Six
Sarita woke up this time to find her head on Domitian's thigh and his exhausted member passed out in front of her.
It was a heck of a thing to wake up to, she thought wryly as she eased carefully away from him to sit up on the stone floor at the end of the lounger. He was still asleep this time, she noted, which was kind of weird. Domitian had woken up first the last two times today, she thought, and she glanced along his body to his face to see that not only was he still unconscious, but he was also extremely pale.
Sarita glanced up toward the sun and frowned as she tried to figure out what time it was. The sun was making its downward journey, but was still high in the sky so she supposed it must be mid to late afternoon, somewhere between 2 and 4 p.m.
That realization was somewhat staggering. She hadn't even know Domitian a full day yet. It felt like forever. And really, how stupid was the man to be messing about out here with her where he would pass out under the hot sun? Not once, but twice, mind you. This life mate sex obviously made idiots of its victims. And had it really not even been twenty-four hours since Dressler had knocked her out in his lab with that shot? Really? It felt like a week.
Sighing, she got to her feet and then paused in surprise as a wave of dizziness swept over her. Domitian wasn't the only one who'd had too much sun, apparently. While Sarita had grown up in Venezuela, she wasn't used to such concentrated sun and for so long anymore.
She probably needed water, Sarita told herself. She would get some before she went down to get blood for Domitian. She glanced down at him and changed her mind. He looked like death warmed over. She'd get the blood first and then fetch water for herself, she decided, moving cautiously away from the lounge chair and toward the house.
Sarita felt better the moment she stepped inside the shaded house. It was a good twenty degrees cooler than it was outside, the ceiling fans turning slowly and pushing the cooler air around. She actually shivered at the difference as she pulled the door closed and headed for the office and the hidden door to the basement.
Her gaze swept the boxes in the room at the foot of the stairs as she passed through it, and Sarita recalled that she hadn't finished her search of them. She'd return to do that after getting blood for Domitian, she decided as she continued into the old lab to retrieve the blood.
Sarita had four bags in her arms and was backing out of the refrigerator when she felt something brush her elbow. Glancing to the refrigerator door, she saw that there was a piece of tape sticking out with a bit of paper on the end. It looked like something had been taped there but had been torn off.
Letting the door close, Sarita glanced around and spotted a balled-up piece of paper on the floor. Curious, she carried the blood bags to the table and set them down, then hurried back to pick up and smooth out the paper. On one side there were four numbers and Sarita grimaced as she recognized them. They made up the combination for the numbered padlock she'd had to pick to free Domitian.
It seemed Dressler had left the combination after all. He'd probably put it in the refrigerator to make sure she did feed Domitian the blood before she freed him. Too bad he hadn't put it on the bags where she might have noticed it rather than taping it to the inside of the door where she'd overlooked it.
"Men," she muttered to herself, and in the next moment silently apologized to men in general for the insult. Dressler was a monster not a man.
There were a couple of words under the numbers and she read them with interest.
This combination is for you to use to free Domitian AFTER YOU FEED HIM AT LEAST FOUR BAGS OF BLOOD. However, the letter inside is for him. Please be sure he reads it.
It was a piece of paper, not an envelope, but it still had the crease where it had been folded in half, closing the letter to Domitian inside when taped to the door. Eyebrows rising, Sarita turned the paper over and read the message on the other side.
Domitian Argenis,
This blood is clean and unsullied. It is safe to consume. I offer it as a way to ensure you do not hurt our little Sarita. I know how important life mates are to your kind.
Obviously there is something I want from you. I will contact you soon to let you know what that is. In the meantime, please enjoy my home away from home.
Dr. Dressler
Sarita read the note at least three times before balling it up and tossing it on the floor where she'd found it. The message didn't really say much. The blood was obviously fine. At least it hadn't harmed Domitian, although, frankly, she hadn't even considered that it might not be fine.
And Domitian had already told her that life mates were important to an immortal. As for the "obviously he wanted something from Domitian" part, that wasn't really news either. They'd already decided he'd put them there for a reason. But that line troubled her anyway. As did the mention that he would contact Domitian soon to let him know what that something was. He didn't say he'd contact them, just Domitian.