Blood Bond (PULSE, Book 5) (7 page)

“Our village,” said the woman, gathering her thoughts together slowly. “The guardians of the stone. The good doctor found the medicine. He found the blood.”

“The doctor? You mean – the one who invented Life's Blood?”

The woman nodded rapidly. “Life's Blood, yes. Blood. He found the antidote. We keep it for him. Sacred.” She tugged on Kalina's arm. “Quickly. We have not time. Soon Molotov will drink – and then he will be too strong...”

Octavius stepped forth. “I won't let that happen,” he said. “Not to a Carrier – that was my oath. And not to your mother....as a friend, I cannot let that happen.”

“But he's so strong!” Kalina's voice trembled. “You can't go – it's too dangerous.”

“All the more reason not to put your mother at risk. Even she – for all the power in her veins – cannot do this alone.”

“I'm coming with you!”

“You stay!” Octavius’ voice grew stern. “The last thing we want is both Carriers in one place. It's too dangerous. You need to stay as far away from your mother as possible.” He turned to Jaegar, his voice cracking with pain. “Take care of her. I'll return to the village when I can.”

If
he could, Kalina thought bitterly. “But what if you don't...”

“No time to think about that now.”

“Octavius!” She cried. And then Kalina didn't care who was watching, didn't care who was around. The man she loved was going into a battle – a battle he might not be able to win. A battle he could never win. She rushed into his arms, tears stinging her eyelids. “Wait!” And with that, she pressed her mouth to his, feeling the force of his kiss washing over her. She knew Jaegar was watching – she knew it hurt him – but at that moment she couldn't bring herself to care. This could be the last time she saw Octavius; this could be the last time she closed her eyes and felt so safe, so strong, so happy in his arms. And she couldn't let him leave without letting him know how much she loved him – one last time..

She felt her mind connect with his, felt the telepathy overtake them both. She whispered words of love and encouragement – words that were not words at all, not discrete and separate things, but a single stream of passion and emotion. This time Octavius did not hold back. He kissed her back, as roughly and yet tenderly as she had ever wanted him to kiss her, opening his mouth to her lips. He did not resist. He did not pull away.

And Kalina knew, as her heart seemed to break within her chest, the reason why. There was no reason to hold back any longer – not if this was the last time...

Octavius, too, felt it might be the last time.

“I love you,” she whispered in his ear.

I wish I could show you how much I loved you.
Octavius’ voice rang in her ears, although his lips made no sound. She could see the passion and pain in his eyes. But, squeezing her hand a final time, he turned and ran into the forest, hot on Molotov's trail.

Kalina's eyes were wet with tears, and she could not bear to look at Jaegar or Justin. Jaegar, she saw out of the corner of her eye, looked stricken – he had not realized until this moment, Kalina knew, the depth of her attachment to Octavius. He had perhaps thought of it as an infatuation, a crush on an older man, masking her real love for him. But now he saw that Kalina's love for Octavius was as strong, if not stronger, than her love for him.

He said nothing. There was no time for remonstrances, no time for regret.

The old woman led Kalina, Jaegar, and Justin into the forest, in the opposite direction from that in which Max and the others had gone. They passed through a rich jungle area, fecund vines growing and blossoming on the side of rocks. The air smelled like jasmine and honeysuckle; the humidity seemed to soak into Kalina's skin. But on they went.

At last they arrived at a cave cut into the side of the mountain.

“Wait!” The woman held up a warning finger and stopped them. “Kalina go. Bring them back.”

“Bring what back?” But Kalina entered the cave. She could see nothing – only a few faint glimmers – but in the darkness she tripped over what seemed like a pile of sharp stones. She cursed as she rubbed her skinned knee, taking a handful of the stones. Was this what the woman wanted.

She exited the cave, confused. But as the first ray of light hit her, she was almost blinded by the glimmer coming off the stones in her hands. Red, rich stones, glinting with all the colors of the dawn. Not stones at all. Rubies.

“Rubies?” Justin leaped forth to see. “What are we supposed to do with rubies –
bribe
the vampires not to...”

“Not just rubies!” the woman pronounced. “These rubies special! If you use them with power, you can take away the power of Life's Blood.”

“Take away the power of Life's Blood?” Jaegar cocked his head. “Why would we want to get rid of a power?”

“From the vampire!” Kalina understood. “Are you saying that these rubies get rid of a vampire's invincibility, is that it?”

The woman nodded eagerly. “Yes! Take away!”

Kalina looked closer at the rubies. They looked familiar, somehow. She and Justin caught each other's eyes, and then she knew. These rubies were the ones she had worn as a child, the only item that her mother had left with her before she abandoned her with the Calloways. The necklace her mother had ripped off when they first fought in that alleyway in New Haven.

“This is what my necklace was made from,” Kalina said, “the one I had as a baby.”

“So that's why Max stole it from you at Yale,” Jaegar said. “She must have needed it to fight Mal.”

“So that's how she beat Leonardo,” Kalina said softly. “And Mal. I thought we were going to die – I couldn't understand...”

“No wonder Mal fled,” said Jaegar.

The woman thrust a pile of the rubies into Kalina and Justin's hands. “You need these,” she said. “To fight Molotov. To save your lover. You must go.”

The four of them took the rubies and followed the woman back towards the village, their hearts beating faster with anticipation For so long, they had believed that there was no cure for invincibility – all they could do is contain the infected vampires and stay on the run. But as Kalina rushed back towards the village, the gleaming rubies in her hands, she suddenly felt something she had not felt before, something she could not remember feeling since she had first learned about Life's Blood.

Hope.

Chapter 7

J
aegar led the way as they headed back to the village and into the other side of the woods. He sniffed the air, using his vampire senses to follow the trail that the others had left, sniffing for his maker, Octavius, as well for Molotov and Max. Kalina and Justin scrambled to keep up, but their human speed was no match for the vampires.

“We're just dragging you down,” Justin sighed, stopping to catch his breath as he coughed out phlegm. “Go on ahead. I'll keep Kalina safe.”

“No,” said Jaegar quickly. “We're not splitting up. I can't leave you without vampire protection in these parts; it's far too dangerous.”

“But we have the rubies,” insisted Kalina. “They'll help us defeat the vampires – if it comes to that.”

“Too risky,” said Jaegar. “First of all, we're not even sure if these rubies work – or if that old lady was just crazy. I've heard lots of vampires and humans alike in my day trying to make a quick buck off so-called 'cures' for Life's Blood, or fake blood, for that matter. Secondly, even if those rubies
did
work – what are we supposed to do with them? Throw them at vampires? Stab them with it? Grind them down and feed it to them?”

“You have a point,” Justin admitted. “But there's no way we can keep up!”

Jaegar sighed. “It's been at least three hours since Max or Octavius was in this area – they've gone further. Much further. Even if we get to where they are now by nightfall, which seems doubtful, it's awfully unlikely that they'll still be there.”

Or still be alive,
Kalina thought bitterly. Justin seemed to see the fear in her eyes. “Cheer up,” he said. “I'm sure Max and Octavius can survive on their own.”

“I'd feel it, you know,” Jaegar said, nudging Kalina. “If something happened to Octavius. He's my maker, after all. And I haven't felt anything yet.”

They sat on a few scattered rocks, trying to figure out their next move. They had hiked ten miles into the jungle, and even Jaegar – despite his vampire strength – looked tired.

“There's no way we could do this by foot,” said Kalina. “We're going to have to find another way.”

“I can't carry both of you,” said Jaegar, “and I don't feel right leaving either of you alone out here.”

Kalina shook her head. “You said Max was here long ago?”

Jaegar nodded. “I could smell it,” he said.

“So she must be traveling fast – as quickly as the vamps, no?” She searched Jaegar's face. “She must have been able to keep up with them – even without being one of them. The Life's Blood...”

“What are you saying?”

It was time to make a decision. “Jaegar, you fly – carry Justin. I'll try to keep up.”

“Keep up?” Jaegar looked surprised. “Kalina, that's impossible.”

“Just tell me where we're going.”

“Erm...” Jaegar looked at his feet. “You're not going to like this, Kalina.”

“What do you mean?”

“China,” Jaegar said.

“China?”

“Yes, China.”

“The
country?”

“They crossed the Chinese border – I can feel it. At least, Octavius did. I can feel our link – I don't know about the others, but I could only assume.”

“My mother made it
to China
in three hours?”

“You still want to try to keep up?” Jaegar sighed. “Look, Kalina, we'll rent a car, we'll drive...”

“Start flying,” Kalina said, her voice and face determined. “If my mother can do it, so can I. She was the last of the original Life's Blood – but my blood's supposed to be stronger, right? Genetically modified? So it stands to reason that I can do it too.”

“Run to
China
?” Justin couldn't resist a laugh.

“Jaegar, will you carry him?” Kalina turned to Jaegar.

They stopped laughing, realizing that she was serious. “I can try,” Jaegar said. “Let's hope this one hasn't been stuffing himself with too much pilaf!”

“Me?” Justin looked affronted. “Let's hope
you've
been working out! I don't want to get dumped halfway through the Mongolian desert because you got tired!”

“Come on, heavyweight.” Jaegar lifted Justin onto his back, and the two men laughed. Kalina couldn't help but smile. It was refreshing to see the two of them together. Although her fear for Octavius still prickled in her heart, this was a welcome distraction. Her brother and her best friend – two of the men she loved most in the world – getting along. Teasing each other. Almost as if everything was normal. Kalina sighed. If only she could pretend it was.

“Come on, big boy!” Justin's legs were now wrapped tightly around Jaegar's shoulders. “I won't bite – promise!”

“I have a stake here, buddy,” Justin replied. “Believe me, I could stab you in the back whenever I wanted to.”

“And then who would be your free ride?”