“Use the power within you. It will take a lot of concentration. Think of all the good in your life and your feelings for those who are important to you. If you have enough, then you will be able to heal him.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Then he dies.” Charlie must’ve noticed my shocked expression because he quickly added, after clearing his throat, “I don’t know that for sure. Look, I have complete faith in you. You can do this.”
I knelt beside Lucien and gently touched the top of his head. I imagined our first meeting together very differently.
After I removed Lucien’s torn, blood-soaked jacket from around his arms, I stared at the wound, trying to figure out what to do next. A lot of the bleeding had stopped, but the deep gash remained open. I touched the beginning of the cut at his wrist and gently rubbed my thumb over the raw skin.
It felt different to be this close to Lucien physically. In my dreams, his presence was calming, but physically touching him, made every nerve in my body come to life. I could hear a soft humming in the air much like the sound I heard when I felt the beauty of the rose. My eyes moved to his face, and I resisted the urge to caress it as I was keenly aware that Charlie was leaning over me, breathing loudly.
“Nothing’s happening,” Charlie said.
“Give me a minute.”
I looked at the wound and imagined the skin regenerating. Nothing happened.
“Come on, Lucien,” I whispered.
I focused harder and still nothing. Then I remembered Charlie’s instructions. I thought of the last several months at the Deific. Had it been that long? During this time, the world had finally become a beautiful place. I’d made a best friend in Sarah, and I loved being around the children. They, more than anyone else, had taught me how to love and be happy with life. I thought of Charlie and the Deific, and all the great work they were doing and the many lives they had saved. And finally, I thought of Lucien. I wanted him to see and feel beauty as I did. I wanted him to let go of whatever it was that caused him pain. But most of all, I wanted him to see me.
My emotions swelled and my whole body tingled, starting in my heart. The feeling spread throughout my limbs and finally down to my thumb that was touching his wound. His skin began to heal.
Charlie gasped. “Amazing!”
The entire process took less than ten minutes. I wished it had been longer.
“When do you think he’ll wake up?” Charlie asked.
“It could be anytime. We shouldn’t leave him here in case those vampires come back. Let’s take him outside.”
Charlie bent over and lifted Lucien up over his shoulder. “We can take him to my place.”
“Absolutely not! He’ll probably kill you,” I said as I walked behind the storage units.
Charlie stopped moving. “So why am I trying to save him?”
“Let’s put him over here.” I pointed to a stack of wood.
“Gladly.” Charlie dropped him on the ground hard.
“Careful,” I cried. I positioned Lucien in a more comfortable position.
“I don’t get why we are doing this. Even you admit he’s dangerous.”
“He won’t be. We just need to give him some time.” I stood and looked down at him. “I wish we had a blood pack or something. He’s going to need it when he wakes up.”
“I have some,” Charlie said.
I turned to him. “Why do you have blood?”
“You should always have blood with you when working with vampires. For negotiating purposes.”
“To negotiate for what?”
“My life, for starters.” He swung the messenger back over his shoulder and reached inside.
When he handed me two bags of blood, I placed them in Lucien’s lap.
“He’ll be fine,” Charlie said. He tugged at my arm. “Let’s go. I can still get some sleep if we go now.”
Reluctantly, I followed him to the car.
On the drive back, Charlie shifted in his seat. And then again, huffing as he did so.
“What’s the problem?” I asked.
He glanced at me sideways. “It’s Lucien. I have a horrible feeling that this is happening too soon.”
“He may be dangerous, but that’s only because he knows no other way.”
“And how do you plan on showing him another way if he won’t let anyone near him?” he asked.
“I’m working on it.”
***
Much to my dismay, sleep eluded me. I couldn’t get Lucien out of my mind, so as soon as it was light, I took a cab back to the storage units. I walked behind them only to discover that Lucien was gone. The blood bags had been thrown against the side of a building and with his finger, he had traced the words: Leave me alone. My heart sank. How was I going to get through to him?
I arrived at the office before anyone else. Surprisingly, Henry was waiting for me in my office, sitting on a chair in the corner. “I understand you met Lucien?”
I smiled and set down the donuts and napkins I’d brought in for the staff. “I don’t know how you do it, but it’s a little creepy all the things you know before you’ve been told. Yes, I met Lucien. He’d been attacked by two men and left for dead in a warehouse, but Charlie and I saved him in time.”