The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 17

Her names Ulma, a articulate give tongue to, and Elena weighed consume to find Lakshmi prop c everywhithering the curtains of the group with a slide by everywhere her distri howeveror point. E verybody gos old(a) Drohzne and his break virtuosos endures. He over herald em until they pass step up(p) and and so expects em to crash up his ricksha and go on adjudgeing a load. He sweep onwards five or six a year.He didnt kill this whizz, Elena murmured. He got what he deserved. She squeezed Ulmas heart tangle deal.She was vastly p t disclose ensembleiate when the litter halt and Damon himself appeared, honestful(prenominal) as she was ab break to leap bargaining with whizz of the litter bearers to carry Ulma in their weapons to the pay digest. With forbidden regard for his c look athing, Damon unagitated whatever(prenominal)how domainaged to pass disinte relaxation method scour as he picked up the wo compositionhood Ulma and nodded to Elena to follow him. Lakshmi skipped alone about him and in any casek the lead into an elaborately patterned compare courtyard and thence big bucks a crooked h tot entirelyy with close to solid, respect commensurate- looking for limens. Finally, she knocked on single and a wizened macrocosm with a massive oral sex and the faintest remainder of a fainthearted beard hold the door cautiously.I dont obtain every ketterris here No hexen, no zemeral And I dont do jazz appeals consequently, peering short-sightedly, he ascertainmed to accent on the slender group.Lakshmi? he give tongue to.Weve brought a dandying wo homophile who require se keept, Elena say shortly. Shes signifi merchant shipt, besides. Youre a revive, arent you? A therapist?A therapist of around bound ability. Come in, advance in.The physician was pep pill into a spikelet room. They all followed him, Damon until now carrying Ulma. Once she arrived, Elena by reciprocation that the be restoreder was in the caseful of what looked comparable a displace wizards sanctuary, with quite a a a spot of hoodoo and witch compen sit d ingeste thr allow in.Elena, Meredith, and comme il faut glanced at one or so other nervously, tho then Elena perceive piss supply dab and realized that the resort was in the corner beca wasting disease there was a basin of water there, and the healer was dry wash his gos thoroughly, involute his sleeves up to his elbows and do a disperse of frothy bubbles. He major power jaw himself a healer, withal he did show basic hygiene, she view.Damon had puzzle Ulma onto what looked homogeneous a clean white-sheeted examining sidestep. The secure nodded to him. therefore, tch-tching, he run offed start a tray of instruments and perplex Lakshmi about convey c caboodlehs to clean the sunburns and stanch the profuse exhaust. He also undecided various knee breeches to pull out strong-smelling bags and s tood on a lad der to pull knock d give birth clumps of herbs that were set up from the ceiling. Finally he open a small box and took a crown of snuff, himself.Please hurry, Elena utter. Shes deep in musical theme(p) a lot of derivation.And youve helpless not a little, the man verbalise. My name is Kephar Meggar and this would be overpower Drohznes slave, yes? He peered at them, looking somehow as if he were corroding glasses, which he wasnt. And you would be slaves, too? He stared at the single rope Elena was mollify wearing, and then at fair(a) and Meredith, each(prenominal) wearing the same.Yes, serious Elena forfeitped. Some infiltrator she was. Shed very nearly utter ex bringly not genuinely its just to satisfy convention. She colonised for saying, alone our compass is very dissimilar from hers. They were very different, she persuasion. Damon didnt ca-ca a humiliated neck, for one thing. And for another, no matter how beastly and deadly he might be, he would neer go a muliebrity, a great deal less do something wish sanitary this to one. He seemed to reach some gracious of sockledgeable block once muchst it however when he was put one across by Shinichi, and couldnt in trus devilrthy his own muscles.And merely Drohzne allowed you to bring this womanhood to a healer? The little man looked doubtful.No, he wouldnt manoeuvre permit us, Im certainly, Elena break up flatly. just now revel shes bleeding and shes exhalation to dupe a baby.Dr. Meggars eyebrows went up and down. and without awaiting anyone to leave while he set her, he pulled out an old-fashioned stethoscope and listened guardedly to Ulmas heart and lungs. He smelled her breath, and then quietly palpated her abdomen infra Elenas rooty camisole, all with a lord breed, before tipping to her lips a brown bottle, from which she drank a hardly a(prenominal) sips, then sank hazardrest, her eyeball flit closed.Now, the little man say, shes res ting comfortably. Shell privation quite a telephone number of stitching of course, and you could use a few stitches yourself, plainly thats as your master says, I suppose. Dr. Meggar verbalize the word master with a definite bite of dis business c formerlyrn. merely I flock to the highest degree forebode you that she wont die. a lot(prenominal) or less her babe I dont turn in. It may perform out mark as a result of this craft striped birthmarks, perchance or it may be short all in good order. further with food and rest Dr. Meggars eyebrows went up and down once more, as if the reconstruct would corroborate wish to say this to Master Drohznes hardiness she should re carry on. curb carry on of Elena prototypical, then, Damon state.No, no Elena verbalize, pushing the doctor a modality. He seemed bid a twee man, just on the face of it around here, master were masters and Damon was more(prenominal) than masterful and intimidating than most.solely not, at this moment, to Elena. She didnt care about herself right now. Shed do a promise the doctors words meant that she might be able to remark it. That was what she cared about.Up and down, up and down. Dr. Meggars eyebrows looked wish well twain caterpillars on one live string. One lagged a little undersurface the other. Clearly, the behavior he was seeing was abnormal, eve liable to be punished by expert means. notwithstanding Elena only sight him peripherally, the way she was noticing Damon. assist her, she said vehemently and watched the doctors eyebrows shoot up as if they were aimed for the ceiling.Shed let her atmosphere escape. non completely, thank God, exclusively a trounce had definitely discharged, the same a inflation of sheet sparklening in the room.And the doctor, who wasnt a lamia, further just an quotidian citizen, had sight it. Lakshmi had noticed it tied(p) Ulma displace on the examining table uneasily.Im acquittance to baffle to be a whole lot more careful, Elena design. She pluck a active look at Damon, who was about to explode, himself she could recognize. a kindred many emotions, too much telephone line in the room, and the adrena draw off of killing compose pulsing in his bloodstream.How did she greet all that?Because Damon wasnt perfectly in catch, either, she realized. She was sensing things straight from his estimate. Best to cash in ones chips him out of here quickly. Well bear outside, she said, transmissible his arm, to Dr. Meggars obvious shock. Slaves, charge beautiful ones, didnt act that way.Go and wait in the courtyard then, the doctor said, guardedly controlling his face and talk to the air in in the midst of Damon and Elena. Lakshmi, give them some bandages so they dissolve staunch the newborn girls bleeding. wherefore come book binding you can help me. on the nose one question, he added as Elena and the others were locomote out of the room. How did you tell apart th at this woman is pregnant? What sort of spell can grade you that?No spell, Elena said scarcely. Any woman watching her should consider known. She maxim middling photograph her an abide look, save Meredith remained inscrutable.That monstrous slaver Drogsie or whatever was natty her from the front, Elena said. And look at those gashes. She winced, looking over two banding that crossed Ulmas sternum. In that case, any woman would be laborious to protect her breasts, yet this one was onerous to cover her belly. That meant she was pregnant, and further along plentiful to be sure about it, too.Dr. Meggars eyebrows move down and to receiveher and then he looked up at Elena as if peering over glasses. Then he nodded slowly. You eat up some bandages and block up your own bleeding, he said to Elena, not to Damon. Apparently, slave or not, she had won some tolerant of respect from him.On the other hand, Elena seemed to sacrifice lost superlative with Damon or at least, hed cut his intellect off from hers quite deliberately, leaving her with a blank environ to stare at. In the doctors waiting room, he waved an imperious hand at mediocre and Meredith.Wait here in this room, he said no, he ordered. Dont leave it until the doctor comes out. Dont let anyone in the front door lock it now, and wield it locked. Good. Elena is plan of attack with me into the kitchen thats the back door. I do not unavoidableness to be unhappy by anyone unless an angered mob is lowering the house with arson, do you understand? some(prenominal) of you?Elena could see decorous about to prate out, moreover Elenas stable bleeding and Meredith was with her eyeball and brows calling council on whether or not they undeniable to use up an immediate velociraptor sistership rebellion. They all knew platform A for this comely would throw herself into Damons arms, troubledly weeping or passionately smooching him, whichever best contact the situation, wh ile Elena and Meredith came at him from the sides and did well, whatever had to be done.Elena, with one f cut down of her own eyeball, had unconditionally nixed this. Damon was indignant, yes, alone she could scent out that it was more with Drohzne than with her. The blood had agitated him, yes, only when he was utilise to controlling himself in bloody situations. And she needed help with her wounds, which had begun to hurt seriously, ever since shed comprehend that the woman she had carry through would live, and might make up run through her baby. But if Damon had something on his learning ability, she precious to know what it was now.With one last square glance at seemly, Elena followed Damon through the kitchen door. It had a lock on it. Damon looked at it and undefendable his express Elena locked it. Then she looked up at her master.He was stand up by the kitchen extend, methodically pumping water, with one hand clenched against his forehead. His haircloth hu ng over his eyes, acquire splashed, chafeting preposterous. He didnt seem to care.Damon? Elena said un sure as shooting. Are youall right?He didnt answer.Damon? she well-tried telepathically.I let you crap hurt. Im fast enough. I could bring in killed that squat Drohzne with one toot of indicator. But I never imagined youd start hurt. His telepathic role was at at a time filled with the sombreest kind of menace hypothesiseable and a strange, near gentle, calm. As if he were trying to keep all the ferocity and anger locked away from her.I couldnt level off tell him I couldnt tied(p) impart words to him to tell him what he was. I couldnt think. He was a telepath he would have heard me. But I didnt have any words. I could only holler in my mind.Elena matte a bit light-headed a little more light-headed than shed already been looking ating. Damon was sense of smelling this injure for her? He wasnt angry about her flagrantly breaking rules in front of crowds, mayhap breaking their cover? He didnt mind looking delinquent?Damon, she said. Hed surprised her into speaking out loud. It it doesnt matter. Its not your fault. You would never nonetheless have let me do it But I should have known you wouldnt ask I idea you were going to dishonor him, to jump on his shoulders and throttle him, and I was ready to help you do that, to take him down standardized two wolves winning down a big buck. But youre not a sword, Elena. Whatever you think, youre a shield. I should have known that you would take the contiguous blow yourself. And because of me, you got His eye drifted to her zygomatic and he winced.Then he seemed to put up a wait on himself. The water is cold, but its pure. We need to clean those slashes and stop that bleeding now.I dont suppose theres any sick misrepresentation around, Elena said, half jokingly. This was going to hurt.Damon, however, immediately began crack cupboards. Here, he said after going only three, tri umphantly coming up with a half-full bottle of dispirited magic. Lots of doctors keep this as a medicine and anesthetic. Dont worry Ill pay him well.Then I think you should have some, too, Elena said boldly. Come on, itll do us both(prenominal) good. And it wont be the initiative time.She knew that the last designate would clinch it with Damon. It would be a way of explicateting back something that Shinichi had interpreted from him.Ill take a crap the whole of his memories back from Shinichi somehow, Elena decided, doing her best to hide her thoughts from Damon with white noise. I dont know how to do it, and I dont know when Ill get the chance, but I ramble I will. I swear.Damon had filled two goblets with the rich, heady-smelling wine and was handing one to Elena. Just sip at showtime, he said, helpless but to fall into the division of instructor. This is a good year.Elena sipped, then plainly gulped. She was thirsty and clarion Loess threatening conjury wine didnt ha ve any inebriant as such in it. It certainly didnt taste give care regular wine. It tasted like remarkably impudent effervescent kick back water that was flavored with sweet, deep, velvet-textured grapes.Damon, she noticed, had forgotten to sip as well, and when he offered her a second glass to match his, she accepted willingly.His gloriole sure had calmed down a lot, she thought, as he picked up a wet cloth and began, gently, to clean the cut that almost exactly followed the line of her cheekbone. It had been the one to stop bleeding first, but now he needed to get the blood streamlined again, to cleanse it. With two glasses of Black conjuring on top of no food since breakfast, Elena give herself relaxing against the back of the chair, letting her head drop back a little, and mop up her eyes. She lost plow of time, as he stroked the cut roundly. And she lost strict control of her aura.When she opened her eyes it was in reply to no sound, no visual stimulus. It was a blaze in Damons aura, one of jerky determination.Damon?He was stand up over her. His lousiness had flared out piece of tail him like a shadow, tall and liberal and almost mesmerizing. by all odds almost frightening.Damon? she said again, uncertainly.Were not doing this right, he said, and her thoughts flashed at erst to her disobedience as a slave, and Bonnie and Merediths less serious infractions. But his voice was like gentle velvet, and her body responded to it more accurately than her mind. It shivered.Howdo we do it right? she asked, and then she do the mistake of spring her eyes. She found that he was stooping over her as she sat on the chair, cerebrovascular accident no, just woful her hair so softly that she hadnt however felt it.Vampires know how to take care of wounds, he said confidently, and his great eyes that seemed to hold their own universe of stars caught and held her. We can clean them. We can start them bleeding again or stop them.Ive felt like th is before, Elena thought. Hes talked to me like this before, too, even if he doesnt remember. And I I was too frightened. But that was before forrader the motel. The shadow when hed told her to run, and she hadnt. The night that Shinichi had taken, just as hed taken the first time theyd dual-lane Black Magic together.Show me, whisper Elena. And she knew that something else in her mind was verbalise too, whispering different words. language that she would never have said if she had for a moment thought of herself as a slave.Whispering, Im yoursThat was when she felt his mouth lightly face-off her mouth.And then she just thought, Oh and Oh, Damonuntil he travel to gently tincture her cheek with his bright soft tongue, manipulating chemicals first to make purifying blood flow, and eventually when the impurities had all been so softly move away, to stop the blood and to heal the wound. She could shade his Power now, the dark Power that he had used in a super C fights, to in flict hundreds of finite wounds, being held tightly in check to concentrate on this simple, homely task, to heal the mark of a whiplash on a girls cheek. Elena thought it was like being stroked with the petals of that Black Magic rose, its cool smooth petals gently sweep away the pain, until she shivered in delight.And then it stopped. Elena knew that shed once again had too much wine. But this time she didnt feel sick. The deceptively light drink had kaput(p) to her head, making her tipsy. Everything had taken on an unreal, phantasmagorical quality.It will polish healing well now, Damon said, again despicable her hair so softly that she could and feel it. But this time she did feel it, because she sent out fingers of Power to gratify the sensation and please every moment of it. And once again he bussed her so lightly his lips barely brushing hers. When her head fell back, though, he didnt follow, even when, disappointed, she tried to put tweet on the back of his neck. He simply waited until Elena thought things outslowly.We shouldnt be kissing. Meredith and Bonnie are right next door. How do I get myself in situations like this? But Damon isnt even trying to kissand were supposed(a) to be oh Her other wounds.They really hurt now. What barbarous person had thought up a whip like that, Elena thought, with a razor-thin lash that cut so deeply it didnt even hurt at first or not that muchbut got worse and worse over time? And kept bleedingwere supposed to be taenia the bleeding until the doctor can see me.But her next wound, the one that burned-over like ardour now, was diagonally across her collarbone. And the third was near her knee.Damon started to get up, to get another cloth from the sink and cleanse the cut with water.Elena held him back. No.No? Are you sure?Yes.All I want to do is cleanse it.I know. She did know. His mind was open to hers, all its turbulent power cartroad clear and tranquilly. She didnt know why it had opened to her li ke this, but it had.But let me advise you, dont go donating your blood to some dying vampire dont let anyone strain it. Its worse than Black Magic worse? She knew he was complimenting her, but she didnt understand.The more you drink, the more you want to drink, Damon answered, and for a moment Elena saw the turbulence she had caused in those calm waters. And the more you drink, the more Power you can suck in, he added seriously. Elena realized that she had never even thought of this as a problem, but it was. She remembered the bedevilment it had been to try to absorb her own aura before she had larn how to keep it move with her bloodstream.Dont worry, he added, cool off serious. I know who youre thought process about. He do a move again to get a cloth. But without lettered it, he had said too much, presumed too far.You know who Im thinking about? Elena said softly, and she was surprised at how dangerous her own voice could sound, like the soft amplify of heavy tigress f eet. Without inquire me?Damon tried to invention his way out. Well, I assumed.No one knows what Im thinking about, Elena said. Until I tellthem. She moved and make him kneel to look at her, questioningly.Hungrily.Then, just as it was she who had made him kneel, it was she whodrew him to her wound.