Bound by Time (33 page)

E
verything hurt. Isobel knew part of it was a reaction to the power she had wielded. But it was more than that. Her head ached and it hurt to breathe too deep. Isobel’s eyes fluttered open. Light from a florescent bulb glowed softly from somewhere behind her head. A tiled ceiling swam into view. On the wall across from her images from the Weather Channel moved across the screen on a small TV, its volume muted.

Something annoying beeped regularly to the side. Confused, Isobel raised her hand to her forehead and noticed something on the end of her finger. She focused on it. Her finger was held by a clamp. A cord ran from it to somewhere off the side of the bed. A bed with rails.

She turned her head and felt the pull of the tube running under her nose. She felt another tube attached to the back of her hand. Isobel swallowed past the dry stickiness in her throat. “Damien?” His name came out as a whisper.

He was there in an instant, leaning over her. “Good morning,
meae deliciae.
” His voice and tender smile warmed her heart.

“Morning?” she rasped out.

Damien placed a small foam cup with a straw in it to her lips. She sipped gratefully. “Yes, morning.”

Isobel tried to push herself up but gasped at the pain that shot through her ribs and fell back with a groan. Damien laid his hand over her heart. “Be still,
meae deliciae
. You have bruised ribs and stitches in the back of your head.”

The memory of everything that had happened crashed over her, and she closed her eyes to sort it out. Her eyes flew open as panic filled her. “What is it?”

“Amelia, Rose…Sorsha?” She searched his face anxiously.

Damien’s face relaxed and he hitched one hip up to perch on the edge of the mattress. “All three are fine. Amelia needed some stitches, and Rose was treated for a burn on her arm. Both have already been released. They chose to go back to my house for now with Lucian and Elijah. Amelia doesn’t want to leave for Louisiana until you are out of here.” He held up his hand. “And, Sorsha is fine. Amelia made sure to grab her on the way out of the house.”

Isobel relaxed as the tension leached out of her. “What about the police; my mother’s car. My parents!” She started to sit up again, but Damien held her back with gentle hands.

“You will stay still and calm down.” He waited until she nodded before removing his hands. “It really was horrible that someone stole your mother’s car and wrecked it. And it’s tragic that the house caught on fire due to a wiring mistake during the remodeling. You hit your head and bruised your ribs when you fell down the stairs trying to get away from the fire.”

Sadness welled inside Isobel for her parents. “The house is gone, isn’t it?”

Damien nodded. “By the time the firefighters arrived it was too late. All they could do was keep it from spreading.” He shifted on the bed. “I called your parents. They took the first flight they could get and will be here this afternoon.”

“How did you get the hospital to let you in here?”

A smile filled with mischief spread across his face, showing his perfect white teeth. “They wouldn’t dare to keep your husband away.”

Isobel’s breath caught in her throat and the machine skipped a beep. “Husband? Are you proposing?”

Damien flashed her another smile. “Absolutely.” His face grew serious. “But not here, not like this.”

Isobel wanted to tell him she didn’t care how he proposed, but she could see in his eyes that he wanted to do something special. She tried to change positions to ease the ache in her joints and groaned at the stabbing pain in her side.

“Isobel, do you want me to call the nurse so she can give you something for the pain?”

She gave a shake of her head. “Not yet.” Her eyes found his again. “Xapar is gone?” When he nodded she asked, “What do I do now?”

Damien’s face grew serious. “There are more demons out there. What you decide to do is up to you.”

Tears rimmed the edges of her eyes. Though he’d said he wanted to marry her, she knew he had a greater calling. “You’re going to leave, aren’t you?”

Damien’s face softened as he shook his head. “Not without you,
meae deliciae
. You are my channel. I have had but one place in this world throughout the centuries and that is with you. We are
sodales in aeternum
.” He stood and leaned over her, gently kissing her lips before pulling back.

Isobel closed her eyes and relaxed against the sheets. Damien brushed the back of his fingers across her face. “I will call the nurse now.”

A few minutes later the nurse arrived and injected pain medication into her I.V. The pain lessened and the drug pulled her under.

When she woke her mother and father were in the room. Elizabeth was at her side the minute her eyes opened. She brushed a strand of hair away from Isobel’s face. “Oh baby, we were so worried about you.”

A golden glow shined softly around Elizabeth, and Isobel smiled, happy she was able to see it. The pain in her joints had finally subsided, and only a dull ache remained in her head. “I’m fine, Mom,” she lied. Her ribs still felt like they’d been kicked by a horse.

Her dad hovered anxiously on the other side of the bed as if unsure of what to do with himself. “If I had known about the wiring I would never have left you alone in the house.”

“Dad, it isn’t your fault.” She couldn’t tell him it was really a demon that had caused everything and not the remodeling, but she didn’t want him to feel guilty either.

He shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m only thankful Damien and his guests helped you out of the house. I guess I misjudged him a little.”

Isobel smiled at him. “You misjudged him a lot.”

Her father’s eyes narrowed. “How would you know?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “John, really.”

“Dad—” Isobel groaned around the ache in her ribs. “Damien and I have been together all summer.”

“You love him don’t you?” Elizabeth asked knowingly.

“What?” Her dad looked alarmed.

Isobel ignored him and looked at her mom. “Yes. More than I can express.”

Elizabeth nodded, a soft smile of understanding on her face. “It’s that serious between you two?”

“It’s very serious.” She glanced warily at her father. “Maybe fiancé serious.”

Her dad gaped at her and Elizabeth’s eyes lit up as she asked, “When did this happen? Why didn’t you call to tell us?”

Isobel smiled. “It hasn’t quite happened yet. He wants to wait until I am out of the hospital so it can be something special.”

“I’m so happy for you, sweetie.” Elizabeth patted her hand.

“Have you met him?” Isobel asked.

Her mom nodded. “Oh yes. He picked us up from the airport.” Elizabeth glanced at John. “Damien is very sweet and respectful. I think he will be good for you.”

Isobel raised an eyebrow at her father. “Dad?”

“Yeah, he seemed nice.” Her father scowled as if the admission bothered him, then his face softened, and he sighed. “I’m sorry, Isa. It’s just…there will never be anyone good enough for my little girl. I guess Damien is about as close to it as I can hope for.”

A soft laugh escaped her lips followed by a groan as she pressed her hand to her ribs. What would her dad think if he knew Damien was a dark angel? She would never know.

“What are you guys going to do about the house?” Isobel asked, suddenly concerned for her parents.

“We’ll rebuild. We’re here for a week.” Her dad paused and glanced at Isobel. “You remember the Emmersons?” When Isobel nodded that she remembered the architect and his wife, he continued, “James is going to draw up some plans and then see that it gets done while I finish up the job in Dubai.”

Elizabeth took her hand and squeezed it lightly. “I was going to ask if you wanted to come to Dubai with us since the house is destroyed. I’m assuming since you have Damien you’d rather stay here.”

Isobel nodded. “I will stay with Damien.”

“I figured as much.” Elizabeth smiled. “I can stay in town longer if you would like, to help you get ready to go back to college.”

Isobel just smiled. She’d figure out how to tell them that she wasn’t going back to school later. That she was going to travel with Damien instead. She couldn’t very well tell them the man she intended to spend her life with was also her dark angel and she would be hunting demons while she traveled.

The nurse came in soon after with more pain medication. Isobel fell asleep holding Elizabeth’s hand.

I
sobel woke and stretched long and slow. Beside her, Sorsha trilled a quiet meow, irritated with her for moving around. Isobel ran her hand over the cat’s soft fur as she sat up, thankful the pain in her ribs was finally gone. One glance at the other side of the bed showed Damien was already awake. Outside the window the first yellow leaves of the aspens had appeared since the beginning of September.

The conversation with her parents three weeks ago about her decision to leave school and travel with Damien had been met with the predicted responses. Elizabeth had expressed nothing but hope and happiness for her future, while her dad had lectured her about staying in college. In the end, Isobel had put her foot down. She was nineteen and old enough to make her own decisions.

Isobel pushed back the warm sheets, slid from the bed, and walked to the window. The Rocky Mountains rose up sharp and tall a short distance away. When she turned, she noticed the rose petals on the floor. They were scattered in a path that led past the open bedroom door.

She paused in the doorway. The path led down the hall and several tea light candles in little glass globes were spaced apart on either side of the hall. Isobel smiled and followed the rose petals and candles to the stairs. The petals were sprinkled down the stairs like a pink and red waterfall. Each step held a tiny candle in glass on either side. The path took her through the house to the dining room where the petals circled the table. Four tall tapered candles stood like guardians around a massive bouquet of pink and red roses.

Isobel stared at the table with tears in her eyes. In front of the roses sat a small velvet box. Snuggled in the center, a diamond ring shimmered in the candlelight.

Damien’s arms slid around her from behind, and he pulled her close. “So how about it,
meae deliciae
? Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Damien—” Isobel couldn’t stop the tears that trailed down her face. She turned to look into his rich blue eyes that gazed back at her so full of love. “I would love to be your wife.”

He tightened his arms around her and bent to kiss her. She parted her lips and tangled her fingers in his hair. The kiss deepened and intensified until Damien eased away. Isobel smiled up at him. “I can’t believe you did all of this.”

“I can’t take complete credit. I called Amelia for some ideas. There’s more.”

Isobel stared at him, soaking up the passion in his eyes. “More what?”

“More to this. I promise, we will make time for this,” Damien trailed kisses down her neck, “later.” He stepped away and picked up the box, plucking the ring from it.

Isobel held out her hand as he slipped it on her finger. More tears trickled down her cheeks as the diamond sparkled from its place on her hand. “What else could there possibly be?”