Blade of Darkness (Immortal Guardians #7)

Both unconscious immortals looked pale as death.

Aidan checked every face in the room. With the exception of Alena Moreno and Scott Henderson, everyone who had been present at the last meeting in David’s home was there. Everyone but Dana.

Even little Adira slept in Ami’s arms over on the sofa Cliff and Emma had occupied earlier.

Aidan swung his legs over the side of the gurney and rose. Dizziness struck, an indication that he needed more blood.

He staggered.

Brodie grabbed him by the arm to steady him.

Aidan nodded to Ethan and Heather. “What happened?”

David spoke. “When Chris’s cleanup crew arrived on the scene, they found you and Ethan unconscious on the ground, bleeding from your eyes, nose, and ears. Three sedated vampires lay several yards away. What was left of the dozen or so you had slain littered the ground around you.” He motioned to Heather. “They found Heather at the base of Davis Library. Something had struck her from behind with such force that it laid open her head and caused a great deal of damage to her skull and brain.”

Aidan’s concern increased. Brain injuries were extremely difficult to heal. Even Seth could not heal all brain injuries, which was why he had been unable to prevent Cliff from slowly losing his sanity.

“Zach is still struggling to repair the damage,” David informed him.

Aidan swallowed hard as he stared at the young woman. Heather had been on that roof at his behest. He had asked her to stay and protect Dana. What would that cost her if Zach could only partially heal her?

“You and Ethan suffered severe brain damage as well,” David continued. “With you, it was as though someone took a sledgehammer to your mental barriers, then—once those barriers toppled—just kept swinging the hammer willy-nilly, wrecking anything in its path. Fortunately, you’re an elder and a powerful healer with stronger regenerative abilities that aided me in repairing the damage. Ethan, however, is not faring so well.”

“What do you mean?” Aidan asked.

“Ethan’s brain is wired differently. Even something as simple as navigating it to read his thoughts is tricky. So Seth is having difficulty healing him and repairing the damage.”

Aidan caught David’s eye. Can Seth save him? he asked telepathically, not wanting Lisette or Ed to hear.

We aren’t certain, David responded in kind. Seth has kept him alive thus far, but Ethan may be… changed… if Seth is unable to make all necessary repairs.

Changed. “And Dana?” Aidan asked aloud.

David hesitated. “The cleanup crew didn’t find her, so we believe Gershom took her.”

Gershom had Dana. And nine of the gifted ones Gershom had taken had been found dead.

“Was there anything on the roof to indicate she had been injured?” Aidan forced himself to ask.

Bastien moved closer. “No. When we heard what happened, Melanie and I asked Richart to teleport us to the scene. We found no trace of her blood on the roof. Nor did we smell it anywhere on campus. I examined the marks on the roof myself. And it looked as though Dana damned near threw herself off it trying to save Heather, then was teleported away by someone she struggled with briefly.”

The images that filled Aidan’s mind then sent fury flinging its way through him.

While he had been unconscious on the ground, Dana had been fighting for her life. She had needed him and he hadn’t been there for her. Now Gershom had her. What the hell were they going to do?

“How long have I been out?” he gritted.

“Hours,” Bastien told him.

Across the room, Heather’s eyes flew open. “Oh shit,” she whispered, then lunged upright. “Seth!” She started to fumble in her pockets, then stopped as she seemed to forget what she’d intended to do.

Ed hurried to her side as others flowed toward her.

Heather looked around with wild eyes. “What happened? Where’s Ethan? Is he okay? I was going to call Seth, but I can’t remember why, just that Ethan needed him…” She trailed off as Ed took her hands. Her eyes met his, took in his grave expression and filled with tears. “No. No, no, no. Don’t say it. Please, don’t say it, Ed.”

“He’s alive,” her Second told her.

Her throat worked in swallow. Her eyes acquired a bright amber glow. “But?”

“He’s in bad shape,” Ed said, his hoarse voice telling her without further words that the wounds Ethan had suffered could not be healed with a simple blood infusion.

“Where is he?” she asked.

Ed helped her off the gurney and guided her to Ethan’s side.

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

When she reached out to take Ethan’s hand, Ed stopped her. “You can’t. Not while Seth is trying to heal him.”

The word trying seemed to hit Heather like a kick in the gut. She gripped Ed’s hand. “We were at UNC. I remember his eyes and nose bleeding. Did Gershom fuck with his brain?”

“Yes,” Ed confirmed. “Seth is doing what he can to heal him.”

More tears dampened her cheeks as she glanced around. “Aidan and Dana were there, weren’t they? Are they okay?”

Aidan leaned to one side so she could see him. “I’m okay, Heather.”

The crease in her brow relaxed just a bit when she saw he was all right. She searched the crowd around them, then met his gaze. “Where’s Dana?”

He drew in a deep breath. “Gershom took her.”

“Oh no.” Hurrying across the room, she threw her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she cried, her tears dampening his shirt. “I can’t remember all of it, but I think it was my fault. I wasn’t fast enough and didn’t—”

Aidan patted her back. “It wasn’t your fault, Heather. If with anyone, the fault lies with me. I expected Gershom to attack us as he did before, by posing as Seth and striking with words and swords. But he didn’t. He again played the magician Sheldon named him. He distracted us with a standard vampire attack, then blindsided us while our guard was down.”

“But he has Dana,” she sobbed. “And Ethan is…”

Aidan hugged her tight, murmuring soothing sounds he thought woefully inadequate. “Ethan is a fighter. And Seth is the most powerful healer on the planet. Let’s wait and see what the two of them can do before we jump ahead to grieving. Okay?”

She nodded. But he could hear all the terrifying what-ifs swirling around in her mind.

The boardroom door opened.

Chris Reordon strode in, a laptop tucked under one arm. Closing the door behind him, he wound his way over to the head of the table. “Everyone take a seat.”

Aidan guided Heather over to the closest chairs. “Why are we here?” he asked Chris. “Why aren’t we at David’s?”

Chris set his laptop down and seated himself. “Because the walls, ceiling, and floor of this room are packed with so much soundproofing that even Seth can’t hear what’s spoken in here if he’s outside that door. This is the only place I feel confident that Gershom can’t eavesdrop if he tries.”

The chairs around the table rapidly filled. Marcus seated himself on the sofa beside Ami and Adira.