Kate peered around and spotted Chris coming toward them. His expression was tense, his voice urgent. "Chuck is livid. Lucern won both of the other categories he was nominated for and wasn't around to accept the… Jesus, Kate, are you all right? You look like hell."
"She isn't feeling well," Lucern explained, mentally kicking himself. It was his fault. He'd taken too much blood—he hadn't been able to help himself. Once the sweet, warm fluid had burst over his parched tongue and into his mouth, he'd been lost. If someone hadn't distracted him, he didn't know what would have happened. His anxious gaze slid to Kate's wan face, and he berated himself again. Fortunately, he hadn't taken enough to cause serious damage, but Kate was going to feel weak and—
"I thought you were the one not feeling well," Chris said with confusion. The editor moved to take Kate's other arm and some of her weight.
"It's catching," Lucern muttered. He steered them toward the elevators.
"Great," Chris said. "Then I'm sure to catch it next." He brightened. "But you seem to be getting over it. You've got some color in your cheeks again. At least it passes quickly."
Lucern flinched guiltily. The color in his cheeks was thanks to Kate's blood. It was also the reason she was now so weak. He was feeling a bit better. A bit. He'd guess that if he could get another couple of quarts of blood, he'd be back to his old self.
"Where are we going?" Chris asked as they waited for the elevator to arrive.
"I'm taking her upstairs to lie down."
"No." Kate suddenly forced herself to straighten. She managed the attempt, but swayed weakly. "We should go to the hospitality suite."
"You're in no shape to go to some stupid hospitality suite," Lucern argued. "You need something sweet and rest. To rebuild…" He paused, not wishing to say more in front of Chris.
"I just have to sit there. They'll have refreshments," Kate insisted. She turned to Chris. "Are they almost done with the awards?"
"Yes. Another half-hour, I would think." The editor glanced at Lucern as the elevator doors opened and they helped Kate aboard. "She should be okay in the hospitality suite. We can keep an eye on her. Chuck will have a fit if she doesn't show."
Lucern remained silent as Chris pressed an elevator button. He wasn't happy with the decision, but he didn't want to jeopardize Kate's job. And he would keep an eye on her.
Chapter Eleven
Kate tipped the bags over and watched everything she'd purchased tumble out onto the bed; then, she began to sort through the pile. Snatching the black sweater and black wool hat, she hurried to the closet and grabbed her black dress pants. She pulled them on quickly, donning the sweater, too, but stuffing the hat into a pocket. Then she hurried back to the bed to start tossing the things into her new black backpack. Once she was done, she checked her watch.
Kate had spent the better part of the afternoon sitting in a chair next to Lucern in the Roundhouse hospitality suite, eating all the food he kept shoving at her and dutifully drinking the orange juice he'd made Chris go out and find. It had been interminable. Kate had started to feel better rather quickly after drinking the orange juice and eating, at least physically better, but Lucern had hovered anxiously over her. The man had acted like a mother bird.
Lucern had also reeked of guilt, for which Kate could have kicked him. He had nothing to feel guilty for—she had practically forced him to take her blood. And, yes, it had briefly weakened her, but it hadn't harmed her in the end. Still, she did not have aspirations to be on a dinner menu. Even if being there had been mostly pleasurable, she would avoid offering herself up as another meal. So she'd fretted with the problem of how to feed him all afternoon.
Kate had been to several conferences and had never seen the Roundhouse hospitality suite so busy. The fans had arrived en masse, filling the room to bursting, the overflow spilling out into the hall. Chuck had been clearly pleased. Allison, Tom and Deeana had had their hands full answering questions, and giving out little key chains with miniature book covers on them to the readers. Chris had been forced to leave Lucern and Kate several times to confer with some of his own writers, but that had been all right, they'd done fine. With Lucern, the fans had been blessedly gentle. Perhaps that was because of Lady Barrow's announcement that he wasn't feeling well, or perhaps it was because, while he no longer looked like a walking corpse, Lucern was still pale and apparently fragile. Whatever the case, the fans Kate had feared might overwhelm him had all been gracious and sweet. They had also done most of the talking, telling Lucern how much they enjoyed his work and not seeming to notice that he said little in response.