The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)(34)
Author: Gena Showalter

Finally, blessedly, Ashlyn coughed and sputtered. Her entire body spasmed as she opened her mouth and struggled to suck life into her lungs. In – she gasped, choked. Out – she gagged.

Maddox gathered her to his chest in the next instant. She struggled against him. "Hold still, beauty. Hold still."

Gradually her movements ceased. "Maddox," she rasped, and it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

"I’m here." Her skin was still cold, still clammy. "I’ve got you."

Danika remained at the side of the bed, wringing her hands. White teeth bit down on her bottom lip, drawing a bead of blood. "She needs a hospital. Doctors, medicine."

"The journey from fortress to city would be too much for her."

"Wh-what’s wrong with her? A virus? Oh God! I put my mouth on hers."

"Wine," Reyes answered. "She is sick from our wine."

Her green eyes widened and she flicked Ashlyn a glance. "All this from a hangover? You should have told me. She needs water and coffee to dilute the alcohol." She paused. "For what it’s worth, I hope – think she’ll live, but you really should take her to a hospital and get her on an IV. She’s probably dehydrated." Even as she spoke, shades of color trickled back into Ashlyn’s cheeks.

"Hurt," Ashlyn whispered. Her hands clutched at Maddox’s back, drawing him closer. Perhaps she felt as he did, that they could not be close enough. He would have burrowed under her skin if possible.

"What else can you do for her?" Maddox demanded of Danika. "She is still in pain."

"I – I – " Danika pursed her mouth and glanced away from him, her gaze locking on Reyes. The warrior looked suspicious. Her eyes widened, and she snapped her fingers again. "Tylenol! Motrin. Something like that. That always helped my hangovers."

Maddox glanced to Reyes. "I’ve seen a commercial for such things, I think, but don’t know where to obtain them. Do you?"

"No. There’s never been a reason to pay attention to human medicines." Reyes didn’t remove his eyes from the blonde; his voice sounded scratchy for some reason.

Paris would have known, but Paris was not here. "Where can we get this Tylenol?" Maddox asked the girl, urgency consuming him.

Danika’s brows puckered in an imitation of Reyes as she glanced between the two men. There was an odd gleam in her lovely green eyes, as if he and Reyes had been speaking a foreign language and she could not grasp the specifics. "I have some in my purse," she finally said.

When she failed to elaborate, he gritted out, "Go fetch your purse, then."

"Unless you free me, I can’t. It’s in my hotel room. What – what kind of wine did she drink?" she asked with barely a pause.

"One you have never heard of, healer," Reyes said softly.

He knew, Danika realized, suddenly petrified. What had given her away? Her panicked plea to call 911? Her nervousness? A shudder rocked her. Cold infused her blood. Then he stepped behind her, crowding her with his heat, his vibrant energy chasing away the chill. Her shudder became a shiver. She hastily moved away from him, afraid of her reaction to him.

"You are a healer, aren’t you?" he asked, his voice a mocking curse.

Oh, yes. He knew. She twisted the material of her pants and swallowed audibly. At least he didn’t rat her out – or slay her on the spot.

She gulped. "You can’t deny she’s breathing now. I did my part. You owe me."

Reyes looked away from her, as if he couldn’t stand the sight of her another moment.

"Get Lucien," Maddox said.

"Can’t. He is otherwise occupied." Reyes stalked toward the open door. "I’ll be back," he called over his shoulder. "Watch the blonde, Maddox. She’s wily." With a jerk, he slammed the door shut behind him.

Like an idiot, Danika nearly ran after him. He scared her more than any of the others, but for some reason she’d rather be with him. There was something about him that affected her. Deeply. The pain in his eyes, maybe. The fine lines of stress etched in his face, perhaps. He called to her on a primitive level. A level that claimed he’d keep her safe, no matter what threats he uttered.

"If I have to chase you," the one named Maddox said, "you will regret it. Understand?"

The blunt warning shoved the lingering heat from her skin. This man was completely terrifying. Every time he spoke, she heard a trace of brutality in his voice, as if it were infused in the undercurrents. As if he couldn’t wait to inflict maximum pain on anyone who even glanced in his direction. She’d noticed in the past few minutes that his face sometimes mutated, a skeletal mask falling over his features. His violet eyes had flickered to black, then neon red, then black again.

What kind of man – what kind of human – could look like that?

A quake traveled from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. As a child, she’d feared the boogeyman until her mother had told her the creature was a myth, a lie meant to keep children obedient. Danika thought perhaps she was staring at the boogeyman right now.

Only when he gazed at the woman on the bed did he appear normal.

"Understand?" he demanded again.

"Yes." She punctuated the word with a cooperative nod.

"Good." Promptly dismissing the girl from his thoughts, Maddox turned back to Ashlyn. Her trembling had escalated into wracking tremors. Her teeth chattered. Her eyes were open and a lone tear slid down her pale cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered to the healer.

"You’re welcome."

"Feel better?" he asked softly.

"Still hurt," she said. "Cold. But yes. Better."

Willing his own heat into her body, he said, "I’m sorry." He rarely uttered those words. In fact, the only apology he’d made in decades was the one he’d offered his friends this morning. "I’m sorry. I’m sorry." He couldn’t say it enough. "I’m so sorry."

She shook her head, then moaned and lay still. "Accident."

His mouth fell open in surprise and reverence. So far he’d caused this human nothing but pain, yet here she was, trying to absolve him. Astonishing. "You’re going to live. I swear it." Whatever he had to do to keep his vow, he’d do it.

Ashlyn smiled faintly. "At least… silence."

Silence. That wasn’t the first time she’d used that word. Nor was it the first time she’d said it with such awe. "I do not understand."

Despite her weakened condition, she managed another of those frail, sweet smiles. "Makes two of us."

Fireworks sparked in his bloodstream – that smile, so radiant, so lovely – warming him, arousing him, filling him with so much relief he was almost drunk with it. He opened his mouth to respond, not that he knew what to say, when Reyes sailed into the room, Aeron at his side. The other man’s short hair gleamed in the light.