Page 18 (1/2)

Blinking, Seth stared at Marcus This was concern for Aed Seth to take her off his hands only an hour earlier

"Well?" Marcus prodded

Seth didn’t knohat to make of it Marcus’s head appeared to be firmly back on his shoulders where it should be Yet Seth hadn’t expected such a swift, extreme turnaround

"She’s fine"

"She isn’t fine! Look at her!"

Seth did His hands heated The cuts and scratches on her exposed face, neck, and ar only the butterfly closures, gauze bandages, and a few spots of dried blood The bruises transforreen, and disappeared without a trace

A relieved sigh wafted from Marcus "Thank you I wanted to take her to Roland, but she refused She wouldn’t agree to see one of the doctors at the network either"

"Aoing to say fear, but it’s really more like hatred"

"Roland isn’t a doctor"

"No But all A his visits with Sebastien" Which were notoriously violent

Marcus winced

"Exactly"

"Why isn’t she waking? Are you sure she’s healed?"

"Yes, this is actually a good sign"

"What do you "

Marcus looked at him with Yeah? And? sta she feels safe with me now?"

"Yes"

Marcus seated himself on the other side of the bed and fussed with Ami’s covers

"Tell me what you meant when you said the network has been infiltrated," Seth said, watching his every movement

Sli limberly onto the bed, he offered his partially bald head to both Seth and Marcus for a rub, then settled himself on Ami’s chest

"I called Reordon after you left," Marcus told Seth, as he stroked the purring cat’s back "He called soive me a ride Five minutes later, dozens of vampires descended upon me Upon us Ami ith me by then"

Chris Reordon was as loyal as they came Seth kneasn’t the one who had deceived theorously screened everyone he allowed into the network All of his people should be trustworthy Yet …

"You should have been there, Seth," Marcus murmured, a wealth of ad like it Vampires poured from the trees in an endless stream, and she didn’t hesitate to take them on Not even after I shoved her into the car and ordered her to leave Thirty-four, Seth I could name dozens of immortals ould quail at those nu," Seth countered "More like deenuine desire to live"

Marcus ignored the sarcastic rebuttal "Even as exhausted as she ht as fiercely and expertly as any I with pride "I told you she could kick your ass"

Marcus laughed "I believe she could"

And damned if he didn’t sound a bit s

"Is there anything I can do for her?" Marcus asked, brushing damp hair back from Ami’s temple

"No She’ll sleep a day or so until she’s rested and has regained her strength"

"What about … uh …" Unbelievably, a flush crept up Marcus’s neck

"Don’t worry about it The last time this happened, she walked in her sleep and took care of her own needs if nature called"

"Oh Good That’s … actually a little weird"

Seth shrugged "So is seeing dead people"

"Point taken"

"She won’t really be sleepwalking anyway She’ll just be so, co as if she were fully conscious, but she won’t retain any h to wake fully"