Onbekend(85)

“Only Tiffany and Travis could make a child that unique.” Randolph paused. “I think the time is near.”

“It’s been a good run, old man.”

Arianna heard a shuffling sound beside her that brought her back to the situation around her. A cook was sitting on a table, the flowers that used to sit there were smashed on the floor beside it. Her leg was completely mangled, and someone had placed a tourniquet around her thigh to stop the bleeding. Arianna paused and stared at the woman, he scent was familiar. She smiled, despite her state, as people rushed between them. Two transformed dearg-duls rushed past, toward another down the hallway. All the blood was affecting the dearg-duls at the estate, but Arianna was still human. The blood didn’t affect her at all.

“They are alright,” the cook said to Arianna.

“Who?” Arianna asked.

“Lilly, Dean, and Captain Lou,” the cook replied. Arianna stared at the human, wondering what she was talking about. “I talked to Lou just a few minutes ago. He recognized the smell of gas before the building blew up and took everyone out.”

“What?”

“You didn’t know yet?” the cook asked. “Sorry. I thought someone had told you—the diner blew up. No one had any contact, but Lou finally called me. He said he couldn’t get through to anyone else and that I should relay the message to you. I haven’t been in any state to find you this way.” She pointed at her leg.

“The diner blew up?” Arianna asked, sitting beside the cook in shock.

“Yes, the attack was planned well on all fronts. They were trying to perform a complete take-over. I think they were targeting you at the diner, and here they were going to kill both Lord Randolph and Lord Winter. At least, that’s what Lou thinks.” Arianna stared at the cook. “I suppose you don’t remember me. I’m Lou’s wife.” Arianna continued to stare at the woman. She smelled exactly the same as Lou. The cook laughed, and then grimaced at the jostle of her injured leg.

“Don’t you need to get some help?” Arianna asked, concerned about the wound running from her thigh to her calf.

“Nah. There are people more hurt than me. I can wait.” The cook pointed around the room. Many of the injured were bleeding worse than her.

“If you wait, won’t you lose your leg?”

“It’s not that bad. After they get to tending to the critical people, I’ll get my own little bag of dearg-dul blood and in a week or two it will be back to normal.” The cook didn’t seem to mind her leg as she waited.

“Dearg-dul blood?” Arianna wanted to know she heard correct.

“Yep. Haven’t you noticed how you can drink blood from humans and not leave a mark? There’s a healing ability in night human blood that can heal, not only their own kind, but day humans also,” the cook explained, leaning back against the wall. “I’m not going to die from this wound. Therefore, I sit here and wait for my turn.”

“Can I test something?” Arianna asked the cook who nodded her head yes, although she didn’t know what Arianna was referring to. Arianna pricked her finger and dropped a drop of blood on the wound running down the cook’s leg before the cook could get out a protest. Turner came running from the ballroom with Devin and Molina close behind. Nixon and Mica came from down the hallway as Nelson ran up from the other direction.

“What happened?” Turner asked, examining Arianna to find the source of her blood loss.

“Nothing,” Arianna replied. “I just wanted to see if my blood worked like dearg-dul blood on humans.” The group heaved a collective sigh of relief.

“Of course your blood works like a dearg-dul’s,” Molina replied. “I thought we’d already tested that theory.”

“Then why don’t we use my blood to heal everyone?” Arianna asked.

“Because your blood is much too valuable,” the cook replied, everyone looked to the now-healed cook. “Everyone made it out of the diner,” the cook reported to Devin, who nodded his response.

“But, if one drop can heal a wound like that, why can’t I help at least some of these people?” Arianna complained.

“One drop, diluted in water, could heal a lot of people,” Turner guessed.

“It’s against the rules,” Molina replied, putting an end to their train of thought.

“But,” Turner began his protest.

Arianna involuntarily shivered as she felt grief overcome her, not to Molina’s response, but from someone close. Arianna closed her eyes and began to wander the estate with her senses. Arianna paused at her grandfather’s apartment. Gabriel was all alone in the room. One tear trickled down her face as she reopened her eyes. She looked straight across the group around her into Devin’s eyes. Devin nodded, as the conversation around them continued to argue over why she couldn’t use her blood.