My vision comes next, the room around me still blurry, but partially visible.
“Bronywyn?” Tarnley is beside me, hands touching my face.
“I—”
“Easy, Miss Walsh. We need to get you into surgery, okay?”
“I—” I’m scared, terrified. “Rach—”
“I’ll call her.” Tarnley steps away, his arrows already gone.
My senses begin to fade again as the mystery woman places something over my nose and mouth. All senses gone, I drift away again, into complete and total darkness.
* * *
Something cool pressesto my forehead as I open my eyes.
Tarnley stands above me. When his gaze meets mine, he lets out a soft sigh of relief. “You scared the fucking shit out of me.”
“I’m—”
“She’s awake?”
He glances to the left and nods.
Rainey and Delaney come into view above me, their glamour’s removed.
“Where are we?”
“A clinic south of town.” My father steps up to my left side. “A friend of mine runs it.”
I turn my attention to Tarnley. “Are you okay?”
His hand caresses my forehead as he nods. “I gave you some blood, so you should start feeling better soon.”
My body aches, but already, I can feel my strength returning. Vampire blood is a supernatural cure-all if it’s not tainted with silver.
“It took a few bags of blood pumped into your boy, but we finally got the all-clear from your dad’s girlfriend.”
“She is not my girlfriend,” he growls at Rainey, and then looks down at me. “You feeling better?”
I study his face, noting the bags beneath his eyes, the worried way he watches me. And it’s at this moment that I decide to trust him.
“I’m fine, Dad, thanks.”
He beams down at me, joy plain as day on his face.
I return the smile, hoping like hell my trust is not misplaced.