Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

Tessa was fast. She would catch whoever had taken Nicole and—

Up ahead, Tessa swore.

A thud sounded, followed by a rustle.

Sean’s heart thudded wildly in his chest. There!

A man lay facedown on the sidewalk, unmoving, one arm bent at an unnatural angle.

Several yards away, Tessa bent over a figure crumpled at the base of a tree.

His heart sank.

Nicole lay on her stomach, as still as death, and made no sound as Tessa gently took her by the shoulders.

“No!” Skidding to a halt beside them, he sank to one knee and brushed Tessa’s hands aside. “Don’t move her. Not until we assess her injuries.”

“She tranqed him.” Tessa clenched her hands into fists on her thighs. “He went down, and she kept going. I couldn’t reach her before she hit the tree.”

Hands shaking, Sean leaned over Nicole and brushed her hair back. “What hit first? Her head? Her back? Her neck?” Her face appeared unmarred.

“I don’t know,” Tessa said, her voice thick with tears. “But I heard a crack.”

“Call Seth.” Icy fear filled him. If Nicole had broken her neck…

The sounds of a number being dialed accompanied his jagged breaths.

Sean had healed many of his sister’s injuries over the years. But Krysta had never suffered damage to her neck or spinal cord.

He swiftly ran through everything Melanie had taught him regarding neck injuries. A broken neck didn’t necessarily mean death. But if the spinal cord was damaged, it could disrupt the signals from the brain that controlled breathing.

He silenced his harsh breaths so he could listen for hers. Tears of relief filled his eyes when he caught the sounds of both her breathing and her heartbeat.

Then he noticed the blood pooling on the ground beneath her.

His eyes widened. There was so much of it! The damned vamp must have ripped open her carotid artery.

Hoping he wouldn’t exacerbate any damage to her spinal cord, he carefully slid his fingers across her neck until he found the gaping wound. Warm blood pulsed over his fingers as Sean called on his gift. Healing warmth swelled in his chest and rushed down his arm through his hand into Nicole. Sean concentrated on mending the artery the vamp had torn, viewing it as the most immediate threat. The edges drew together while he carefully monitored her breathing.

The blood flow slowed from a gush to a trickle, finally ceasing as the wound healed.

“Yes?” Seth answered on the second ring.

“Come now!” Sean blurted before Tessa could speak.

Seth appeared beside him.

Sean gave him no time to take in the scene. “She’s still breathing but has lost a lot of blood and may have broken bones. I didn’t move her in case her neck or spine are damaged. And all I’ve healed so far is the torn artery.”

“Oh shit!” a woman said in the distance. “What happened? Is she okay?”

Sean didn’t even glance up, knowing Seth would seize control of the woman’s mind, bury the memory of whatever she’d seen, and send her on her way.

A second later, the Immortal Guardian leader knelt beside him. “Back away.”

Sean didn’t hesitate, scooting back to give him room.

Seth rested one hand on Nicole’s neck and the other on her head. Soon those hands acquired a golden glow as the elder employed his healing gift.

Sean wanted to pepper Seth with questions. Was Nicole okay? How severe were her injuries? Usually, Seth’s hands didn’t glow unless he was mending substantial damage. Could he heal them all? Was there brain damage?

Instead, Sean glanced over at Tessa. “Go get her phone.”

Nodding, she zipped away.

If Nicole had hit that tree at preternatural speeds…

Sean wiped his bloody hand on his pants. Rising, he crossed to the unconscious vampire. Though he wanted to tear that bastard apart for hurting Nicole, he quelled the impulse and grabbed him by the wrist, dragging his sorry ass over to Seth.

The glow left Seth’s hands. “She needs blood.”

“But otherwise, she’s okay?”

“Yes.”

The relief that one word inspired made his head spin.

Tessa returned with Nicole’s phone and the bag of nachos she’d dropped.

When Sean cast her a questioning look, she shrugged. “We usually don’t leave anything behind after a battle.” She shifted her feet. “And I tend to tidy when I’m nervous or anxious.” As if to prove it, she collected Nicole’s purse.

Seth stood. “Give me a moment. Then I’ll take you all to the network.” He vanished.

Kneeling beside Nicole, Sean slipped his arms beneath her back and knees. Her head lolled as he lifted her against him. One slender arm slid to the side and dangled limply, her fingers brushing the grass.

Tessa moved forward and gently repositioned Nicole so her face rested against Sean’s chest and both arms lay in her lap.

“Thank you.”

Her expression darkened with remorse. “I’m sorry I wasn’t faster.”

Sean shook his head as he rose. “Once the vamp sank his fangs into her neck, there was no easy way to safely extricate her.” That was why he hadn’t wanted her to pose as bait.

“I didn’t smell him coming.” Tessa seemed as determined to hold herself responsible as he was.