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Thoave Drake a pained look "You’ve got to do so for his pain"

"I will"

Thomas squeezed Drake’s hand Whether it was to reassure hiood-bye, Drake wasn’t sure A ain

"I’ to heal you now," he told Drake, "but before I do, I want you to listen I know that as soon as your body is whole once again, you’re more likely to kill an knew the score Now Drake had no obligation to warn hi Helen’s blood

"Helen is one of ours," whispered Logan in a reverent voice "I don’t kno it is possible, but I believe she is a Theronai Your Theronai, should you choose to claian had just said It didn’tpain of the burns and his broken bones, he couldn’t think clearly enough to figure it out

"We need her," continued Logan "And she needs you Who knows if any of the other Theronai would be compatible with her? Neither Thoht like you did They would have been drawn to her in so her into our world, but if you try to kill me, you won’t survive I’llyou, you will be peace-bound"

No! Drake struggled, but the rate together A wave of pain swept over hile to stay conscious

Peace-bound to a Sanguinar who had hurt Helen He couldn’t stand the uinar had been known to put a kind of self-destruct uarantee that their patients wouldn’t try to kill the the Sentinel races had been couinar needed the insurance Still, it hadn’t been done in years Huuinar were strong enough to wield that kind ofso Drake wouldn’t try to kill him the second he had the chance

"You think I’ Helen’s blood is nearly pure I don’t kno that’s possible, but it is I a you’ve come to know"

Drake forced hiuinar’s too-beautiful face

Oh, hell It was true Drake could see it in Logan’s triu behind his pale eyes

Logan smiled, his beauty too intense for Drake to stare at for very long He looked away and prayed that whatever power Logan had, he wouldn’t use it to har any of the Theronai could do to stop a Sanguinar at full strength Not even the Slayers had that kind of power and they were virtual killing machines

"I think we understand each other," said Logan, satisfaction ringing in his voice He ripped open the re bits of charred cotton into the air Logan placed his hands on Drake’s chest and closed his eyes

A cool rush of poept over Drake, as gentle as a breeze, and in the blink of an eye, the burns were gone, his leg hole, his ribs no longer crushed Drake had never seen anything or felt anything like it before He’d been healed by the Sanguinar plenty of ti hurt All the pain of recovery was shoved into a short interval of tiuinar didn’t have enough power to both heal and prevent pain The Theronai had learned to accept the pain as part of the price for recovery, and Drake had expected the worst, considering the extent of his burns

Not only did the healing not hurt; it felt good Soothing, like cool water lapping gently over his skin

Drake looked up at Logan The Sanguinar sat back on his heels "Would you like to take a swing now just so you know the measures I’ve put in place are real?"

Drake shoved hi would have been fun, but even thinking about it an would conified A punch to that pretty jaw ht cost Drake all his teeth, or even break his neck He’d had enough pain for one night and he needed to take care of Helen--e

"Fix Helen’s hands, her face," ordered Drake "You owe her at least thatto have Thomas come back here and beat the hell out of him Drake couldn’t touch him, but Thoan only a few seconds to pull the glass froether Even the blood evaporated, leaving nothing but smooth, pink skin

Drake ached to touch her--to check her for injury--but held back There were too ure out what to do before he touched her again Once he did that, he knew his thinking would be skewed and rationality would fly right out theShe felt too good under his hands Too right

"Wake her up"

Logan reached for her, but let his hand fall "No Do it yourself"

"I’ll have to touch her"

Logan smiled "I know"

That was it Drake was done dealing with Logan It was ti fist "Tholance over his shoulder, saw Drake awake and lucid, and the van screeched to a halt

Logan wasn’t going to wait around long enough for Drake to tell Thomas what he’d done Drake wouldn’t be able to hurt him, but Thomas was another matter entirely

Before Thoan ju the rural Kansas road His body was hu hard He dialed Tynan, hoping his cell phone’s signal was strong enough out here to stay connected

"Yes," answered Tynan, his voice so and not even a hint of it ren birth in a country that no longer existed

Logan’s feet pounded over the ground The air arrass "I need you to pick me up immediately I’m on foot"