Page 34 of From the Shadows
“And yet you see the evidence with your own eyes,” Diego said wearily. Hiding the vein took a lot of effort, and he’d need to sleep a couple of days to get that energy back, but he’d shown once again he was the master of his body.
Mostly.
Dr. Oliver was right about one thing. Diego’s tank was empty now. Shay’s blood, as amazing as it was, barely touched the insatiable hunger. In fact, Diego was starting to think nothing would ever be able to quell it.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but what you just did isn’t possible,” Dr. Oliver barked. “You might know a trick to hide it, but that’s all it is.”
And he was right. Diego had learned over the centuries that not feeding wasn’t conducive to keeping healthy. He did his best to be a couch potato, as Jeremy called it, to allow him to conserve as much energy as possible, and he only used it when situations forced him to. Fortunately, of all the abilities Diego possessed, misting took the least amount of energy. However, in his rage over seeing those people who’d been slaughtered, he’d done dozens of mists in a row,plus the displays of physical strength as he ended the lives of the vampires, mostly by tearing their heads from their bodies. That had sucked it all away, leaving him hovering near death.
The small amount of blood he’d received from Shay had been enough to allow him to function, but nowhere near at any level where he’d be useful. Right now it was all he could do to stand, and judging by Shay’s expression, he knew it.
“I’m going to my room to rest,” Diego said quietly. “Shay? Can you take me?”
“Of course.”
“This isn’t over, Diego!” Dr. Oliver snarled. “I’ll be talking with Empatia.”
He turned to the doctor, needing him to leave before Diego fell flat on his face. “And telling her what, exactly? The vein you thought you saw wasn’t there? I’m fine, Doctor. Your services are no longer required. Have a good day.”
Dr. Oliver sneered, then stormed away, and a moment later, the front door slammed.
Before they could chime in, Diego leveled a gaze at Ranna and Borne. “I’m going to leave the report to you two. I’ll be out of touch for a bit.”
“Diego, you need?—”
“I appreciate your concern, Ranna. Really. But I’m fine.” He gave a sharp nod. “Shay, if you please.”
Shay lifted Diego’s arm and laid it over his shoulder, then headed for the stairs.
“I’m not going to be able to make it to my room,” he whispered, knowing Shay deserved honesty.
“Why are you lying to everyone?”
He sighed. “Because I’m the leader. I can’t be seen as weak.”
It amazed Diego how deftly Shay was able to traverse the way while accepting the bulk of his weight. Once again, he’d misjudged Shay because he was shorter and far slenderer. Diego figured that equated to him being physically weaker, but he doubted anyone would be able to tell that by the way he manhandled Diego.
When they got to Diego’s room, Shay pushed Diego onto thebed. When Diego got comfortable, he glanced up at Shay, who stood there, storm clouds in his expression.
“You’re unbelievable,” he groused. “Secrets and lies seem to be your stock in trade.”
He wasn’t wrong. “In order to survive for all this time, blending in is key.”
Shay crossed his arms, his expression thunderous. “How did you do it?”
That was a secret Diego had never shared with anyone. “After I was… changed, I hid away. As the months went by, I grew hungrier and hungrier. I tried animal blood, but that barely took the edge off, and excessive deaths raised far too many questions that I stopped. I noticed that if I slept, I gained energy in minute amounts. So, let’s say I slept for a week, I’d have enough strength to get me through a couple of days. I decided to try for a month, and what I gained lasted me nearly a week. Next I tried for a year, and that empowered me for a few months.”
“That’s how you were able to keep from attacking people. You basically hibernated.”
He was a smart man. “Yeah. Finally, I slept for almost two centuries, and that allowed me to function for several years, which brings us to the here and now. The problem is, each time I use energy to do something beyond simple stuff, I need to rest. After what happened, I’ll probably have to go for a month or so if I’m going to be of any use to the team.”
“Which, of course, will lead to questions.”
Averysmart man.
“The doctor said I blood-tied with you. I swear, I don’t know what that means.”
Shay sat on the edge of the bed. “According to him, it means you trust me on some level.”
