Bite Shift

74

Sorin ran to me and I collapsed into his arms. Rhys was at my back. We stood like that until I could hold myself up. Rhys backed away. Sorin placed his finger under my chin and tilted my head up. I didn't need to say a word. He knew what I had done, he had seen it with his power and with my eyes.

"You did what you had to," he whispered only for me.

I nodded, still not able to speak. He pulled off his shirt and swept it over my head, letting it fall into place. I was thankful for the cover.

"Alex!" I remembered the others and ran for the doorway. Monica sat on the ground with Alex in her arms. He was too still, too flaccid. I saw dark bruises around each wrist where I had tied the ropes.

Monica gazed up at me and what I saw in her eyes stabbed me in the heart. She was horrified.

I dropped to my knees on the other side of him. Rhys stood behind me. "We could make him..."

"No," I stopped him. "He would never forgive us."

"He's dying, Katie. He can live and find a cure and cure himself."

"I can't Rhys. That isn't an option."

I felt Rhys' anger with me. "I'll look for keys. But, we're miles from a hospital and his heart beat is weak." Then, he walked out into the darkness.

Sorin was behind me. "Heal him."

"I can't," I said.

"Try," he knelt down and pressed his chest into my back. "Merge our powers. I saw you send energy to Rhys. I believe you can heal him but you must believe it, too."

I felt that electricity again but what answered from my body wasn't heat, not this time. What reached out for Sorin's lightening was a cold rush of wind. It climbed up my back and his chest, they melted together at the top of my head. I felt ice water, filled with a crackling current, pour over my head, down my face, my shoulders, my arms and reach my hands. I laid those icy palms on Alex's chest.

"Are you hurting him?" Monica's voice was just above a whisper.

"No," I answered. "Trust me."

The ice water rolled off my finger tips and into Alex. The electricity followed. Pump, I thought. Pump. I pictured my fingers passing through his skin, into his body, and holding his heart. I gently squeezed and released, squeezed and released. I pictured his heart and then pictured it slowly increasing its beats. I told his body to fix what was broken, to repair the damage. I pulled forth memories from nursing school, learning about how cells form. In my mind, I repeated the cycle, telling Alex's cells to heal and grow. I leaned my face to his, calling the cold current to my mouth. I hovered above his and blew that cold into his parted lips. I breathed the crackling power into my lungs and blew out into his mouth again. Then, I gently laid my lips onto his. Sorin pressed his lips onto the back of my neck and his power rolled through my throat, into my mouth and out into Alex.

Alex gasped and Monica screamed. She scooted back, away from us, in scrambling movements that ended when she hit the wall. Sorin pulled me back to give the shuttering man some space. He jerked, sitting up and drawing in shaking, ragged breaths. He looked around wildly. He saw me, Sorin and Monica, then repeated his glancing around the room.

As I watched, a pinkish hue was replacing that grey skin. His eyes brightened and pulled out from his sockets. He had just been brought back to life but, when I looked over, the terror in Monica's eyes far surpassed what I saw in Alex's.

One problem at a time.

Exhaustion overwhelmed me and let myself fall back against Sorin's chest. He held me, protected me. I never wanted to leave those arms.

"Where am I?" Alex's voice was ragged and rasping; it sounded painful. He needed water. "Where am I?"

Monica tentatively crawled towards him. She reached out like she was afraid he was a mirage and may disappear when touched. Her hand landed on his cheek and didn't pass through. She looked relieved and shocked. "You were dying."

"What," he asked.

"You were hurt, Alex. I healed you." I said, to his back, like I was telling him what I had eaten for lunch.

Alex turned slowly, looking more curious than surprised. "You can do that? Since when?"

"Since now," I answered.

"How did we get here? Why are we here?"

I chuckled. "That is a story for later. We need to get you two to the hospital before the sun comes up."

"We must move quickly. You and Rhys will stay with me," Sorin demanded and I didn't have the energy to fight. If I was being honest with myself, I wanted the safety of him, even if it was just for a night.

"Who are you?" Alex asked. He was obviously feeling fine.

"Sorin."

Alex stood. I couldn't believe how quickly he was recovering. "I have heard about you. I would like to talk to you someday."

Sorin lifted me, gingerly, and I was able to stand with him. He responded to Alex, "Someday."

"Is someone going to tell me what the fuck is going on?!?" Monica screamed. She was still on the ground. With Alex not dying, I suddenly saw her injuries. One side of her face was swollen and bruised; the eye swelling shut. Blood was dried on the side of her temple. Fang marks stood out prominently against her pale skin. When Alex helped her to her feet, she winced and clutched her stomach. She was shaking and I knew she wasn't doing well.

I took a step towards her and she stepped into Alex, clutching him and burying her face into his chest. He stood still for a second, not sure what to do, and then wrapped his arms around her.

"Does she know?" he asked.

"She does now, but I don't think she understands. She is in shock," I answered.

Rhys ran into view and slid to a stop when he saw Alex standing, clearly alive. "What did I miss?"

"Can we talk in the car, please?" I knew we didn't have much time and we had a lot to discuss.

Monica took her face from Alex's chest and I saw smears of blood and mascara across his shirt. She registered Rhys and looked back at me with more questions in her eyes.

"I won't ride with her."

I felt a sword rip into my stomach and fought back the tears. She had a right to hate me. I would have hated me too.

Rhys took a small step towards the two humans. "I can take you to the hospital. Alex will be with you, alright?"

Alex met Rhys' eyes and understood "Yes, I will be in the car with you and I will stay with you in the hospital. I won't let anyone hurt you."

I was glad that she was allowing Rhys to go. She didn't know about him and that was a good thing. At least one vampire would be with them to get them safely to the hospital.

Alex led Monica away from us, towards Rhys' Honda. He looked back at me and I mouth "Thank you".

Monica risked one more glance back and what I saw ripped at my heart. She so afraid of me.

They disappeared into the shadows. I heard car doors opened and closed. Rhys was left staring at me. "I will meet you at Sorin's. I will make sure she is okay before I leave there. I'll sleep in the blood in a closet in the ER if I have to." He started to walk away and then stopped, turning back. "She'll forgive you, Katie. She just needs time."

Then, he was gone and I was alone with Sorin. I waited until I heard the car turn off the gravel before I sagged into him and let myself cry.

It was the bravest thing I had done all night.