Page 22 of Upon Shattered Bonds

Conversation had ceased by the time he returned his attention to the room. The gentle rhythm of Nina’s soft breath coaxed Zeke into relief.

With a sigh, Hemin reared back. “Her heart is whole, but we need to continuously monitor her for days—weeks, even—to ensure she’s healing properly.”

Judging by the shadows under his eyes, Zeke could tell his senior healer was close to burning out himself. If he had any extra energy, he could remedy it, but he was nearly drained.

“Go home, Hemin. Rest.” Zeke reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you.”

A soft smile slanted over Hemin’s lips before he dipped his chin and disappeared, leaving him with Drake, Kaien, Blair, and Aidan for company in their continued vigil of Nina.

Flakes of blood still stained her mouth, and Zeke frowned. He manifested a soft cloth and gently dabbed it against her face and neck. Three sets of immortal eyes watched him anxiously, but Zeke paid them no mind.

Though his movements were controlled, every muscle in his body was balled in tension. The erratic rhythm of his own heart was an ode to the chaos that reigned in his mind. He’d never had to worry about Nina’s safety before. Even if she was challenged, she was one of the deadliest people on the planet. Now, lying unconscious on the bed in front of him, she was vulnerable in a way she’d never been before.

“Do you plan on staying?”

Drake’s question caused him to look up. His tone held a note of anxiety, buried beneath layers of stoicism, and for a moment, Zeke weighed what the vampire was truly asking. He knew Drake wasn’t exactly fond of him, but everything had changed after what happened to Nina.

“I’m not leaving. I understand our past makes you doubt me, but I meant what I said. I’m here. For whatever Nina needs, including keeping the people she loves safe,” Zeke replied.

Drake drew up alongside him, his gaze transfixed on his sire. Indecision marked his features for a few seconds before he straightened.

“Toni and Lucy have retreated to the cellars for a time. At least until we know it’s safe to be above ground. Celeste reinforced the security measures before they left.”

“A wise decision.”

“As the oldest of Nina’s fledglings,” Drake added, “Blair and I need to personally speak with the others, assure them that she survived—and is in good hands. I’m not keen on having them congregate here and potentially endanger all of us in one fell swoop. The vampire nation couldn’t afford to lose so many of us and survive intact.”

Zeke nodded solemnly. “Do what you need to. Aidan, Kaien, and I will guard her. Keeping her other fledglings away—even if they hate you for it—might be the best option. We don’t know what’s coming next, and having them here puts them in the line of fire. We’ll hunker down and wait for Nina to wake.”

Chapter Nine

Pressure. Pain. A widespread, excruciating ache.

Each malicious sensation greeted Nina’s rising consciousness as she shuddered back into life. Agony radiated outward from the center of her chest, crawling over her flesh, and making her mind fuzzy.

Nina could remember she’d been wounded. Her heart, fluttering rhythmically beneath her ribcage, pounded in time with a sharp, stabbing pain. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire, burning a warning into her mind.

She’d never felt so disoriented and weak.

And that was before she took stock of the psychic network connected to her on a baser level.

When she mentally strummed over the connections to her clansmen and fledglings, they were ghosting, impermanent. Nothing more than a tentative link that weakly pulsed. Gasping inwardly, her psychic energy flared into life, setting the bonds aflame with what little strength she could muster. As they fired back into permanence, Nina realized how desperately low her psychic reservoir had truly drained. She was running on fumes.

The thought quickened her pulse to the tune of an excruciating, stabbing pain that emanated from her sternum. Unable to keep it at bay, a strangled sob escaped through her clenched teeth. Parched, she attempted to swallow to rid herself of the ache in the back of her throat, to no avail.

“Sister.”

One word, spoken with such deep, raw emotion that it begged the same response from her. Instantly, it set her frenetic anxiety at ease. Opening her eyes to blessed darkness, her vision sharpened to reveal the silhouettes of her brothers.

“Kaien … Aidan?”

Weak, the words barely sounded into the space between them. But it didn’t matter; her twin was by her side in an instant, his fingers gently lacing through hers.

“Don’t try to get up just yet. What’s your pain level?”

Concern radiated from Kaien’s tight features as he examined her. Lines grooved beneath his eyes and weariness lived deep in his gaze. Her twin looked as though he’d aged in mortal years.

Though her voice would inevitably fail her once more, Nina replied, “I’ve been better.”

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