All right. Maybe if I just grab on....
Somehow, she was holding on to it, and bit by bit, pulling herself back. And then the golden light was fading and she was inside a body that hurt and Morgead was holding her and kissing her and crying all at the same time.
Claire's voice came from beyond him. "She's breathing again! She's breathing!"
"I love you, you stupid human," Morgead gasped against Jez's cheek. "I can't live without you. Don't you know that?"
Jez whispered, "I told you never to call me Jezebel."
Then she fainted.
"Time for a nice bath," the nurse said. "And then we can have a visitor."
Jez eyed her narrowly. The woman was kind, but she had some mania for sponge baths, and she was always putting strange-smelling ingredients in the water. Which was actually not that surprising since she was a witch.
"Skip the bath," Jez said. "Let the visitor in."
"Now, now," the witch said, shaking a finger and advancing with the sponge.
Jez sighed. Being a Wild Power in a Circle Daybreak sanctuary meant that she could have pretty much anything she wanted-except that everyone was still treating her like a little kid. Especially the nurses, who spoiled her and flattered her, but talked to her as if she were about three.
Still, she was glad to let the Circle take care of some things. Keeping her relatives safe, for instance.
Although she was almost fully recovered, thanks to a strong constitution and a lot of healing spells from the witches, she wasn't up to that yet. Uncle Bracken and the entire Goddard family needed constant protection, since Hunter Redfern and the Night World Council were all undoubtedly after them by now.
The Circle had imported some experts from back East to take care of it. A rival vampire hunter, of all things, named Rashel something. Plus her soulmate, a vampire-turned-Daybreaker called Quinn.
At least they were competent. They'd gotten Jez's uncle Bracken, as well as the remnants of the gang out of San Francisco, a city that was going to be bad for their health for a while. Morgead was trying to get the gang to join Circle Daybreak for their own good, and he said that Raven, at least, was showing some interest. Val and Thistle were being stubborn, but that was hardly surprising. What was important was that they were alive.
Pierce, on the other hand, was simply gone. No one had seen a trace of him or Lily or any of her people since Jez blasted them. Apparently they had truly been vaporized, and Jez couldn't bring herself to feel too badly.
"All done!" the nurse said brightly, straightening Jez's pajama top. Which was just as well because at that moment a black head came poking in the door.
"What is going on in here? You getting ready to go to the opera or something?"
Jez raised her eyebrows at Morgead. "Maybe. Are you telling me I can't?"
He snorted and came in as the nurse went out "I wouldn't dare tell you that. You're the princess, right? You can have anything."
"Right," Jez said, with huge satisfaction. "So how*re Hugh and Claire?"
"Claire's fine; she fits right in with the witches here. I think she's trying to get them to put up a Web page.
And Hugh's just his same stupid self. He's off saving chipmunks from toxic waste or something."
"And how about the kid?"
"The kid," Morgead said, "is living it up. The Day-breakers are crazy about her; something about one of the oldest Old Souls ever found:-I dunno. Anyway, they're trying to talk her mom into letting her live here. She says thanks for saving her life and she's drawing you a picture."
Jez nodded, pleased. It would be nice if Iona came to live at the sanctuary; it meant Jez could see her a lot. Not that Jez planned to live here all the time herself-she and Morgead needed their freedom. They couldn't be penned in; they had to be able to come and go. She just hadn't gotten around to telling the Daybreakers that yet.
With the people she loved taken care of, she could turn her attention to other matters. "Is that chocolate?"
"It's the only reason you like to see me, isn't it?" Morgead said, allowing her to take the box. He sat beside her, looking tragic.
"Nah," Jez said with her mouth full. She swallowed. "Everybody brings 'em." Then she grinned. "I like to see you for a different reason."
He grinned wickedly back. "I can't think what that could be."
"Hmm... you're right... maybe there is no other reason."
"Watch it, Jezebel," he growled and leaned forward menacingly.
"Don't call me that, idiot."
"You're the idiot, idiot."
"And you're-" But Jez never got to finish, because he stopped her mouth with a kiss.
And then his arms were around her-so gently- and the silver cord was humming and everything was warm and there were only the two of them in the world.
One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.
[The End]