Page 50 of Night of the Vampire
"Go see for yourself." With a halfhearted smile, he walked away. I heard his door close a second later.
Following him down the hall, I knocked on Kenya's door before I opened it.
She was sitting up in bed, her thick-rimmed glasses on her face, reading a book Jamal must've snagged for her from somewhere. Or, she had been reading. It was face down on the bed beside her and her hands were twisted together in her lap. I could tell she wasn't cured, not by a long shot, but Lizzy's blood had bought us some much-needed time.
"How are you?" I asked as I brought her tea in to her.
"That's what I was about to ask you," she told me.
I joined her on the bed and gave her a shrug. "I'm mated to a witch who hates me."
"Funny you say that, because I can smell her all over you."
"Parts of her hate me," I amended. "Other parts, not so much."
She laughed a little, then became deadly serious. "Killian, I'm so sorry. If I had known she was yours..."
"I didn't even know, how could you have?"
"I should've stopped feeding. I was just so thirsty, and for the first time it tasted so good...I just couldn't stop."
I grabbed her hand. "Kenya, it's all right. I made you do it. I forced you both to do it. And I'm glad. Looking at you here, now, I'm so glad I did."
"That's good," she told me. "I don't think I'm quite ready to be dead dead just yet. I've had this feeling that something is coming my way. Something good. And I don't want to miss out."
"Well, we'll have to make sure that you don't."
"Thank you." She gave me a smile, and I returned it.
"Is there anything else you need before I go try to get some sleep?"
"I would love a shower," she told me. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to lend me a hand?"
"I could do that," I told her. "If you feel up to it and, of course, you don't mind my seeing you in all your glory." I grinned at her and she grinned back.
"You're the only one I would trust implicitly right now. Because if you've found your mate, and the lore is true, there ain't nothing on this body that will do a thing for you. Especially because I'm kinda gross right now."
"You are at that," I teased her. "Let's get you cleaned up, then." I found her some clean, comfortable clothes then went back to the bed to help her get to the bathroom. "You're going to have to help me with the hair," I told her as I slipped an arm around her and steadied her as she stood. "I know absolutely nothing about black hair and all the stuff you use in it."
"At this point, I'll just be glad to have it clean."
Jamal opened his bedroom door as we passed. "I'll get some clean sheets on the bed while you guys do that."
"I don't deserve you," Kenya told him.
He winked at her. "You got that right. I had to pause my show for this."
I got Kenya stripped and in the shower in record time. Once she was steady enough for a few minutes, I got her towels and took off my shirt, then got in with her to help her get cleaned up.
"You're right," I told her as I helped her wash her hair.
"About what?"
"I'll readily admit, you're a beautiful woman, Kenya, but I don't feel one damn stir of lust looking at you."
"I'll try not to take that personally."
A short while later, she was clean and back in bed. That small act had taken most of her energy though, and her eyes were already closing as Jamal and I got her settled and gathered up the dirty laundry.
