The Broken Angel (20 page)

“What happened?” Ravenna asked as she passed over Martina.

“I don’t know, but there’s no time left.” Ophelia sounded hysterical.

Martina thought she heard a kid cry.

“Ravenna, take Daniel with you, please.” A third woman came into sight. “Martina, can you hear me?”

A smaller and colder hand touched Martina’s forearm.

Ophelia crowded the space once again. “There’s no time to ask for permission.”

The woman faced Ophelia. “We can’t decide for her.”

“You would’ve decided for Marcus.”

“It’s not the same—”

“It is to me. She’s the love of his life…” Ophelia’s voice broke at the end. “Had she had a chance to survive my change, I would’ve already bitten her.”

“Oh, Ophelia—”

Martina heard pity in the woman’s voice.

“Turn her,” Ophelia whispered. “Please, Diana.”

Ophelia’s face disappeared and was replaced by the stranger’s, who looked at Martina with gentle eyes. “Martina, I hope I’m doing the right thing.”

Martina felt something sharp puncturing her wrist and her life sapped away into a peaceful darkness.

As Marcus drove them back to Rome, Samuel listened to all the messages that had been left on his cell as he was led astray by Claudius. He should have known better than leaving Martina to chase Carta.

As if reading his thoughts, Marcus gently patted his shoulder and said, “I would’ve gone after anyone who threatened Diana’s life.”

Alexander assented from the back seat.

Samuel didn’t respond. He hadn’t said a word since they had to drag him away from the infirmary. Without thinking of the repercussions, he had thrown himself against Carta. Only the two centurions’ strength combined had saved the vampire’s life, and Samuel’s freedom as well. Had he succeeded in killing Carta—a defenseless man attacked apparently with no cause—no paranormal lawyer would have saved him from eternal exile from Earth. That might have been part of Claudius’s plan. And he might have not cared after all.

“
Samuel, where are you? Hurry back home
.” Ophelia had left three or four messages, all in the same vein. Then Barnes had called several times, but only left a message that said, “
You should go back to Rome. Ophelia is looking for you
.”

Ravenna had called Alexander, and Diana had called Marcus, and they had explained to him how Martina had been attacked and that Diana was attempting to save her. He listened to them, but didn’t react to their words of encouragement. Pain lacerated him from the inside, tearing apart his heart.

He entered his place without any knowledge of having left Marcus’s car and ran all the way up. Alexander and Marcus at his heels, Samuel tore through the living room as Ravenna stood from the couch. She held in her arms Marcus’s baby, and whispered something to Marcus as he took his child from her.

Alexander who had stopped by Ravenna called, “Samuel, wait—”

Samuel didn’t slow his pace.

Ophelia came hurrying toward him. “Samuel—” She was crying.

“Where is she?” He looked over her shoulders at the hallway leading to his bedroom. When she didn’t move aside to let him pass, he took her by her shoulders and forced her out of the way.

“Samuel, I didn’t know what else to do—” Ophelia took her face between her hands as her body was shaken by loud sobs. “Diana was my only hope to save Martina. Please, forgive me. I didn’t know what else to do. Martina was too hurt and needed blood, and only a vampire could’ve acted fast enough to keep her alive during the change. Samuel, please—”

Samuel heard her, but kept walking. There would be time for explanations later. If he still wanted to hear any. Hurried steps resonated behind him.

Alexander’s hand shot to Samuel’s elbow as he progressed toward his bedroom. “You should wait here.”

Samuel jerked his friend’s hand away without pausing. He had to see Martina.

Alexander said something. A second set of steps echoed in the hallway. Marcus too reached for him.

Samuel wouldn’t listen anymore. A step more and he was inside his bedroom, then he was at the master bathroom’s entrance, staring down at the floor, where Diana was leaning over Martina’s broken body. Diana was caressing Martina’s face with one hand, coaxing her lips open as she fed her blood from her open wrist.

“You must let Diana finish what she started.” Marcus came to his side and gently steered him away. “Come with me.” Samuel stayed Marcus’s hand with his, then collapsed to the floor. He couldn’t look away. Marcus lowered himself down and stood by him as they silently waited for Diana to transfer part of her vital essence into Martina. The process lasted several minutes during which Martina never gave any sign of life. Her unblinking eyes didn’t have any light left in them, and her hair was matted with drying blood.

Diana finally raised her head and looked at Samuel. “I drained her and replenished her. We must wait now.” Her eyes went to her husband next, and, one hand on the wall behind her, she slowly started to help herself up, but Marcus was immediately at her side. Even held up by her husband, Diana swayed. “I only need a moment,” she whispered to him.

Marcus took her in his arms, then turned to Samuel. “I’ll take her to the guestroom.”

Samuel crawled on hands and knees until he reached Martina. The shirt he had given her wasn’t white anymore, but stained in splotches of red in several shades, from vivid cherry to maroon. He scooted on the floor and carefully placed her head on his lap, then leaned to brush her cold forehead with small kisses.

“I love you.” He let himself cry as he rocked her body.

Some time later, Marcus came back. “You can move her to a bed now.”

Samuel cradled Martina against his chest and gasped when he felt the extent of the damage done to her body. He hadn’t had the courage to check, but now he felt all her broken bones and could only imagine the state of her internal organs.

“She’s knitting herself together,” Marcus said. “It isn’t pretty to watch, but she’ll be fine.”

Samuel acknowledged his friend’s words with a nod and brought Martina to his bed, laying her on the mattress with great care.

“If you need anything, I’ll be in the living room with Alexander and Ravenna.” Marcus lowered his hand on the handle to close the bedroom’s door behind.

“Wait—” Samuel’s voice was hoarse.

“Yes?”

“How’s Diana?”

“She’s fine. She’s never created a vampling before and the procedure was taxing to her. But she’s sleeping the day off now and I took the baby to her.”

Samuel’s eyes went to the window, realizing only then that the whole night had flown by and the sun was already out. “I owe her, and you, everything.”

“You owe us nothing. If it weren’t for you helping us first, we wouldn’t be here.”

Samuel slouched on the edge of the bed, his energies depleted. “So, what now? In theory I know everything there is to know about vamplings. They made me study every species before I could take the liaison job. In practice, I know nothing.”

Marcus leaned against the doorjamb. “Prepare yourself for quite the adventure.”

Samuel shook his head. “I’ve had enough adventure in my life already. I only want to retire to Umbria and cuddle with her in front of a fireplace.”

“And you’ll have that, but first, you’ll have to give her time to go through the change, and that can be tricky if you aren’t prepared.” Marcus seemed to hesitate a moment before he continued. “The short of it is that Martina must feed regularly and abundantly. And you must decide if you are okay with her feeding from others.”

Marcus’s words elicited in Samuel’s mind the image of Martina embraced in someone else’s arms, suckling from their throat, and he shuddered, pain gripping his midsection, followed by a sudden bout of nausea. “It seems too intimate—”

Marcus nodded. “It is very intimate. I would’ve rather died than let Diana feed from anyone else.”

“I’m worried I’ll screw this up like everything else so far.” Samuel’s wings moved by their own accord behind him, trailing on the bed and brushing Martina’s arm. “This is all my fault.”

“Do you love her?” Marcus locked eyes with Samuel’s.

“I think I fell in love with Martina the first time I saw her.”

“Then you’ll do great.” Marcus’s mouth curved in a small smile.

They both turned their heads when a soft moan came from the bed.

Samuel stood then kneeled close to Martina, who was just opening her eyes. “How do you feel?” He angled his body so that his wings would give them privacy. The soft click of the door told him Marcus had left them alone.

Martina looked up, at first her expression betrayed disorientation, then her eyes focused on him and a smile tucked at her lips. “Samuel…”

He bent for a peck on her forehead. “I’m here.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” He took both her hands in his and brought them to his heart. “How do you feel?”

“Like hell.” She grimaced and Samuel’s heart sunk.

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do to lessen your pain. Your body is going through a big change—” He saw the puzzled look on her face. “Do you know what’s happening to you?”

****

“I’m not sure.” Martina tried to sit, but piercing pain engulfed her and she gasped.

He circled her with his arms and steadied her against him. “Your body is rebuilding itself from the inside out. You sustained fatal injuries—”

“A man did this to me. He said his name was Claudius.” The pain was excruciating, like fire running through her veins. “Ophelia came, then Ravenna, and another woman… Diana?” She thought she could taste coppery metal on her tongue. “She’s Marcus’s wife, right?”

Samuel nodded.

“She is the vampire.”

Samuel nodded again.

Disjointed memories came back to her. The feeling of being bitten and drained was followed by utter blackness. Ophelia’s cries. Diana’s words. Maybe not in that order.

Pain hit her in waves and she screamed. Samuel caressed her and whispered soothing words. Several minutes passed before she was able to string two thoughts together. “Did Diana…?”

Samuel kissed her lips. “It was the only way to save you.”

“Am I a vampire?” It sounded so strange to say it out loud.

“Not yet. You’re a vampling for now.” He left a trail of pecks all over her face.

“What does it mean?”

“You are a newborn vampire. You’ll transform into a full-grown vampire at your own pace.” Samuel brushed her nose with his. “I remember that Diana changed in a matter of days, but I’ve heard of vamplings who took months and even years to complete the transformation. But I’ll be by your side and together we’ll face whatever happens.”

A knock on the door interrupted Samuel, who moved his wings to cover her before answering, “Come in.”

The door opened slightly, and she saw Alexander from behind the dark feathers.

“I apologize.” He hesitated on the threshold. “We didn’t want to disturb you, but Ravenna, Ophelia, and I are leaving and we wanted to know how Martina is faring.”

“She’s healing,” Samuel answered as she tried to raise her head and once again searing pain forced her down to the mattress.

“We’ll come back later with some food and anything else Martina might need.” Alexander waved his hand and closed the door.

Martina heard him reassuring Ravenna and Ophelia, then their steps resonated softer and softer, only to be replaced by someone else’s.

Marcus peeked inside next. “I’ll go take a nap with Diana and the baby, but wake me if you need anything.”

Samuel told him not to worry.

“A baby? What baby?” Martina had a vague recollection of having thought there was a baby earlier in the house, but she couldn’t be sure of what was real and what wasn’t.

“Daniel. Diana’s and Marcus’s kid.”

She smiled. Kids always made her smile. A different wave of pain ravaged her body and erased the smile. She went through several bouts of pain so strong she could barely breathe. The whole time, Samuel stood by her side, rocking her, caressing her, telling her how much he loved her. Once or twice he answered his cell phone, but kept his conversations short. The bedroom was bathed in a golden light when she emerged from one of the most painful waves. She could swear her bones had been knitting back together before her eyes.

By the time she managed to raise one hand without passing out, Samuel lit the lamp on the nightstand. When she reemerged an hour or two later from yet another episode, he was looking at her with such worry in his eyes, she wished she could fake she was fine.

“May we come in?” a feminine voice asked after a soft knock on the door.

“Of course.” Samuel helped Martina to a more comfortable position against the headboard.

The door opened and the small woman Martina had only had glimpses of earlier walked in, accompanied by Marcus holding a small child with black, curly hair and the most intelligent dark eyes. Although short and on the thinner side, Diana looked majestic.

“Hi, Martina. I’m Diana. I apologize for having to introduce myself after the deed, but we were in a pinch.”

At first, Martina was taken aback by the woman’s demeanor, but then Diana walked closer to the bed and reached for Martina’s hand in a maternal gesture and gave her a smile. “Thank you for saving my life, Diana.”

Diana shook her head softly. “There’s so much we should talk about, but for now the only thing you need to know is just rest and feed—” She gave Samuel a questioning look.

“I’ll take care of that.” Samuel caressed Martina’s arm.

Diana approved with a big smile she directed to both Samuel and Martina. “Good. That makes everything simpler.” She then gently squeezed Martina’s hand before releasing her hold and addressing Marcus with a nod of her head. “Time to go.” The child cooed at his mom, and she promptly took him from her husband’s arms.

Samuel left the bed to walk by Diana’s side. “Thank you.” He leaned to encircle both mother and baby in a gentle embrace.

“Thank Ophelia,” she whispered to him before turning to her husband. Hand in hand, Diana and Marcus walked to the door. On the threshold, Marcus looked at Samuel. “Don’t forget, we’re just a phone call away.”

Once they were out, Samuel sat back on the edge of the bed, facing her. Martina noticed his mood had changed. He was tense.

His eyes locked on hers, his hands grabbing a cushion, his wings trailing to the floor, he seemed to hesitate before talking. “Giulio won’t hurt you again.”

She felt laughter building up inside of her. “I’m not afraid of him anymore.” Not after the ordeal she had had gone through and survived.

A dark veil obscured his expression. “No, of course not. He should be afraid of you now. In any case, I was informed that his family has sent him away to a rehab facility, and if they want to keep doing business with Quintilius, they will never let him back.”

“I wouldn’t have bothered with him, but it’s good to know. And later, you’ll explain this Quintilius guy to me.”

Samuel nodded. “The vampire who attacked you has been on the most wanted list for a while now. Hopefully, we’ll get him behind bars soon.”

Martina hated the distance between them; she felt cold without his constant touch on her skin. “Now, what’s wrong?”

He cocked his head and gave her a pensive smile. “I hope you won’t hate me for being selfish.”