Ialdaboth straightened, squaring his shoulders, as Lucien approached. He seemed ready to talk, perhaps to launch into some preliminary ritual, but Lucien gave him no chance. He lifted his hands and Ialdaboth flew backwards, nearly slamming into the plane.
"What was that?" Jarod said. He'd seen nothing pass between the two men, and they certainly hadn't made physical contact. But Lilith, still shaking in his arms, didn't answer.
He looked at her. She was staring out the window, pupils dilated, her breathing fast and ragged. Outside, Lucien advanced on Ialdaboth, fists raised in front of him. Jarod knew he could do nothing to help Lucien, so he focused instead on Lilith.
Carefully, he shook her, but she continued to stare out the window as if ensorcelled. "Lilith?" No response. He pushed at her shoulders, trying to turn her away from the window.
"He's got her," William said. "There's no way she'll ever be able to break free. You should let her go. Or better yet, kill her. She's too much of a danger."
"Shut up, William," Jarod snapped. "Why the hell are you here, anyway?"
The accountant shrugged. "I really have no idea." He returned his attention to the preternatural wrestling match on the landing field.
Gently, Jarod ran his hand over Lilith's hair. "Lilith." Nothing. He pressed his lips against her throat. "Lilith."
Her lips strained for words, finally produced a raspy sound. He lowered his ear to her mouth.
"William's right," she breathed. "Kill me. He'll have you all, through me."
"No. This connection you have could be important. We just have to figure out how to use it to our advantage." His reassurance was more than unbridled optimism, more than whispered hope born of his affection for her. It was, he was almost completely certain, based on scientific fact.
At least he hoped it was.
"There's a way to save you," he said, "and we both know what that is."
"If I take you now, I'll kill you."
"No, you won't."
Her eyes had widened, desperate and wild, like a trapped animal. "I will. I need it so much...."
"Then take it."
Vaguely, he realized both Sasha and William were looking at him now, instead of out the window at Lucien. The pilot, too, had taken an inordinate interest in what should have been a private conversation.
There was no help for it. Voyeuristic onlookers or not, he wasn't going to let Lilith fall to her fate. Clenching his teeth, he broke the scabs on his wrist and held the wound to her lips. The blood reddened her mouth and her pupils contracted, just a little....
She turned away from the window, grabbed him, and sank her teeth into his throat.
Her fangs stung sinking in, tiny scalpels puncturing skin and vein. His hands went up involuntarily, but when he grasped her arms, he could neither push her away nor pull her closer. She was immovable. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
Vaguely, he heard Sasha say, "What should we do?"
William answered, "Nothing, yet. He's the doctor--I assume he knows what he's doing."
Well, partially right. He thought he knew what he was doing, but with vampires you could never be a hundred percent sure.
Then William said, "Holy shit, Lucien's knocking the living hell out of this guy," and Jarod felt all eyes turn back toward the landing field.
Lilith's mouth pulled at his throat, drawing mouthful after mouthful of blood. The pain, though, had stopped, leaving behind only the rhythm. It matched his heartbeat. She shifted, and he felt her body against his, her breasts pressing softly against his chest, her hands spread on his back.
Let go, he thought. That's enough. I can't take anymore.
I can't, her answer came. I can't stop.
He would have called for help if he could, but his voice stopped in his throat behind her penetrating teeth. His heartbeat filled his head, pounding, pounding ... how long until it stopped?
)
