Katie's Hope

Or he could take Katie, disappear, and leave Kris and the Immortals to their fate. He preferred this idea, except that it would mean he'd be defending her from Dark One's minions and demons every minute of the rest of their lives together. Reluctantly, he accepted the fact that he needed the protection of the Immortals to keep Katie safe. If Kris didn't call the Council together, Rhyn would drag his bastard brothers kicking and screaming to the castle, dangle them over the forest of demons, and offer them a choice: him or the demons. Cynically, he suspected all but Kiki would choose the demons.

* * *

"Lankha?" Katie asked, startled to see the cowering healer in her room. She'd last seen him in Hell, where they shared a cell together. "Are you okay?"

The healer was huddled against the door, looking around with visible horror. His gaze settled on her, and he ventured forward. "What is it?" Ully whispered.

"He's the oldest of the healers," she replied. She stood and crossed to the scared creature and took one of his soft hands. He went without resistance. She led him to the bed. "Rhyn brought you here to help our friend, Lankha."

The healer sank next to her on the bed, large eyes darting around the room as if he expected the furniture to grow fangs and chase him. His gaze finally fell to Toby, and he inched forward. Ully watched with alarm as the healer unwrapped the angel's bandage. She felt like petting the healer to calm him as she might Toby's cat but suspected it wouldn't be welcome. She grimaced when he peeled back the final layer of bandages to reveal the gouge and broken bones beneath.

The healer clucked to himself, growing more comfortable as he concentrated on his trade. Katie moved out of his way. A tap at the door made Lankha pause, and she hurried to answer it to keep the healer from being distracted.

"Madame, your sister's car has just entered the property," Kris's personal secretary said. "I thought you might wish to greet her."

Katie could think of nothing she wanted less, but she nodded. She changed quickly into dry clothing before hurrying down the back stairwell. With her arm bleeding, she couldn't risk drawing the attention of the Immortals by taking the front stairwell even to meet her sister. She went the back way-- the servant's route, as Kris had so kindly informed her-- to the front door.

The white Hummer limo made it up the snowy slope and slowed as it crossed the cleared cobblestone drive in front of the castle. It stopped, and two footmen went to the doors while two others opened the trunk.

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