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“I’ to Paris” Marcus tossed Philip’s towel aside, leaving the baby standing, naked and pink after his bath, holding a plastic duck Marthe hurried toward him and helped him into his pajamas
“You’re not welcome here, Marcus,” Miriam said
“Story of my life,” Marcus replied “But Edward is Phoebe’s father, so you can iine how little a warm reception from you matters at this moment”
“We’ll be there in four hours,” Matthew said
“We?” Miriam swore “No, Matthew That’s not—”
Matthew disconnected the call and looked to ht need your help”
I had finished getting Becca into her pajamas, and handed her off to Marthe
“Let’s go,” I said, taking Matthew by the hand
—
MARCUS’S CONCERN FOR PHOEBE, and Matthew’s steady foot on the accelerator carried us to the outskirts of Paris in a little over three hours Once there, Matthew zipped along streets that no tourist ever found, taking every shortcut until we reached the ancient university quarter near the Sorbonne and the Salpêtrière hospital Matthew turned off the engine and spun around to face his son in the backseat
“What’s the plan?” he asked
We’d had none up to this point—other than reaching Paris as quickly as possible Marcus looked startled
“I don’t know What do you think we should do?”
Matthew shook his head “Phoebe is your mate, not mine It’s up to you”
I loved Mattheith all my heart, and was often proud of the quiet perseverance hich he handled the es that faced him But I had never been so overwhel on a Paris street in the 13th arrondisse for his son to make his own decision
“Freyja calledup at the bulk of the hospital “So are you One of us should go check on Edward, andtaken care of properly”
I thought it unlikely that a British diplomat, taken by ambulance to one of the finest hospitals in the world, would be treated iue
“And I don’t give a toss what Miriam thinks Phoebe needs to knohat’s happened And she needs to be here, at her father’s side,” Marcus said, “just in case”
Still, Mattheaited
“You deal with the doctors,” Marcus said, hopping out of the backseat “Diana and I will tell Phoebe”
“Wise decision,” Matthew said, yielding his place behind the wheel to his son
Matthew circled the car I pushed the button, and the ent down
“Take care of him,” Matthew murmured before he pressed his lips to mine
—
MIRIAM WAS WAITING FOR US on the front step e arrived at Freyja’s house I had never been there before, and was struck by its grandeur as well as its privacy
“Where’s Phoebe?” Marcus asked, cutting right to the heart of the matter
Miriaround before the door “This breaks all the rules, Marcus We had an agreement”
“Edward falling ill wasn’t part of the plan,” Marcus replied
“Waret sick and die,” Miria to hospital every time they do”
“Edward is Phoebe’s father,” Marcus said, his fury evident “This isn’t just any warmblood”
“It’s too soon to expose her to that kind of loss” Mirias that I didn’t understand “You know that”
“I do,” Marcus said “Letdoor”
“Fine If there’s a disaster, it will be on your conscience—not mine” Miriam stepped aside
Françoise, who sixteenth-century London, opened the door She bobbed a curtsy
Phoebe aiting in the foyer, Freyja at her side with an arm around her in a protective arc Phoebe looked pale, and there were streaks of pink on her cheeks from her blood tears
She already knew about her father There had been no need for us to rush to Paris to tell her Our only reason for speed was to reunite two lovers as quickly as possible
“You knew Marcus would come,” I said softly to Miriam
Miriam nodded “How could he not?”
Marcus rushed toward Phoebe, then stopped, re that it was the feathered his composure
“Phoebe I’an, his voice raith emotion “Mattheith Edward now—”
Phoebe was in his ar and inexperienced she was Her arhtened around Marcus as she sobbed out her worry and fear
It was the first ti Phoebe was like a freshlyThere was no way a human wouldn’t stop and stare if she passed by on a Parisian catwalk, let alone a hospital corridor Hoe going to get her into Edward’s roo with so much life and vitality?
“If he dies, I don’t knohat I’ll do,” Phoebe said Her blood tears flowed once more
“I knoeetheart I know,” Marcus h her hair and her body cradled against his
“Freyja says I can go and see hiood idea” Phoebe sniffed back the tears For the first time, she seemed to realize that I was there “Hello, Diana”
“Hello, Phoebe,” I said “I’m sorry about Edward”
“Thank you, Diana I’ you for the first time since I became a vampire, but I don’t knohat it is” Phoebe sniffed, then burst into tears again
“It’s okay Let it out,” Marcus said, gently rocking her in his ared with concern “Don’t worry about protocol Diana doesn’t care”
No, but I was pretty sure that the staff of the hospital would care if so out of her eyes
“You see why Phoebe can’t go to the Salpêtrière and sit at her father’s bedside,” Miriam said with her habitual bluntness
“That’s up to Phoebe” Marcus’s tone held a sharp warning
“No, it’s up to me I’m her sire,” Miriam retorted “Phoebe cannot be trusted around warmbloods yet”
What did they think Phoebe was going to do—siphon the blood out of Edward’s IV and snack on his bones? I was far more worried about the reaction warmbloods would have to her appearance
“Phoebe,” I said, wading into the conversation, “would you ic on you?”
“Thank God,” Françoise said “I knew you would think of so, madame”
“I was thinking of a disguising spell, the kind I wore after h I were o with her to the hospital, Françoise, if that’s all right”
“Bien sûr You did not think I would leave Mademoiselle Phoebe to fend for herself? But you will need soe, “if you wish her to pass as human It was easier to make you look like an ordinary person You were still a warmblood, after all”
Françoise had keptmy time in the sixteenth century If she could keep a twenty-first-century feue, she could surelymore optimistic simply because of her stolid presence, I proceeded
“Everyone will be focused on Edward,” I said “Perhaps we can get aith so easier to wear, more like a veil than a burlap sack?”
In the end, it was a heavy weaving that was more like a shroud It not only dimmed Phoebe’s appearance, it also slowed her down She still didn’t look ordinary, but she would no longer draw every eye o;I’ to Paris” Marcus tossed Philip’s towel aside, leaving the baby standing, naked and pink after his bath, holding a plastic duck Marthe hurried toward him and helped him into his pajamas