As much as he wanted to see her again, the only way he could was if she came back to him. And if she did, her life was at constant risk.
If Raygh would so carelessly drain a Slayer who offered unlimited blood, then what would stop him from doing the same to one fragile human woman?
And all of that was assuming that she still lived, which wasn’t likely. Bearing a hybrid child was dangerous. Most of the women died. Even more of the offspring. Chances were Canaranth would be happier wondering about Ella’s fate than actually knowing. At least that way, when he slept, he could dream that she was alive and well, playing with their child under a sun he could only imagine.
Chapter 26
Cain paced the floor of the Gerai house, wishing Ronan would hurry up.
“Will you sit down?” asked Rory. “You’re making me nervous.”
She had reason to be nervous. The demon was getting stronger. Even Cain could feel it swelling inside of her now, bulging against the confines of the cage Ronan had created.
The last thing he wanted to do was add to her anxiety, so he did as she asked and sat down next to her on the worn couch.
She didn’t look at him as she spoke. “If this doesn’t work, I want you to promise me that you’ll do whatever you have to do to keep me from hurting anyone.”
“I want to promise you, but I can’t. I’ve already vowed to keep you safe. I can’t now vow to do whatever it takes to stop you.”
“Because you might have to kill me,” she guessed.
“It won’t come to that. Ronan will be here soon. And even if he doesn’t make it in time, you’re strong. I’m strong. We can fight the demon together.”
“We couldn’t last time.”
“We didn’t know the problem existed then. Now we do. We know what’s coming, and we will face it.”
She gave him a sad smile. “You have so much faith.”
“No more than you deserve.”
A car pulled up outside. Cain jumped to his feet and met Ronan at the door. He looked better than he had before, but still clearly not one hundred percent. Lines of strain bracketed his mouth, and his eyes were dull.
He barged into the small house without stopping for niceties. “Lie down,” he ordered Rory.
“Uh. Sure. Not freaked out or anything over here. I’ll just take a nice nap.”
Ronan’s jaw bunched as if he were biting back harsh words. “Just do it.”
Cain didn’t like the vibe coming off the Sanguinar. Not that he had much choice. Still, he went to stand next to the couch where Rory was lying down—close enough to stop Ronan if things got out of hand.
“I’ll need blood,” said Ronan.
Cain shook his head. “I don’t—”
Ronan snarled, “Do not fight me on this. If you want the demon contained, I need blood.”
“It’s fine,” said Rory. “Just do what you need to do.”
Before Cain could argue further, Ronan went for her neck, leaning over her in a way that looked far too much like a lover’s embrace.
Furious jealousy roared to the surface, making blood pound in Cain’s ears. His hand was fisted on his sword, and it was all he could do to keep himself from drawing live steel.
Rory let out a soft sigh of contentment, which only fueled Cain’s irrational burst of possessiveness. He knew Ronan was helping her. He knew that taking blood from her wrist would have taken much longer. And they were clearly running out of time. But none of that mattered as he watched another man hold Rory in his arms.
What if she decided to leave him for good? What if he had to witness her sharing her life with another man—one of his brothers?
He wasn’t strong enough for that. Not even close.
Rory bucked on the couch, her body bowing up. She reached out blindly, her hands curling into fists.
Cain forgot all about his jealousy as a rush of panic hit him. He grabbed her hand, hoping to comfort her. Instead, the connection between them flared wide and a screaming bundle of fear lurched into him from Rory.
Acting on instinct, Cain opened himself up, reaching for her through the luceria. Silent screams vibrated between them. In her mind a battle was raging as Ronan struggled to contain the Synestryn who was working to control her through her blood.
It was hard to make sense of what was going on. There was so much pain radiating out from the point where Ronan’s power glowed in a trembling, golden bubble. At the center of it was a coiled, black entity, covered in scales and flame. As the bubble shrank, the creature was forced to grow ever smaller. It thrashed at its cage, clawing and snarling.
And then Cain saw something else. Hovering just behind Ronan, another, larger creature perched in still silence. As Rory’s beast shrank, Ronan’s grew.
He wasn’t beating back the demon, he was drawing it into himself.
Cain burned with the need to help, but there was nothing he could do. His sword was useless here. Physical strength meant nothing, and he would only distract Ronan if he tried to aid the man.
The bubble collapsed until it was the size of a marble. The demon within screamed in fury, letting out a high-pitched, tinny noise. Ronan kicked it away, into a steel box, sealing it shut.
He felt Rory relax. As he retreated from her mind, he saw her lying on the couch, panting and pale.
Ronan swayed. Cain grabbed his shoulders and helped him into a chair. When he looked up, his gaunt face was a stark mask of desperation. “You must find the demon soon. I can’t hold out much longer. It’s going to . . .” He trailed off, making horrible choking sounds.
“Ronan? Are you okay?”
“Restrain me,” Ronan whispered, trembling.
Cain wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “What?”
“Chain me. Now. I can’t remain in control much longer.”