CHAPTER TEN

 

 

Darius stepped aside to watch over Carolyn as Jacqueline smoothed ointment over the hideous burns and chanted a spell. He didn’t understand some of the words, but the results were indisputable. She started at Carolyn’s scalp and worked her way to her toes. Inch by inch new pink skin replaced the puckered and blistered flesh.

Carolyn sighed. His heart lightened, knowing that even unconscious she felt the relief. Jacqueline straightened and took a moment to stretch her back. Jacqueline had been bent over for several minutes as she’d worked and it was evident from her pinched expression that it took a toll on her.

Sheepishly she smiled. “I have back issues. Crazy huh? I can heal everyone but myself.”

“Carolyn has a similar issue with her ability to see another’s future. She can’t see her own.”

“That’s quite common. It’s rare that a person with gifts can use them for personal gain. Okay, turn her over, and I’ll take care of her other side.” She took a step back and waited while he gently rolled his Muierimei, so she lay on her stomach.

Darius watched as Jacqueline repeated her process. When she finished, he took her place and turned Carolyn to her back once again.

“I’ll be back shortly. Healing another takes a lot out of me, and I’ll need to eat something before I return to erase the cuts.”

“Thank you so much for what you’ve done. She would have healed eventually, but with your help, she won’t have to experience the pain it would have caused.”

The woman gave him an understanding smile. “You’re very welcome. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

Darius smiled for the first time since the love of his life went missing and inclined his head. “Take your time. We’re not going anywhere.”

He waited until he was alone again before taking his seat beside the bed. The air around him seemed to thicken under the weight of his thoughts. He watched her sleep, waiting for her beautiful eyes to open. He didn’t know how long he sat there rehashing the night’s terrors—minutes, hours?

A hundred scenarios of Carolyn’s revenge played through Darius’s mind. Then a hundred happy futures of the two of them together erased the evil energy and replaced it with warm, soft love. Carolyn was safe, but that wasn’t enough. He wanted her whole again.

She had to wake up soon. He needed her to tell him that she understood his actions. More than that, he needed her to tell him she was okay. Not that he was afraid she would die. He knew she was over that hurdle. He’d given quite a bit of blood, and the ointment had healed everything except the cuts. He just wanted to hear the words from her lips.

“Come on, leannan. Wake for me.” He stroked her cheek, marveling at the healthy glow of new skin that had replaced the burns. He smiled when he brushed a strand of blonde hair from her forehead. Already it had grown a few inches. “Please, Carolyn. Open your eyes.” He leaned over, touching his lips to first one eyelid then the other.

Carolyn’s lips parted, a low groan vibrating in her chest as her face turned instinctively toward him seeking more contact. He brushed his lips over hers. A growl of satisfaction erupted from Darius’s lips when her tongue touched his. He fought to deny his need. His Muierimei came first, and she was in no shape to handle what his body offered. He contented himself with a soft kiss, then drew back to watch her face. Any moment now and he would see her lovely blue eyes.

A soft rap came from the door a moment before it opened. “How’s she doing?” Jacqueline whispered.

“Much better. Your ointment and spell worked wonders. I just wish she would wake up.”

“Prepare yourself for a long night. She may not come around until morning. Even with magical assistance, her body has to do a lot of the work. I know you’ve fed her once or twice. When I’m finished, you might want to feed her again. Her body is burning up the nutrients at an alarming rate as it struggles to heal.”

“I’ll take care of that once you’re finished. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Why don’t you sit on the other side of the bed, and take her hand. If she wakes, she’ll be confused and won’t know where she is. If she sees you, she won’t panic.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Darius did as he was told and took up his position. Watching Jacqueline work was fascinating. The ugly cuts that covered Carolyn disappeared before his eyes.

Jacqueline carefully traced the last cut with the potion and herb mixture. The instant the concoction touched Carolyn’s flesh, the cut evaporated, and all that remained was unblemished skin.

“I’ve never met a witch with the gift of healing as powerful as yours,” Darius whispered as he watched the last cut fade.

“I come from a family of exceptional healers and seers. As a matter of fact, I think Carolyn and I are cousins. My father and his brother have been estranged for decades. Last year, my father passed away, and I started searching for my lost family. If I’m not mistaken, Carolyn’s one of the cousin’s I’ve been looking for.”

“She’s a powerful seer, and I can smell the familial connection in your blood. It seems you have found at least one of your cousins. How many others are there?”

Jacqueline cleaned away the potion and herbs from Carolyn’s tummy and gathered her items together as she answered, “I think there are three, but my information is sketchy.” She gave Darius a smile and walked toward the door as she continued, “When she wakes up, I’ll introduce myself and my sister Janet.”

Darius walked her to the door and held it open. “I’m sure she will be overjoyed to learn she has family with her.”

“I pray you’re right. The animosity between our fathers was unbelievable. There’s no telling how she will feel about my family. Call me if she is uncomfortable when she awakens.”

“Thank you again, Jacqueline. I’ll do that, and I’ll also do my best to convince her to give you a chance.”

She gave him a sad smile that said she was doubtful of his success and walked out the door.

Darius quietly closed it and was about to straighten the room when he heard the sweetest voice.

“Darius?”

He rushed to her side and took her hand. “There are those gorgeous eyes I’ve been waiting to see. How are you feeling?”

“I feel pretty good for someone who should be dead. How am I not dead?”

Darius glanced away, unable to meet her eye. “You were seconds away from leaving me so I did the only thing I could think of that would save you. I took your blood and fed you mine. I completed the third exchange without your consent.”

“And that saved me?”

“Kind of. I gave you the vampiric gift of healing. Then I fed you more blood to enhance that ability. But what really did the trick was an ointment and spell that another witch named Jacqueline used on your burns.”

“Thank you. I wouldn’t have enjoyed being dead.”

His head snapped up, and he searched her face. “I forced the final exchange on you. You’re not angry with me?”

She gave him an incredulous look and then laughed. Which immediately triggered a coughing jag. “To save my life. Why would I be mad about that?”

He scowled. “I didn’t give you the choice.”

She shook her head. “You’re wrong.” Another coughing jag overtook her for a moment. “I had already made my choice when I accepted you.”

“You’re right of course, but I would have preferred it happened another way.”

Her eyes widened, and she shivered. “I would have preferred the majority never happened at all. By the way, why am I naked?”

“You were badly burned and had cuts on your chest and stomach. By the time I got to you, your clothes had burned away, and your skin was in such bad shape I didn’t dare dress you.”

“So, the evil dude who looked like Satan was real?”

“You must mean the Guild president. Aye, that bastard is real.”

Her lips thinned, and brows lowered. “Crap. I was hoping that had been a nightmare.” The cough overtook her again.

“No such luck. But the good news is we healed you before you woke. After I’ve had a little alone time with you, I have a few people I want you to meet. But for now, I don’t like the sound of that cough. Let’s see what we can do about it. Your vampire gifts are healing you, but you’re still weak and could use more blood.”

Carolyn’s shivers vanished as he settled beside her and took her into his arms. The cool temperature of her skin warmed as she absorbed his body heat. He caressed her nape and claimed her lips to kiss her with everything he had.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again. My heart can’t take it,” he whispered against her moist lips.

“There goes my plans for the weekend,” she joked as she pressed her lips to his again.

“Not funny.” He tilted his head and exposed his neck. “Take all you need, leannan.”

“Mmm. I love the way you smell.” Her fangs lightly scraped across the exposed flesh raising goosebumps and then she sank them into Darius’s vein.

Holy. Hell.

When Carolyn locked her mouth over his vein, his entire body went as tight as a guitar string. The soft caress of her lips, the erotic stroke of her tongue, and her taking nourishment from him made his lower region sit up and drool like a dog eyeing a T-bone steak.

There was no reason for his reaction to be so unexpected. She’d taken his vein before, but this was so much more. Maybe it was because they were now fully connected and she was taking of her own accord? All he knew was his reaction was incredibly intense and very intimate.

With each pull, he hardened more. His hips moved in rhythm with her sucking. He held it together—barely. She had him teetering on the edge of an orgasm without touching him sexually. Only the knowledge that she was still recovering from near death kept him in check.

With her power and strength returning, he felt ten feet tall. He’d done that for her, and it was the greatest feeling ever. There was no denying that he wanted to make love to her. God knew he did. His body hummed like a live wire, but she needed time, not sex. She was out of danger, and well on her way to a full recovery. That was the important thing.

Carolyn felt his body harden against her thigh as she drank deeply, filling her mouth with the sweet essence of his gift. The energy she was gaining made her a little frisky. She swirled her tongue sensually around the punctures as she took a breath.

“Drink, my love. We can play later.” His deep voice held no admonishment.

“Spoilsport,” she mumbled without breaking contact with his neck.

She drew more of his nectar into her mouth, swallowing it down in greedy pulls. A tingling of power started in her chest, then spread to her fingers and toes as her strength returned.

“That’s my girl. Don’t stop. I can feel your power growing.”

Carolyn swallowed a few more mouthfuls and then licked the wound closed. She kissed his neck and raised her face to look into his eyes. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you, Muierimei. It’s my pleasure to take care of you.”

Carolyn pushed herself to a sitting position and glanced around a room she’d never seen before. “Where are we?”

“A safe house Etienne keeps in Savannah. He has them in every major city.”

“You mentioned a woman, Jacqueline I believe you called her. Does she live here?”

“No. No one lives here. The local vampires maintain it and stock it when Etienne is in town if he needs to use it. Jacqueline is one of the witches we were protecting. Actually, all seven of you are here. When the Guild attacked, we had everyone moved from the hotel. This house is the safest place you can be.”

“Why is it so safe?”

“The grounds are protected by wards and curses. If anyone who hasn’t been invited breaches the edge of the property, they won’t live to tell the tale.”

“Since I’m still alive, I assume I was invited?”

“The wards also recognize any of Etienne’s family. He turned me, and I turned you. My blood carries a trace of Etienne, and now yours does as well.”

Carolyn shook her head and chuckled. “I have so much to learn.”

“And I’ll teach it all to you. Now, Speaking of Jacqueline, I would like to introduce you to her and her sister Janet if you feel up to it. She and the others were instrumental in your recovery, but here’s the kicker, Jacqueline and Janet are also your family.”

Carolyn’s brows rose, and her chin cocked back in surprise. “I’m not related to anyone with those names.”

Darius’s narrowed his eyes. “Your father must have kept their existence from you. They’re your cousins. Their father was your uncle. The one your father took exception to.”

Carolyn’s brows crashed down. “My uncle? I had an uncle too?”

Darius swore under his breath. “Your father has much to answer for. Jacqueline is impatient to meet you. She’s been searching for her lost relations since her father passed. Apparently, your uncle and father had a falling out and were estranged. Jacqueline is concerned you will harbor ill will toward her and Janet because of their animosity.”

Carolyn leapt from the bed and made for the door. “I would never do that. Where is she? I want to meet her right now.”

Darius grinned and cleared his throat. “Leannan. You might want to get dressed first.”

“Oh! I forgot I was naked under that sheet. Do I have clothes?”

“Aye. Your belongings were brought here along with the women. They are in the closet and the top drawer of the bureau.”

She went to the bureau first. “Thank you. I swear you think of everything.” She grabbed panties and a matching bra from the neat pile on the right side of the drawer and a T-shirt and pair of shorts from the left. It took only a minute to dress, but she didn’t make a move from in front of the mirror over the bureau. She couldn’t stop staring at her reflection. She reached up and stroked the three inches of hair that had grown back.

“Your hair will be like new by tomorrow. Our hair is a mystery no one understands. Somehow it decides the perfect style for you, and no matter what you do, it returns to that style in twenty-four hours. Believe me, I’ve tried everything from cutting to coloring mine, and I wake up with the style I started with.”

“That’s insane! So you’re telling me, I have no choice in what I end up looking like?”

“Nope. But the good news is the style is always perfect for the person. I’m curious to see if yours returns to the style you had. Personally, I liked your hair.”

She sighed and dropped her hand. “So did I.”

Darius stepped up behind Carolyn and wrapped her in his arms. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

They found Jacqueline and the other five witches in the kitchen with Nick and Derick. The lighthearted conversation ceased and worried expressions transformed each face the moment they entered the room. The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

Darius took the situation in hand and pulled Carolyn forward. “Carolyn, I would like to introduce your cousin Jacqueline.”

Jacqueline’s brow was furrowed, and her eyes tightened. She looked like a person expecting a blow. From the shocked look that widened her eyes, the last thing she had expected was to be pulled into a hug.

The women held each other as if their lives depended on it. Finally, Carolyn took a step back. She had the biggest smile on her face. She could have lit up the room with the happy light shining in her eyes.

“I can’t believe I have cousins. My father never told me anything about your family.”

Jacqueline shook her head. The light visibly faded from her eyes. “My father told me too much about yours. I never believed his nasty stories. There was no way a cousin of mine could be as horrible as he said. The day after his funeral I started my search to find you.” She took a deep breath, and her innate cheerfulness returned. “I’m so glad fate brought us together in the same city. I only wish you hadn’t been tortured in the process. How are you feeling?”

“I’m as good as new.” She glanced around to include every witch in the room. “I can’t thank you all enough for everything you did for me.”

“It was our pleasure,” a striking auburn haired woman with killer curves who looked to be in her thirties said from over by the sink. “I’m Janet, by the way. Your other cousin.”

“Oh my God, come here!”

Carolyn and Janet met in the middle and hugged. As they released one another, a middle-aged woman waved from the island stools “I’m Karen.”

“I’m Tara,” a brunette woman who looked like a college coed raised her hand from over by the sink.

Another woman with brunette hair who also looked to be in her thirties waved from the island stools. “I’m Katie.”

“And I’m Stacy,” An attractive blonde with pretty green eyes sitting beside Katie said.

“It’s so nice to meet all of you. I’ve never met another witch before.”

Janet shrugged her shoulders. “Except for my sister, I hadn’t either.”

Each of the others chimed in with similar responses.

“You don’t have to be singular witches any longer,” Darius suggested. “Actually, you would be much safer if you joined together in a coven. The Guild prefers to target witches who don’t have the protection that a coven provides.”

As if in silent agreement Nick moved to stand close to Jacqueline and Derick took up a position of proprietary claim next to Janet.

The room went quiet for several minutes as the women glanced at one another. It was Stacy who broke the silence, “I’m game. Do we have to live in the same city to do that?”

Darius shook his head. “Not necessarily. You could hold your gatherings by Skype or any other service you choose. Physically being together is best but not required.”

Janet glanced at Derick and smiled. “I’m willing to relocate to New Orleans.”

Jacqueline looked at her sister and nodded. “Me too. I’ll move to NOLA.”

Nick grinned as she agreed.

Carolyn took Darius’s hand and smiled at him lovingly. “We’ve bonded so of course, I will be living with Darius in New Orleans as well.”

The other four women one by one said they would join the coven and think about making a move but weren’t ready to commit to it.

Derick placed a hand on Janet’s arm and smiled down at her. “Good. You’ll all be safer as a group.”

Darius glanced first at Nick and then Derick. “Now that everyone has met, we’ll leave you to get acquainted. A few of the Guild members escaped our attack, and we need to try to track them down before they attempt another abduction.”

Carolyn rose on tiptoes to kiss him and gave him a reassuring smile. “Go. Do what you have to. We’ll be fine.”

Darius hated what he was about to do, but he’d made a promise to Carolyn while she was healing and he had to honor that. “If you would like to come along and take your vengeance on the Guild, you’re welcome to do so.”

“No. That isn’t necessary. I’ll stay here with my cousin’s.”

“If that’s what you want I’m good with it.” He gave the men a nod and turned to go.

Nick and Derick wore reluctant expressions but followed Darius from the kitchen. The local vampires, Rafe and Sean, glanced at the women and then joined the other men in the hallway.

Once they were out of earshot, Nick pulled Darius to a stop. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but we didn’t get the president. He escaped while we were rescuing Carolyn.”

Darius let out a bellow. His fury erupted like an active volcano. “If it’s the last thing I do, I will make that man suffer unimaginable pain before I allow him to die.”

Nick placed a calming hand on Darius’s shoulder. “We’ll get him. Collect your swords and knives. No guns. We could very well find ourselves confronting them in town. Gunfire would bring the police down on us.”

“Notify Etienne that we are going after those bastards,” Darius growled.

“I’m already on it,” Derick’s voice was edged with fury as he texted the king of the vampires. “You’re not the only one who found his Muierimei. Janet is mine. I have a personal stake in killing the rest of the Guild. Protecting her and the other women has become my number one priority.”

Logan and Quin stepped out of the living room where they had been watching the news. “Do you want us to come with you?” Logan asked.

Darius gripped Logan’s shoulder. “Thank you for the offer, but no. What I would like you to do is remain here and guard the women. Even though our wards should prevent the Guild from entering the estate, I would feel better if the women weren’t left unprotected.”

Logan gave Darius a nod. “Get a piece of them for us,” he growled, his wolf rising in his voice. “Any bastard that targets women needs to be put down hard.”

“We’ll do that.”

 

*****

 

Etienne watched as his deceased wife materialized before him. “Hello, Amalia. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again so soon?”

“Etienne, my love, we need to talk. I have received important news that pertains to you.”

His fingers itched to touch her cheek, but he’d learned long ago that his hand would simply pass through her ghostly form, so he held them tightly in his lap. “And that is?”

“It is time to move on. Your new love awaits you in New Orleans. You have pined for me far too long. It isn’t healthy. Besides, my time has come to go to the light and prepare to be reborn into another life. I will always love you, Etienne. But I need to let this existence, such as it is, go.”

“I know you are right, but I don’t have to like it. That being said, I love you too much to hold you here against your will. You will always hold a piece of my heart as my first love. My only regret in letting you go is I cannot hold you one last time before you are gone forever.”

“There you are wrong.” A heartbeat later she stood before him a solid as she had been in life. “As my final request before I leave you, I was granted a few minutes in my corporeal body.”

Etienne leapt from his chair and pulled her into his arms. He wasted no time with speech. Instead, his lips crashed down in a desperate kiss. She opened to him on a sigh, and he swept in. It had been so long since he’d held the woman who had taken his heart with her to the grave. She tasted a sweet as he remembered, like a ripe blueberry. A groan ripped from his throat when she moved her pelvis against him. Then much too quickly he held nothing but air.

“God damn it!” he bellowed.

“I feel the same. I would have preferred to make love to you one last time, but I was only permitted those few moments. Most aren’t granted even that much. I beg you to not deny your feelings when the woman destined for you enters your life. You mustn’t dwell in the past any longer. I am sorry, but my time is up, and I must go.”

“I love you, Amalia. Have a wonderful long life when you are reborn. You didn’t deserve to die with the bloom of youth still upon your cheeks.”

“I will do my best. Take care, my love.”

Tears rolled down his face as he watched her raise a hand in farewell and walked into the light.

 

*****

 

Minutes later the men were in the SUV and headed to town. Their first stop was the hotel to collect Etienne who had remained in town in case the Guild returned to the hotel.

“Good evening gentlemen,” he greeted as he took a seat in the vehicle.

“Good evening, Etienne,” Nick answered for the lot of them. “Did any of the members double back to the hotel?”

“Apparently, they did, but I did not see them. Each of the rooms the women had stayed in was marked with symbols and ransacked.”

Darius studied Etienne’s face closely. There was sadness in his eyes and heartbreak in his tone. “What happened that you’re not telling us?”

“Amalia paid me a visit to say goodbye. She has made it clear that I need to find love again and has chosen to go into the light.”

Derick who was beside Etienne placed his hand on Etienne’s arm and squeezed. “I’m sorry. I know she was your world and you’ll miss her.”

“I will. But she is right. It is time I moved on and found a flesh and blood woman to share my life. I wish to speak no more of it. We have work to do.”

Silence lay like a heavy shroud over the men. No one knew what to say given the circumstances. They were all finding their Muierimei’s while Etienne was saying his final goodbye to his.

Nick drove while Darius, Derick, Etienne, and the local vampires, Rafe and Sean, watched for the president and members of the Guild.

Rafe kept his eye on the passing humanity as he stated, “Your Majesty, Sean and I would like to request a transfer to New Orleans.”

“Rafe, how many times do I have to tell you not to address me in such a way?”

Rafe chuckled. “Apparently, at least once more.”

Etienne sighed. “Fine. Why are you requesting the transfer?”

“The witch Stacy is my Muierimei. I’m sure she will join the others in New Orleans to create their coven. I need to be in the same city so I can court her.”

“I have found my Muierimei among the witches as well,” Sean added. “Tara is mine. She is also leaning toward relocating to New Orleans. I sensed it when they spoke about moving to your city.”

Etienne nodded to each man. “You both have my blessing and congratulations. I will be pleased to have you in New Orleans.”

“Stop here!” Darius hissed.

Nicked yanked the wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes.

Darius tracked his target waiting for his chance to launch from the vehicle. The instant Nick hit the brakes his door flew open, and he was on the run. Footsteps pounded behind him as the others followed. The Guild member glanced over his shoulder and took off. Darius swore under his breath, frustrated that he had to deny his vampiric speed and appear human in public. His prey shot down an alley with Darius hot on his heels. The instant they were out of the public eye, he pulled one of his blades and let it fly. The lethal weapon lodged into the member’s spine. The man dropped to the filthy cement with a shriek of pain. Darius slowed to a predatory stalk and snarled over his shoulder to the others, “No one kills him until he is questioned.”

The member tried to wiggle away from Darius, but the knife had severed his spinal cord. “I didn’t do anything man,” he pleaded.

“Sure you did. I saw you at the graveyard. I have one question for you. If you answer correctly, I’ll kill you quickly. If not, I’ll turn you over to them,” he jerked his head to indicate the other vampires, “for a bit of fun. Where is your president?”

“I don’t know, man. I got separated from the rest of the group. I’ve been searching for hours and haven’t found anyone. That’s the truth!”

Darius heard the ring of honesty in the man’s words. “Thank you,” he said as he gripped the man’s head and wrenched it to the side. A snap echoed off the walls of the alley as the man went limp in death.

Etienne sighed. “He was a wealth of information. All right, boys, we have work to do. Spread out and search the city. If you find any other survivors let me know. Regardless of what we find, return to the SUV in three hours.”

The men piled into the vehicle taking the same seats that they had vacated three hours earlier. Unhappy expressions darkened their faces. They had canvased the entire city and hadn’t located any other members.

Etienne put a voice to what every man was thinking. “We are wasting our time here. The Guild must have turned tail and run to regroup. It is time we go home.”

 

*****

 

The next morning, Carolyn woke wrapped in Darius’s arms. Happiness filled her heart. She was going to wake up to this wonderful man for eternity. She took a breath and inhaled Darius’s unique scent. A smile pulled at her lips as her eyes blinked open to gaze upon Darius’s sweet face.

“I love you, leannan,” he whispered and then gave her a soft, good morning kiss. “How do you feel this morning?”

“Incredible. My dislocated shoulder is back in place, and except for the horrific memories that will give me nightmares for decades to come, I wouldn’t know I had been sliced and burned. By the way, how did it go last night? Did you get the bastards?”

Darius grumbled a curse under his breath. “No. It didn’t go as well as I had hoped. The president and all but one of the members got away.”

Carolyn propped herself up on her forearms and looked down at him. “So, what does that mean for us witches?”

He shrugged. “Nothing has changed. We’ll keep all of you safe and continue to hunt them down.” He rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. “Let’s get dressed and rustle up some breakfast. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

“Okay.”

He gave her a hot look and winked. “I like your hair.”

Carolyn leapt from the bed and ran to the mirror. She squealed with joy when she saw her reflection. Gorgeous blonde hair fell in soft curls half way down her back. Not as long as before but thicker by a long shot, and the shiny, soft texture was something she hadn’t been able to achieve with salon products no matter how hard she had tried. “Thank God I don’t have a mullet. I can live with this. No problem.”

When they entered the kitchen, they found the room empty and a note on the counter. Darius scooped it up and read it aloud.

 

Good morning,

 

I hope you slept well.

We have headed home.

Drive safely, and we’ll see you in New Orleans. All of us! That’s right, all seven of us have decided to live in New Orleans. I can’t wait to start our coven.

 

 

Love,

Jacqueline

 

He arched an eyebrow at her and grabbed two coffee mugs. “It looks like it’s breakfast for two.”

Carolyn’s pupils dilated. “Let’s not all bad. It means I get you all to myself…” her voice trailed off and her eyes became blank.

Darius rushed to her side, afraid she would fall during her vision.

Her breasts rose and fell with her sharp, labored breaths. Several long minutes passed before the light returned to her eyes.

Terror raced across her face, and she gripped his arm hard. “The Guild is on their way to New Orleans.”