Blood Betrayal

Chapter Eighteen

With a pounding heart and gritted teeth, Zion nearly ran to the room that held Ghanny. He found her in bed with a blanket pulled up over her head.

"You awake?" he asked the huddled mass of blankets.

"Zion?" She pulled the covers down to her neck and for a moment he was dazzled by the way she smiled at him.

He was going to miss her but there was no way to stop the inevitable. Sighing he bit the bullet. "Daxus is here."

She looked past him to the door as her face lit up in an expression of pure joy. Why wouldn't it? If he was being honest he had to begrudgingly admit that, in his own way, Daxus was as intriguing as she was. They were cut from the same cloth.

"To take me home?" she asked sounding more chipper than she had the entire time they spent together. When she dropped the blanket he saw that she was in the tee-shirt and shorts he had given her. The joy she showed for leaving while wearing his clothes made his chest ache.

Despondent, he shrugged. "Probably, why else would he be here."

On cue, the door opened and Daxus strode in as if he owned the place. On the way past his odd eyes swept over Zion giving a quick belittling assessment.

Zion's first instinct was to make some witty possibly snide remark. He refrained though it wasn't his father's caution or the social convention of being polite to guests that stopped him. Daxus's entire being screamed dangerous, tread carefully.

Everything about him was just a little too fluid and calculated. He was mimicking human movements but not getting it quite right.

Jumping up Ghanny literally skipped into his arms. He dropped the bag he was carrying and pulled her close spreading a hand over the healed flesh of her shoulder, almost kneading it.

Zion couldn't help the pang of jealousy that hit him. Jealous of his comfort with her. Jealous of the way she melted into his arms. Jealous of how the simple mention of his name lit her face up. Mainly jealous of the way he presented himself. The man was walking authority.

Ghanny spoke in that strange language she used when she first woke. It was melodic but completely unrecognisable except for his own name. He leaned in a bit as if being closer would help him glean meaning from the gibberish but of course, that didn't help.

Daxus glanced at the boy's bemused expression. "I don't like this. I've gone against every instinct I have to keep you away from this and then I find you here, with that. You do know what he is don't you?"

Ghanny pouted pulling the neck of her shirt back just enough to show her healed shoulder. "Yes, but he is still mortal. They don't know, he doesn't even know. His blood healed me. He gave it willingly."

"You fed from him?" He ran a hand down his face. "Gods Ghanny, you're in no state to make decisions after doing something so stupid. I'm taking you home now. This place isn't suitable."

"I'm not in any state thanks to him. If what you said about the court being compromised is true then I'm not going anywhere."

Daxus clenched his teeth. The boy was still watching them with that silly confused expression. He broke away from her and turned his attention to Zion. Ghanny called his name but he ignored it. Stepping forward Daxus invaded the boy's personal space causing him to back up. Daxus doggedly followed until Zion's heel touched the wall. There was nowhere left to go.

"Apparently, I should give you my thanks," he said far too close for comfort.

"You're welcome." Zion noticed but did nothing to stop the anger seeping into his voice. "You're getting a bit, fricken friendly man."