knew it was weak. "More than simple exhaustion."
Kenji hovered anxiously behind him, his massive frame seeming too large for the narrow corridor. His usual exuberance had vanished, replaced by a tightly coiled tension that threatened to snap at any moment.
Varon's eyes met mine across Zoey's prone form. "I need to give her blood."
I nodded grimly. Vampire blood had regenerative properties that human blood lacked. It would help her recover much faster than she would on her own.
Varon turned his attention to Zoey, who was watching him through half-lidded eyes. His expression softened slightly as he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead with uncharacteristic gentleness.
"I'm afraid you're not going to like this, little one," his voice gentler than I'd ever heard it, "but I need to give you some of my blood to help replenish what you lost."
Zoey's face immediately scrunched up in disgust. "Gross," she muttered, but she didn't protest further as Varonbit into his own wrist, his fangs slicing through his skin with practiced ease.
Blood welled from the wound, dark and rich with power. He held his wrist to her lips.
"Drink," he commanded softly. "It won't taste as bad as you think."
She hesitated for only a moment before she complied, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips to his wrist. I watched as she swallowed once, twice, three times. Even that small effort seemed to tax her remaining strength.
"We're all lucky I like you guys," she grumbled against his skin between sips, her voice barely audible.
A small smile tugged at my lips despite the gravity of the situation. Even now, drained and barely conscious, her spirit remained unbroken.
After another moment, Varon gently pulled his wrist away. The wound had already closed, his vampiric healing sealing the skin within seconds. He wiped a drop of blood from her lower lip with his thumb.
"That should be enough," his clinical tone returned as he addressed Kenji and me. "She won't need any human blood to replenish with. My blood is potent enough."
The ancient vampire didn't elaborate, but I understood. Varon was one of the oldest vampires in existence. His blood carried power that few others could match. It would accelerate her healing beyond what normal vampire blood could accomplish.
Color was already returning to Zoey's cheeks, the gray pallor receding. Her breathing grew stronger, more regular. The effect was almost immediate, though I knew she'd still need time to fully recover.
Kenji finally moved closer, dropping to his knees beside us. He reached out to take Zoey's other hand, squeezingit gently.
"We're all lucky," his voice rough with emotion as he echoed her earlier words, "but you're the lucky one to have us, you know."
The teasing lilt in his voice couldn't quite mask the depth of feeling behind the words. I knew exactly how he felt. In the short time since Zoey had crashed into our lives, she'd become essential to all of us in different ways.
A weak smile curved her lips as her eyes fluttered between the three of us. "Yeah," she agreed softly, her voice already stronger than it had been minutes ago. "I am lucky."
Her gaze lingered on each of us in turn. Kenji with his fierce protectiveness, Varon with his ancient eyes that had seen so much, and finally, me. I saw recognition there, and something deeper that made my heart ache in my chest.
Then her eyes drifted closed, her expression peaceful as she slipped into sleep. Her hand went limp in mine, but her pulse remained steady and strong beneath my fingers.
"She'll sleep now," Varon stood fluidly. "The blood will work better that way."
I nodded, still holding her hand. "I'll stay with her."
Chapter 31: Zoey
