Chapter 11
"What the f**k was he doing breaking into that room?" Winkler was pacing and growling. In the past hour he'd seen things he'd never thought to see, including an eight and a half foot blue giant, Lissa's father Griffin, Kifirin, another man who claimed to be a healer, Lissa's father's wife and a man with Asian features who had a thick braid that went to his waist.
Winkler and Bill had been shoved aside as Lissa's body was lifted up; all while Lissa's father was handing out instructions for her to be placed in stasis so she wouldn't bleed out. The healer and the blue giant had taken over, Tony was moved to Roff's bed and Lissa was now in Tony's spot, getting attention.
"Frazier must have been given the wrong room number by a member of the staff," Bill muttered. He was just as frustrated as Winkler, poor Roff was nearly in tears and Michael was berating himself for going to the pool instead of hanging around the room all day. He'd thought the agent Bill left to guard the rooms was enough. Roff hadn't heard the shots that killed Bill's agent; Larry's gun had a silencer on it.
"How long until sunset?" Two of Bill's werewolf agents had been called in and one was asking questions. He knew the vampires would be rising at that time. Winkler frowned. He had no idea what would calm Gavin, if he woke to find Lissa wounded or dead. Larry Frazier had hit her twice in the chest from close range. A human would be dead already.
"We have another twenty minutes," Bill replied, checking his watch.
"I'd pay money to know who or what that blue guy is," the other werewolf said softly.
"I don't think he's local," Winkler muttered.
"I am Griffin, Lissa's father," Griffin held his hand out to one of the werewolf agents as he walked over. The werewolves shook the offered hand and introduced themselves as Agents Renfro and Delgado. Griffin acknowledged their names as if he already knew who they were.
"We've got her stabilized; she'll be ready to move as soon as the vampires waken," Griffin went on. "Two bullets, one through the heart. Her heart beats now, since she received my blood, but I muted her heartbeat so the vampires wouldn't become alarmed. If we hadn't come, she might have died." Griffin rubbed tension from his forehead with strong fingers.
"How did they find out where we were?" Winkler asked.
"I cannot answer that as it would be interfering," Griffin answered. "I will give advice, however, since this involves my daughter. Have no contact with anyone other than Merrill or Wlodek as far as vampires are concerned."
"Who's the blue guy?" werewolf agent Renfro took the opportunity to ask.
Griffin almost smiled. "That is Pheligar of the Larentii. You may never see another like him. Lissa will live over this," Griffin turned to Winkler. "She will be down for perhaps a week or so; that's what Pheligar and Karzac say. Karzac will stay for a day or two until he is assured that nothing is amiss. I am telling you now, for your own safety, not to argue with him. There is not a more autocratic physician anywhere, I do not believe. He is also the most powerful of our healers, so you will not get far if you do argue." Griffin nodded at Winkler, Bill and the two werewolf agents before returning to the knot of people surrounding Lissa's bed.
* * *
"Lissa, wake up little girl." Those were the first words I heard as I blinked my eyes open. Griffin was sitting at the side of my bed, only I didn't recognize any of my surroundings.
"This house belongs to the Council," Griffin said softly, reading my mind. My chest ached—I realized that now. Larry Frazier had shot me. I hadn't dreamed or imagined that.
"The tissue has been healed and Karzac gave you a transfusion," Griffin said, patting my hand that he held in both of his. "Pheligar and Karzac managed to do that quickly. They kept you from dying, baby." Griffin was smiling, though his eyes looked a little misty.
"Are they still here?" I asked. I wanted to thank them.
"Pheligar has gone, but Karzac is having a meal somewhere. He'll be back and staying with you for a day or two to make sure everything is all right. I had to order the vampires and the werewolves out of your room; they've been hovering since we brought you here."
"What happened with Larry? Why was he doing this?" I almost hissed his name.
"He'd been placed under compulsion and ordered to attack your party, sweetheart."
"I thought Xenides wanted me alive." I raised a hand to rub my forehead and discovered that an IV was in it. A bag of IV fluid hung from a pole at the side of the bed.
"Karzac," Griffin explained the IV. "And Xenides does want you alive. The ones who sent Mr. Frazier gave him a specific task and didn't instruct him not to protect himself or not to shoot at you if you attacked him. As you can see, it could have turned out very badly."
"It did turn out badly—for him," I muttered. I'd seen Winkler snap Larry's head off before I lost consciousness.
"Yes, it did turn out badly for him. Pheligar cleared away the blood from the hotel room and the Director had the body hauled away. I must go and allow the others in here before Gavin attempts to remove my head," Griffin sighed, raising my hand to his lips and kissing it. "Try to stay out of trouble, baby girl." He smiled at me before disappearing.
Gavin was growling the minute he entered the room, closely followed by Winkler, Roff, René and Tony. We were in a safe house. A large one, as it turns out.
"Do not upset her or I will have all of you removed!" Karzac appeared and snapped out orders. Gavin stopped growling immediately. He was allowed to sit down on the side of my bed while Karzac glared; the others had to stand. Karzac was now checking my IV and still frowning at all of my visitors.
"Cara, how are you feeling?" Gavin asked.
"My chest aches a little," I said. "Not bad for somebody who got shot twice, is it?"
"Cara, you might have died," Gavin grumbled.
"It's my fault. I was reaching for the stake he had in his hand, not even thinking he might have a gun," I sighed. "If I'd stayed mist and just taken his head with my claws, the bullets would have gone right through. I wanted to capture him so we could ask questions. You see how that turned out." I waved the hand that held the IV. Karzac didn't say anything; he just grabbed the hand and set it on the bed.
"Lissa, I have informed Wlodek and Merrill. I think Charles is in need of oxygen," René said over Gavin's shoulder. René's blond hair looked like it had been finger-combed multiple times, and his warm brown eyes held a worry I couldn't define. It was probably just as well that he'd made the call to Wlodek instead of Gavin. Gavin looked like a wreck.