Chapter 5
Raven.
That was all he could see. Her body leaning over him, shaking with dry sobs. Oh, please don’t cry, he thought blearily. Then, Can’t cry. Not human. Not human...
“Raven?”
cBriar’s voice broke from him suddenly, weak and confused. Raven’s head snapped up, and she looked at him in total surprise.
“Briar...” she moaned. “Oh, don’t talk...please don’t. It’ll drain your strength.” Tracing a finger along his jaw, she let out another dry sob, then straightened herself with a deep breath. “Listen to me, Briar,” she began. “I got here too late. The only thing possible to do to keep you from dying is to turn you all the way into a vampire. No, that’s wrong. You’ll die- but you’ll come back. And you’ll be with me. It’s really not as bad as it’s said- You don’t lose your soul, you just gain... a thirst. It’s the same as eating, really, just...” Raven was suddenly aware she was babbling. “Oh, god, Briar, I just don’t want to lose you!”
Briar looked up at her with steady, trusting eyes. “You won’t,” he breathed. “I don’t want to lose you either.”
His eyes fluttered shut and his breathing slowed. Raven’s shaking hand instinctively flew to her mouth to stifle a cry. She hoped she’d interpreted it right, but even if she hadn’t...she had to at least try. She couldn’t just let him die. She couldn’t stand it without him.
But to turn him into a vampire she had to get Chastity- she was the one who had sucked him nearly dry of all blood. She had to complete the process, and she had to give Briar her blood. But Chastity had run- there was no knowing where she was. And even then, how would she convince her?
From the way Briar looked, she could see he had an hour left, tops. If it had been a normal case of blood loss, he would’ve been dead already- but this wasn’t exactly a normal case. Being sucked nearly but not quite dry like Briar was meant a longer death, during which the person was usually unconscious anyway.
Biting her lip, Raven brushed Briar’s hair out of his face tenderly. Then, with 10 times more strength than her slight frame suggested, she lifted him over her shoulder and started out of the alley.
“CHASTITY!”
Raven was tearing through her house at breakneck speed. Where was she? Raven realized she could be out hunting, but she had no idea where to look for. The world was a big place. It would be impossible to find her....
“Darion!” Ditzy giggles emanated loudly from the library.
Bingo.
Raven flung open the heavy oak doors angrily, without bothering to knock. Darion and Chastity, sitting at opposite sides of the small carved chess table, both looked at her in annoyance.
“May we help you?” asked Darion angrily.
Raven stared back evenly. “Chastity can. NOW.”
Looking slightly confused, Chastity raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Just come.”
“I think she deserves an explanation,” Darion cut in.
“I think if she values the fact that she has a head she’ll come with me,” Raven snarled, face twisting.
Throwing nasty looks, Chastity stood. “Fine. But I want Darion to come. I think you’re unstable.”
“Whatever. I don’t care. Just COME!”
