Page 64 of The Doctor and the Devil
He nodded and reached for Marguerite’s hand. We filed silently up the stairs, exiting through the mausoleum. The deep indigo of the night sky was beginning to lighten to a soft pewter as we made our way toward Daphne’s hidden carriage. Once outside the influence of the Judas silver, Charlotte and Antoine shifted to their wolf forms to run alongside the carriage. Étienne and Laszlo perched atop the driver’s seat, while Marguerite, Daphne and I carried Mina between us in the carriage.
The ride was an exercise in patience. Every bump and shake of the carriage jostled Mina’s body and sent fresh spikes of fear through me—what if Laszlo had been too late? What if Mina didn’t react well to the blood plague? Would the effect of that poisonous bullet prevent her from turning, or turn her into something else entirely? What if she regretted her choice?
What if she found she had eternity waiting for her, and even then, decided it was not enough time to heal from the pain I’d caused her? She’d chosen life after death…but what if she didn’t choose me?
By the time my ruined castle came into view, I was in a deep melancholy and the sun was almost at the horizon. I hadn’t been this close to the sunrise in a long time, and it was almost impossible not to admire the soft oranges and pinks and dusky purples of the sky.
“Cutting it a bit close, brother,” Laszlo grunted, coming down from the driver’s seat.
Charlotte and Antoine padded up next to us and shifted back to human form.
“Well, this is charming, but you seem to be missing a roof, Rafael,” Charlotte observed.
“The entrance is at the top of the tower. Laszlo and I will shift and fly you all up. I’ll take Mina first, and then come back for the rest of you,” I said, not bothering to wait for their acknowledgement. I exploded into my large bat form and picked up Mina’s body in my claws. Behind me, I heard Laszlo change as well, and saw him grab Charlotte and Marguerite in his beastly hands.
We entered the tower, and I summoned Guillaume, explaining everything as quickly as I could. Though I was loathe to do it, I handed Mina’s cold, still body to him and leapt back up the tower to pick up Daphne and Étienne. Laszlo was on my heels with Antoine in his claws just as the first rays of sunlight crested the horizon. I threw the stone door in place just in time. Exhausted beyond words, I led our group through the halls of my home, assigning them guest rooms as we went. I instructed the household staff to bring blood and fresh meat to everyone, as well as draw hot baths.
“Rest for the day, my friends,” I said. “We will dine together after sundown. Then, I will be happy to show you the rest of my home. Please be comfortable here. If you should need anything, my staff will gladly attend to you.”
I bowed stiffly and headed on swift feet to the guest room where I’d had Guillaume bring Mina. Already, the maids had come in and removed her bloodied clothing and changed her into a simple cotton chemise. She was tucked into the large bed while one of the maids stoked the fire in the fireplace. The young girl wasn’t surprised to see me arrive, but merely rose and inclined her head.
“I’ve made her as comfortable as possible,” she said forlornly. “But her wounds…”
“She will recover,” I said. “She is cursed now.”
The maid’s eyes widened, and she nodded quickly, then hurried from the room.
Exhausted, depleted, I came to the side of the bed and fell to my knees. Here, alone, I let my despair and fear wash over me as I clasped her hand.
“I never wanted this for you, Mina,” I whispered, bloody tears coming hot and fast. “I never wanted you to have to leave your world behind for me. How I have tainted you and your future—all because I could not bear to be apart from you. All because I was afraid of hurting you. And no matter how much I wanted to protect you, you still ended up here. Forgive me, my love. Please forgive me. I will spend the rest of eternity earning your forgiveness, even if you wish to banish me from your sight. I will give you all the time in the world to come back to me. But please, Mina…please come back to me.”
Her breathing had stilled, and the heat of fever had waned—a sign that her mortal body was dying. Even as I hoped the transformation would go well and she would recover quickly, I still mourned the death of her human self. It was the Mina I’d fallen in love with, the Mina I’d dreamed of marrying, the Mina whose blue eyes turned silver like a storm at sea when she was angry. The Mina who loved little almond cakes and small bouquets of yellow daisies, even though she would never admit such small romantic gestures delighted her. The Mina who fought harder than everyone for what was right. The Mina who had the strength for others when they fell to weakness. Ever logical, ever curious, ever questioning, ever loyal and loving Mina.
I wasn’t sure how long I stayed there on my knees at her bed. It felt like a few moments and an eternity at the same time. Eventually, Charlotte came in—somewhat rested and restored, and damp from a bath. She told me to sleep and feed, which I refused until she insisted that Mina wouldn’t want me to deteriorate at her bedside when nothing could be done.
“Besides,” she said. “If she wakes, I hardly think you’ll want to greet her looking likethat. Do have yourself a bath, Rafael.”
She crawled into the bed on Mina’s other side and withdrew a romance novel from her skirts. She began reading out loud as if Mina was awake, even though I was sure she knew Mina would have been too embarrassed to read something so salacious.
Despite my melancholy, the ghost of a smile played about my lips, and I allowed Charlotte some time to grieve for the woman that we both loved. I expected Daphne would be along in time, as well, which gave me a measure of comfort while I dragged myself into my bedchamber. There was a bath waiting for me and two large decanters of blood, which I devoured. The Judas silver had leeched much of my strength, and the blood helped to restore some of it, as would a few hours of rest.
Sending a silent prayer to my long-abandoned gods for Mina’s health, I quickly washed and slipped beneath the covers. It wasn’t long before sleep wrapped me in its drugging embrace and pulled me under.
I woke to the sounds of bare feet padding toward my bedroom door. Before the knock came, I threw on my banyan and rushed to yank the door open. Daphne stumbled back a step, startled.
“She—she’s awake,” she said.
Without another word, I ran to the guest room where I heard Charlotte chattering excitedly and soft, rasping laughter from Mina.
Mina.
She was sitting up in bed, her long dark hair thrown over her shoulder and her blue eyes sparkling. She looked a touch pale and drawn, but considering she’d come back from the precipice of Death, she looked remarkably well.
The relief I felt staggered me, stealing my strength almost as much as the cell of Judas silver. I gripped the door frame and took a steadying breath, determined not to collapse and come apart. Charlotte looked up and saw me, and fortunately had the good grace not to tease me at that moment.
“We’ll talk later,” she promised Mina, winking at me as she and Daphne left the room. In the silence of their wake, I could only stare, unsure if I was dreaming or if this was truly happening.
MINA
