Page 102 of Shadows of Eternity

“We don’t make deals with vampires,” another said scornfully.

“So now we’ll collect double,” a third man remarked with a shrug. “Let’s pick up the bodies and get the hell out of here.”

“We might as well take the girl while we’re at it,” the lone female hunter said.

Leia froze as two of the hunters started toward her.

Hardly aware of what she was doing, Leia gathered her power around her and sent it outward, leaving all the hunters except Trent immobile. She blinked, startled by what she had done with just a thought.

Rohan lay as before, unmoving.

Dear Lord, he couldn’t be dead! With a strangled cry, Leia ran to his side and dropped to her knees beside him.

He wasn’t breathing!

Glancing over her shoulder, she called, “Trent, help!”

He came quickly to her side. Kneeling, he peeled what was left of Rohan’s shirt away from the bloody wound in his chest.

“He’s dead,” Leia wailed, and burst into tears.

“I don’t think so,” Trent replied. “Look. The bullet missed his heart. I reckon the silver burns like hell. That’s probably why he isn’t moving.”

“But he’s not breathing!”

Cut the damn thing out.

She heard Rohan’s voice, thick with pain, in her mind. “We have to get it out!” she exclaimed. “Now!”

Trent muttered an oath. “Of course. I should have thought of that.” Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, he pulled out a switchblade. “I’ll do it.”

Leia bit down on her lower lip as Trent began to probe the ugly wound for the slug. She tried to look away but some unwanted sense of morbid curiosity made her watch.

Rohan groaned once, a gut-wrenching sound that brought fresh tears to her eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity but was likely no more than a minute or two, Trent let out a cry of victory as he dislodged the slug. Sounding resigned, he muttered, “Now for the hard part.”

Leia stared at him. What could be worse than what he’d just done? Comprehension dawned when Trent rolled up his shirt sleeve. “He needs fresh blood. Don’t let him take too much.”

“How will I know when enough is enough?”

“If my complexion turns as white as my shirt, it’s too much,” he said with forced good humor.

“Maybe I should do it,” Leia suggested.

“No. He needs human blood right now. You can give him a little of yours later. One thing youcando,” Trent said, holding out his arm. “Bite me.”

Leia gazed at his arm. What if she bit him andshecouldn’t stop? Taking a deep breath, she bit into his left wrist. His blood was warm and sweet and oh, so, tempting. She had thought all blood would taste the same, but she’d been wrong. Some was better than others. Exerting all her self-control, she lifted her head and held Trent’s bleeding wrist to Rohan’s lips.

In an instant, he buried his fangs in the hunter’s arm and drank. And drank.

“Enough!” Trent cried.

Rohan growled at Leia when she tried to pry him away from Trent. “Rohan, it’s me. Let him go.”

He stopped at the sound of her voice. A long shudder ran through his body and then he opened his eyes. And grinned at her as he ran his fingers over his neck and felt the nasty bite Josiah had inflicted on him shrivel up and disappear.

“What are you grinning at?” Leia asked.

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